Your freezer can do far more than hold pizzas and prepared meals. Used wisely, it cuts grocery trips, prevents waste, and saves you significant money.
You can’t miss the predictions of a second—or is it a third?—wave of coronavirus infections as we’re heading into winter. It’s likely all over your social media feed, as well as every news outlet in the country. BILLSHARK has seen it, too.
1 Getting Ready for Winter
“This winter—this November, December, January, February—could be the worst time in our epidemic. Get ready to hunker down.”
“This winter—this November, December, January, February—could be the worst time in our epidemic,” Dr. Peter Hotez, Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, told CNN last month. “Get ready to hunker down.”
Having learned our lesson about ways the pandemic affected supplies in the spring, Americans are already stocking up on grocery items and staples in preparation for more quarantining, and even possible lockdowns in the coming months.
“As of now what we’re seeing is the start of the second wave of panic,” Chris Mentzer, the director of operations for Rastelli Market Fresh in New Jersey, told USA Today recently. “Our customers keep telling me how they are looking for any type of freezer to purchase so they can start stocking up their homes now.
“Their main concern is meat,” he added. “They’re also starting to buy a lot of frozen meals and frozen pizzas. We are seeing anything that can be microwaved quickly or easily made in the oven for kids, fly off the shelves.”
But BILLSHARK wants you to know there are other, healthier, more cost-effective ways to use your freezer. Having enough staples and supplies on hand not only means you’ll be prepared for any shortages, but also means fewer risky trips to the store. And you’ll save a ton of money in the process.
2 What You Can Freeze
If your freezer is loaded primarily with processed and prepared foods, you may be surprised to learn what else you can buy now and freeze safely. There’s meat, of course, but did you know you can also freeze milk? Butter and cheeses? Bread? Even eggs?
With this in mind, keep an eye on the weekly circulars and stock up on sale items, which can amount to significant savings in the long run.
Here’s a partial list of refrigerator and pantry staples that can be safely frozen.
bread
meats, poultry, and fish, raw or cooked
cookies
milk (in freezer-safe containers, not the original carton; milk expands when frozen)
yogurt
eggs (removed from their shells)
hard cheeses (wrapped in foil in a freezer bag)
shredded cheeses
butter
fresh herbs
fresh fruit and vegetables
chocolate
nuts
cooked rice, quinoa, barley, mashed potatoes, and pasta
tofu
pizza or pie dough
Here’s a hint: If you see it as an ingredient in pre-packaged foods in the grocery store’s freezer section, you can freeze it at home.
3 How Long You Can Freeze Food
Believe it or not, according to FoodSafety.gov any food stored continuously at 0° Fahrenheit or below will keep indefinitely. That doesn’t mean the quality will last, however. Freezer burn on meats, for example, is notorious for making long-frozen meats unpalatable after thawing.
There are ways around that, though. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends removing meat and poultry you intend to store longer than two months from its original packaging and placing it in a plastic bag. Alternatively, you can overwrap the packages with airtight, heavy-duty foil, plastic wrap, or freezer paper.
If you’re concerned about the safety of storing foods, whether in the refrigerator or the freezer, FoodSafety.gov provides a downloadable PDF table that lists refrigerator and freezer times for typical foods. The FDA also offers a more extensive refrigerator and freezer storage chart.
4 What You Can’t (or Shouldn’t) Freeze
Given the long list of items that can be frozen, you might be asking, is there anything you can’t freeze? Yes. Here are some foods the FDA recommends you not freeze:
eggs in their shell
hard-cooked eggs
liquid pasteurized eggs or egg substitutes that have been opened
such salads as egg, chicken, tuna, ham, or macaroni
pre-stuffed pork, lamb chops, or chicken breasts
store-cooked convenience meals
commercial brand vacuum-packed dinners with USDA seal, unopened
canned ham labeled “keep refrigerated,” unopened
In addition, foods that don’t freeze well (i.e., their quality will be affected) include:
cream sauces
raw tomatoes
whipped cream
soft cheeses such as brie, double-crème, and low-fat cheese
leafy vegetables and salad leaves
If you make it a practice to think outside the (pre-packaged frozen food) box, you’ll be amazed at how your freezer can save you money.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How does my freezer help me save money on groceries?
Keeping enough staples and supplies on hand means you make fewer trips to the store and waste less food. By watching the weekly circulars and stocking up on sale items you can freeze, you spread out your shopping and avoid paying full price, which can amount to significant savings in the long run. Fewer store trips during a pandemic also keeps you safer.
What foods can I safely freeze besides meat?
You can freeze far more than meat and prepared meals. Safe options include bread, cookies, milk (in freezer-safe containers, not the original carton), yogurt, eggs removed from their shells, hard and shredded cheeses, butter, fresh herbs, fresh fruit and vegetables, chocolate, nuts, cooked rice, quinoa, barley, mashed potatoes, pasta, tofu, and pizza or pie dough. A good hint: if it appears as an ingredient in store-bought frozen foods, you can freeze it at home.
How long can food stay safely frozen?
According to FoodSafety.gov, any food stored continuously at 0 degrees Fahrenheit or below will keep indefinitely. That does not mean quality lasts forever, though. Freezer burn can make long-frozen meats unpalatable after thawing. The FDA recommends removing meat and poultry you plan to store longer than two months from their original packaging, or overwrapping with airtight heavy-duty foil, plastic wrap, or freezer paper.
Which foods should I avoid freezing?
The FDA recommends you not freeze eggs in their shell, hard-cooked eggs, opened liquid pasteurized eggs or egg substitutes, salads such as egg, chicken, tuna, ham, or macaroni, pre-stuffed pork, lamb chops, or chicken breasts, store-cooked convenience meals, unopened vacuum-packed dinners with a USDA seal, and unopened canned ham labeled to keep refrigerated. These items either pose safety concerns or degrade once frozen.
Which foods lose quality when frozen?
Some foods are safe to freeze but do not hold up well, meaning their quality suffers. These include cream sauces, raw tomatoes, whipped cream, soft cheeses such as brie, double-creme, and low-fat cheese, and leafy vegetables and salad leaves. You can still freeze them in a pinch, but expect changes in texture or taste once they thaw.
