The evening when everything is going crazy, we open the fridge and find a tube of tomato paste that has been opened, a piece of drying ginger and a butter that has seen better days. As a result, we waste time and waste. In France, in 2023, 9.7 million tonnes of food waste were produced; among them, 3.8 million tonnes were still edible: damaged products, leftover meals, etc. Every year, a French person throws away 61 kilos of food waste, including 19 kilos of food that is still edible.
Good news, home freezing can change everything for meal preparation. Well organized, it saves time, reduces the budget and helps you cook smartly. Between -12°C and -18°C, freezing “puts the bacteria to sleep” and preserves the quality of the food. Five ingredients change everything.
How to Freeze 5 Surprising Foods and Use Them in 2 Minutes
Internet users share their tips on social networks to avoid food waste. Here are the five essential “little ones” that help you win big in the evening, with the right method and an express idea of use.
- Tomato paste : place spoonfuls on baking paper or in ice cube trays, harden then bag flat. Quick idea: a nut in a pan of onions to boost a sauce. “Ice cube trays work too” confirmed stainedinthefall.
- Ginger : freeze the whole peeled rhizome. Grate it while still frozen in the microwave, directly onto your woks, soups or infusions. “Freeze it, and use a microplane to grate it, rather than dicing it“, advised JustAnAverageGuy.
- Minced meat already browned : sear a large batch with onion and garlic, let cool, make portions into labeled flat sachets. Perfect for tacos, sauces, soups. “Minced meat already browned… It works perfectly to add to soups, gratins, or even reheat it with spices for tacos“, Innatekate explained. “You can probably season it before freezing, but I never know what it will be used for so I season after defrosting. It saves time and washing up to make several books at once rather than gradually“, Innatekate continued. “I do this with all my ground meats. I even have beef chicken turkey mixes. I cook with simple spices, garlic, onion, oregano, etc. I’ve been doing this for decades. It helps me finish the spaghetti sauce while the pasta cooks.“, testified Human_2468.
- Hard cheeses such as Parmesan : cut into pieces or grate, then freeze in small portions. Quick idea: a handful on pasta or gratins straight out of the oven. “Hard cheeses like Parmesan freeze very well“, Herbisretired noted. “If you buy a huge parmesan, it’s worth cutting it up and freezing it“, recommended Cherrypierogie.
- Butter : store the wafers well wrapped, take out half a loaf at a time in the refrigerator. Quick idea: make a sauce, butter a roasted vegetable, roll a pie crust. “Butter lives in my freezer“, slipped Turkeyman4. “I keep most of the package in there and take out one strip at a time for the fridge. No freezer burn or anything” said SinfullAva13. “When butter is cheap I buy some and put it in the freezer. I haven’t paid full price for years“, recognized A_Fnord.
Safety reminders and quick ideas for your meals
To freeze like a chef, always let the preparations cool, portion out, remove the air and label the contents and date. Never put a hot dish in the freezer, defrost in the refrigerator or in the microwave in dedicated mode, consume within 24 hours after defrosting. Do not refreeze thawed food unless it has been recooked. In terms of homemade references, a prepared dish is generally kept for around 3 months and a pastry for around 1 month. Domestic freezing works between -12°C and -18°C while industrial freezing goes much lower, which explains the speed and quality of the cold.
In terms of organization, cook a little more when a dish freezes well and set aside ready-to-use portions for the week. Soups, gratins, stews, savory cakes, quiches, even pancakes are very suitable. With these five ingredients already in the freezer and two or three bases ready in advance, you can throw together a dinner in just a few minutes without sacrificing taste or budget, an essential reflex when the schedule gets busy.
How long can food be kept in the freezer?
In a freezer, the ideal temperature should be -18°C. However, this is not enough to properly preserve your food: it is also necessary to carefully package your products in airtight glass boxes, aluminum trays or freezer bags, with the date marked on them.
Under these conditions, meat and fish can be stored for several months. Here are the ideal durations:
- Whole or portioned meat will keep for 15 to 18 months;
- Minced meat, 2 to 3 months;
- Meat cooked for 2 to 3 months;
- Farmed or sea fish, 24 months;
- Lean or fatty fish, 2 to 6 months;
- Breaded fish, 24 months.
For other foods, the recommended deadlines are:
- Home-cooked meals: 3 to 4 months;
- Industrial ready meals: 18 to 24 months;
- Pre-cooked potatoes (roasted potatoes, fries, etc.): 24 months;
- Fruits and vegetables: 24 months;
- Salted butter: 12 months;
- Soft butter: 3 months;
- Fermented cheese: 3 months;
- Grated or cooked cheese: 6 months;
- Bread: 1 month;
- Raw pastries and pastries: 24 months;
- Cooked pastries and pastries: one year;
- Ice creams and sorbets: 24 months;
- Crème fraîche, 4 months;
- Egg white, 4 months.
Also note: be careful not to confuse freezer and freezer. If you use a freezer, your frozen food can only be stored for 1 to 4 weeks at most, and not several months.
Finally, certain foods cannot be frozen: eggs, vegetables and fruits rich in water, fresh cheeses, tubers, yogurts, cream desserts, fried preparations, cream-based sauces… and of course, foods that have already been defrosted.