The ultimate guide to what you can (and can’t) put in your freezer

Freezer maintenance is like managing any other resource: the more planning you do up front, the more likely you are to mine diamonds later.

But before we get started on the definitive guide to what freezes well and what does not, a few essential tips.

• Always remember to clearly label whatever you’re throwing on ice. It might feel like an inconvenience at the time, but it’s amazing the clarity a little masking tape and a Sharpie can bring three months down the track.
• Consider stocking up on novelty-sized silicon ice-cube trays − cubes big enough to store portioned soups and stews are available cheaply – as well as repurposing takeaway containers that can easily be labelled and stacked.
• How long each food can freeze for will depend on its structural integrity, water and fat content. Some foods, such as cooked stews and casseroles, are best within two to three months, whereas raw meat can last up to a year in the freezer if stored properly. Foods that have been frozen in a commercial setting will give you more leeway, so keep these frozen until you need to use them. If in doubt, check foodsafety.asn.au

Suitably armed, here is all you need to know.

Food you can freeze – some of which may surprise you

Fruit and veg

Leafy greens such as spinach and silverbeet. Blanch them first then squeeze out the moisture, chop and freeze as fistful-sized clumps on a tray. This adds up to a year to the shelf life of ingredients that would otherwise wilt into a puddle in the crisper within days.

Aromatics such as garlic, chilli, ginger, galangal, turmeric and lemongrass can all be frozen and then grated as needed. You can even blitz up nubs of whatever you’ve got into fresh curry pastes and store these in portions in the freezer.

Whole Makrut lime leaves and curry leaves are happy to hang there too. If you need to fry the curry leaves from frozen, pop some salt in the oil to mitigate any extra moisture.

Black truffle freezes surprisingly well and can be grated from frozen.

Citrus juice and zest can be frozen. Juice goes in ice cubes, zest can be peeled into strips, or zested on a Microplane and popped in along with the juice or in its own little labelled container.

Berries such as strawberries, raspberries and blueberries can be saved from mush by freezing while they’re still firm. Be honest with yourself. If they’re starting to look a little sad, get ’em in the freezer while you still can. You can whack these into smoothies, onto muesli, or even make jam from frozen berries.

If your berries are already a little past it, make a coulis by bringing them to a gentle burble in a small saucepan on the stove, tasting for sweetness, then cooling and decanting into a container to freeze.

Fleshy fruit such as mangoes, bananas and melons are easy to peel and cut into chunks or scoop off the skin, then freeze. That’s much smarter than watching them collapse in on themselves in the fridge or fruit bowl. Whiz in a blender or food processor for a one-ingredient sorbet or as the base for a mocktail or cocktail.

Carbs

Cooked rice needs to be used within a day in the fridge, but can be portioned and frozen for up to a month. Set aside what you’re not going to eat straight away as soon as it’s cooked, wrap it tightly, then chuck straight into the freezer. This is one ingredient where trapping in steam and moisture means you’ll have fluffy, moist rice on the other end.

Pasta, cooked al dente then oiled and cooled, can be bagged up, ready for adding to a hot sauce or plunging into boiling water to quickly refresh later.

Fresh rolled pasta and gnocchi can be frozen on a tray overnight with space between each shape for short pasta and gnocchi (par-cooked until they bob to the surface), or in clumped portions if the pasta is long. Then bag them up and store.

Dairy

Compound butter, made by whizzing up aromatics and unsalted butter, lasts for months in the freezer. (And it’s a smart way to make a little black truffle go further.) Once mixed, place a sheet of cling film on the bench, place the butter in a line in the middle, and roll it into a log. Slices of compound butter, such as Neil Perry’s chipotle and lime butter, can be served on steak or roasted vegetables.

Cheeses such as parmesan or cheddar can be frozen in blocks. But they’ll be much more convenient if they’re grated first and packed into airtight containers or press-seal bags. You can crumble the cheese into dishes such as risotto direct from frozen.

Gather parmesan rinds in a freezer container or bag and add them to vegetable stocks and soups for extra umami.

Breads and bakes

Loaves of bread and bread rolls can easily be frozen, but remember to slice them first.

Flatbreads can be reheated from frozen; the extra moisture released as they toast and any stray ice crystals melt gives you a delightful interplay between crispy outside and doughy middle.

Pita bread, both the puffy souvlaki shop variety and the thinner wrap style, can be frozen in individual bags for easy home-made souvas and pita pizzas (something kids especially love to decorate and eat).

Pizza, focaccia or bread dough is great to freeze after the first prove. Knock it down and shape into a flattish disc so it will thaw quickly on your kitchen bench. If you plan ahead, you can grab it out of the freezer and let it slowly defrost over 48 hours in the fridge, which will help to enhance its flavour.

Biscuit dough. If your inclinations for biscuit-baking are sporadic at best, mix up a double batch of dough, and while you bake half, wrap the other half as a fat log in baking paper and foil. Using a very sharp knife, cut 1cm slices of dough from frozen, place them on a tray and bake.

Sponge cakes. Allow them to cool, then wrap in cling film. Many cake shops batch-cook their sponges and butter cakes, then freeze and decorate from frozen.

Egg whites can be stored in a small container, pre-weighed. A standard pavlova recipe uses four egg whites.

Sausage rolls and samosas or any sort of pastry that has been wrapped or filled and then frozen raw is going to give you an excellent bake coming straight from the freezer – they’ll look neater and cook well.

If you’ve baked yours already, let them cool, and then freeze – you can then heat them from a cold oven until warmed through.

Assorted

Brewed coffee. If you’ve made too much black coffee, freeze in ice-cube trays to make frappes or defrost to make tiramisu syrup, espresso martini mix or affogato.

Bacon. It’s best to julienne surplus rashers to save thawing time on the other end, or just chuck them in soups or braises from frozen. Save the rinds for stock.

Tomato paste. If you’re halfway through a tomato paste tub or jar and worry that you won’t get to it before it goes mouldy, decant into an ice-cube tray and use it sometime down the track instead.

Nuts, with their high fat content, can be stored in the freezer, which is especially useful for expensive nuts such as pine nuts and shelled walnuts, which go rancid quickly.