Your Questions on Freezing Food Answered

Freezing food can be a great way to make your food last a little longer – especially when you can’t get to the shops.  Despite what many think, freezing doesn’t necessarily kill the nutrients in food plus it’s a great way to store food without using chemical preservatives.   Freezing food is also a great way to avoid food waste. 

Lots of you have been asking us questions about freezing food – here’s some quick answers to keep you on track. 

Q. How can I safely freeze food?

Most food can be safely frozen, just follow some basic safety tips: 

• Don’t freeze something right before it’s due to go off - as the process of freezing food doesn’t eliminate all bacteria.  Instead, freeze items when they are fresh. 
• Cool down food before you freeze it - otherwise the heat could cause other food in the freezer to begin defrosting 
• Remember - the fuller your freezer is, the more economical it is to run 
• You should only refreeze food if you're cooking it in between, e.g. if you thaw mince to make bolognese you can re-freeze it after cooking it 
• Make sure to wrap your food properly or put in sealed containers 
• Throw out anything you might think have gone off - freezing doesn't kill bacteria 
• Label your food so you don't forget what it is - it's also helpful to add a date so you know when you put it in 
• If ice builds up, make sure to defrost your freezer - the contents will usually be fine in the fridge while you do this. 

Q. WhatFoods should I NOT freeze? 

• Dishes with crumb toppings (as they will go soggy) 
• Sour cream or any other cream-based products 
• Salad greens 
• Raw fruits and veg (as the texture may go soggy when defrosted) 
• Potatoes (these will also go mushy when defrosted) 

• Cans of food 
• Mayonnaise, as it'll separate 

Q. What foods can I freeze? 

• Bread - entire loaf, slices or in breadcrumbs 
• Grated cheese 

• Cooked pasta (slightly under-cooked pasta will help avoid  a soggy texture when it’s defrosting) 
• Nuts 
• Flour (and you can use this directly from the freezer) 
• Butter 
• Grated cheese 

• Peeled bananas 
• Herbs 
• Stock 
• Eggs, if cracked into containers 
• Meat, raw or cooked 
• Wine 
• Bananas 
• Berries 
• Soup, casserole and most other cooked leftovers - but double check online if you are unsure 
• Milk - though as it will expand, you mustn't store it in a glass bottle.