Freezer Foods

[Lucyr]

I haven’t had a fridge freezer for a while, and have now been able to order one which will come next week. I’ve got a shopping delivery booked for the day after to put some food in it. I’d like to shop as little as possible at the moment so wondered if there are any handy foods you like to keep in your freezer?

So far for frozen foods I’ve got chicken breasts, onion, broccoli, carrots, peas, frozen peppers and vegetarian pieces. Struggling to remember what I used to keep in my freezer!

 

[Sally71]

I cook a lot of stews, chilli etc and if there’s any left over put that in the freezer for another day. Pasta sauces too (although not the pasta itself, I think reheated pasta is horrible). Bread and milk freeze quite well too, might be handy to keep plenty of things like that in these days of possibly having to self-isolate for a couple of weeks with no notice! (Just noticed you’re type 2 so maybe you don’t eat much bread, sorry😳)

 

[Inka]

I like the frozen rice sachets. They do cauli rice too. I also like frozen haddock (plain fillets not breaded). Frozen berries?

 

[Lucyr]

I do eat carbs, and usually keep my loaf in the freezer as it takes me a couple of weeks to finish one. Cauli rice is a good idea as I like that also, I’ll put ingredients for a curry on the list.

 

[Fagor]

I think you're off to a good start - well done.

As I live by myself, I now almost always use frozen veg (except brocolli & cauliflower which I find are best fresh). A whole cabbage can last what seems like several weeks. Frozen herbs etc are available but I've not tried.

I keep fish & steaks in single meal portions, bread (sliced in several bags to use as required) and stewed fruit in approx 80g containers. My theory is its better to keep freezer full than empty space.

I also cook and freeze (for one) largish quantities (mainly chilli & curry). Quorn mince can be used from frozen which might be a useful standby.

It may take a while to work out what works for you. Just remember to use the oldest stuff first and de-frost your freezer regularly. It may take a bit of won't-power to stop buying food "just-in-case" or reduced (I plead guilty but have limited choice here)

Hope this helps.

 

[Lucyr]

I think you're off to a good start - well done.

As I live by myself, I now almost always use frozen veg (except brocolli & cauliflower which I find are best fresh). A whole cabbage can last what seems like several weeks. Frozen herbs etc are available but I've not tried.

I keep fish & steaks in single meal portions, bread (sliced in several bags to use as required) and stewed fruit in approx 80g containers. My theory is its better to keep freezer full than empty space.

I also cook and freeze (for one) largish quantities (mainly chilli & curry). Quorn mince can be used from frozen which might be a useful standby.

It may take a while to work out what works for you. Just remember to use the oldest stuff first and de-frost your freezer regularly. It may take a bit of won't-power to stop buying food "just-in-case" or reduced (I plead guilty but have limited choice here)

Hope this helps.

Thanks. I also live alone, I’d forgotten about quorn mince as I do like that. I understand you on the cabbage and am looking forward to having a freezer again as that’s the downside of living alone. If you buy something like a fresh cabbage you then have to eat it every meal for what feels like forever!

 

[zuludog]

As with Lucyr & Fagor I too live on my own, and like them, with fresh veg I have the choice of having cabbage every meal for a week, or buying 2 carrots & 3 mushrooms, which marks you down as a pathetic old man

Well alright, perhaps that's a bit of an exaggeration but you get the idea
I'm now used to planning, shopping, and cooking for just myself and very little gets wasted

I've stopped eating a lot of meat, and certainly junk & processed meat
For a long time I didn't like tinned fish, but then i realised it was the tomato sauce I didn't like, so now I get sardines etc in brine or oil
I often have salad, and even a small savoy cabbage as that doesn't last for too many meals; I can buy smallish quantities of other veg, and some things like onions last reasonably well

But if any veg are getting a bit old I turn them into a batch of veg stew in a slow cooker or large pan, then dispense it into single servings in plastic bags and freeze them
The usual stew veg, including any cabbage that you're tired of eating, just dice it fine
You can put salad stuff into the veg stew, even lettuce & cucumber, just dice them fine and they blend in

I keep some frozen veg in stock - green beans, mixed veg, broad beans
Packets of frozen fish pie mix which I use in stir - fries, and packets of stir fry veg make a quick & easy meal; can also put frozen cauliflower & broccoli florets into a stir fry

Most freezer sections of supermarkets & Iceland are geared up to sell things like pizzas, chips, and sweet things, but have a good look round the chests & cabinets, you can find some interesting stuff that is a bit plainer and less stodgy & sweet
Iceland sold packs of different veg intended for steaming or stir fries, but i haven't been for a while so I don't know what the current position is

I don't eat much carbohydrate but if I want a token bit of rice I get pouches of ready to eat rice, eg Tilda, and dispense it into smaller containers and keep them in the freezer.
Washed out yogurt pots are good for this

I don't eat much bread so I wrap little batches of about 3 or 4 slices and keep them in the freezer
Instead of bread I've started eating oatcakes, which will keep just in their packet at room temp, or in a plastic box

I bought a few tubs of M&S 4 Bean Salad over Christmas and they went straight into the freezer
I thought I could take one out as I need to, and it would last for 2 or 3 salad meals; or I could put it in a veg stew

 

[Drummer]

You'll probably be used to picking up meat in small portions - it is a lot cheaper to get larger packs and put the pieces on a tray to freeze, then pack them in a box or bag with what they are and the date frozen written on the top - it can save quite a bit of money, plus you can sort out the best size of container to fit into the freezer.

 

[nonethewiser]

so wondered if there are any handy foods you like to keep in your freezer?

Meats veg bread bread rolls milk mainly.

At moment full of all sorts, got lucky & went in Morrison's other day & selling all kinds of freezable foods off for 5 & 10p, got chest freezer in garage so loads of space, many items were originally up to £3 so big saving, only reduced cause sell by date was same day.

 

[Maca44]

I like the frozen rice sachets. They do cauli rice too. I also like frozen haddock (plain fillets not breaded). Frozen berries?

The frozen plain haddock is soooo nice, never eaten it before unless covered in batter, I have been missing out.

 

[Lucyr]

Is this the type of haddock you’re talking about? I like the battered one so I’ll give plain a try!

 

[helli]

In addition to the items above, I freeze fresh chillis and fresh ginger. They are both easy to thinly slice and add to stir gets, currys, etc from frozen.
And don't forget to slice left over fresh lemon to add the your G & T.

 

[AndBreathe]

I like no fuss cooking. I'm not the main cook in our household, so I am very spoilt. However, when I prep for a meal, if the meal is something that can be frozen - before or after cooking, I'll tend to prep for another time.

OK, if I'm prepping, say a curry, or chilli, any portions being frozen uncooked might look a bit odd, when in their berg state, but often if everything is frozen together, the flavours strengthen over time.

If I make a marinade, I make a larger batch, then bag and label the excess. Little ziploc snack bags, from the pound shop are perfect for that. They freeze nice and flat and take up hardly any space.

If in the early days of your new freezer, you find yourself with a bit of space, perhaps make some delicious stock. Our butcher happily gives me a carrier bag of bones, when we do our meat shopping.

When space becomes short (because that's how it seems to work!), you can still have good stock in there, but just reduce it to reduce the bulk.

Edited to add; if when your freezer arrives it looks massive and impossible to fill, don't forget you can fill it with Tupperware boxes of water, to help with the efficiency, then ditch the boxes as the freezer fills.

 

[Inka]

Someone above has already mentioned frozen herbs. They’re great! I particularly like the frozen coriander as fresh plants wilt so quickly and never get used up.

Yes, that’s the haddock @Lucyr I cook it in a ‘parcel’.

 

[cameron]

Fruit's also great frozen. I'm a big fan of frozen berries, and eat them almost daily.

 

[Lucyr]

Fruit's also great frozen. I'm a big fan of frozen berries, and eat them almost daily.

Oh I can’t stand fruit. I considered adding some frozen raspberries but honestly can’t imagine when I’d eat them.

 

[Maca44]

Is this the type of haddock you’re talking about? I like the battered one so I’ll give plain a try!

I have the smoked haddock from iceland very yummy.

 

[Dave W]

Chicken and veg soup made from a chicken carcase and frozen in individual portions in plastic bags is handy.