Every year, people throw millions of dollars worth of food into the trash because they can’t finish it before it goes bad. In many of these cases, a lot of those foods could have lasted longer by freezing them.
Another benefit is that freezing food rather than throwing it away saves you money. Let’s look at some foods that do really well when you freeze them.
Butter
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Covered on a counter, butter lasts a long time. In the fridge, it lasts even longer. But if even those timelines aren’t working for you, freezing any butter you can’t use in time will make it last practically forever.
Chicken Pot Pie
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Pre-cooked, frozen chicken pot pies are a staple in grocery stores. If you’ve made your own and can’t finish it all, freeze it. It keeps really well, and all you have to do to enjoy it is reheat it in a microwave or regular oven.
Meatballs
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Make a bunch for dinner and make extra to freeze. Put the leftovers in a freezer bag and then take them out the next time you need them. They’ll still be delicious.
Baked Goods
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These will often get stale and/or grow mold before you can finish them. In the freezer, they’ll keep for months, and when you’re ready to thaw them and enjoy, they’ll still be just as good as when they were fresh.
Cheese
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Cheese is a food that will go downhill fast after the expiration date. If you know you won’t be able to finish a package in time, you can freeze it. Grated and shaved cheeses thaw quickly when you need them. For sliced cheese, separate the slices with thin paper before freezing them.
Burritos and Enchiladas
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Need to have some easy dinners ready to go on busy nights? Make a bunch of burritos or enchiladas at once, have some for dinner, and then freeze the rest in sealed bags. They’re easy to reheat when you need a quick dinner.
Lasagna and Other Pasta Dishes
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Lasagna is another hearty meal that can feed a whole family with plenty left over. Wrap individual leftover pieces in cellophane wrap and then freeze them in a sealed bag or dish. Then you can later take out however many pieces you need and reheat them.
Milk
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A lot of milk, especially in gallon-size jugs, goes down drains because it goes bad before people can drink it. Milk freezes really well, but keep in mind that it can take a long time to thaw and that it expands when it freezes, so don’t freeze full containers.
Soup
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Soup is inexpensive, hearty, and easy to prepare. If you make a lot of it at once, you can put what’s left after enjoying it into individual containers and then put them in the freezer. Soup will stay delicious for a long time that way, and it’s a quick and convenient meal when you need it.
Jambalaya and Gumbo
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Like pasta, soup, and burritos, these are hearty meals that are pretty easy and inexpensive to make. And like those other meals, gumbo and jambalaya keep really well in the freezer and make easy lunches and dinners.
Berries
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All too often, berries go bad and/or get moldy before you can finish them. Storing them in the freezer is a great way to preserve them for a longer time. They make a cold, delicious, and sweet snack that way, and you can also add them to smoothies.
Pulled Pork and Chicken
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Here’s another dish that’s cheap and easy to make and which you can make a lot of at once. Enjoy it for a couple of days, and then freeze the rest in a well-sealed container. It’ll stay good for several months.
Fresh Meat and Poultry
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Meat can be expensive, so when you find a good price for it, you might be tempted to stock up. That’s a great idea because if you store it in freezer bags, it can stay good for several months after you freeze it.
12 Foods To NEVER Eat After They Expire (Throw Them Away Immediately)
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The “Sell by” date on food packaging tells how long the food can stay on shelves, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that’s when it expires. On the other hand, the “Best by” or “Use by” date is something to really pay attention to.
Some foods can be fine well past that date, but others don’t, and consuming them can lead to food poisoning, a trip to the hospital, or worse. Following are some foods you should never consume after they expire.
12 Foods To NEVER Eat After They Expire (Throw Them Away Immediately)
10 Beers Americans Can’t Stop Guzzling
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Each generation has its favorites when it comes to everything from apps to restaurants. They have clear preferences for certain beers as well. Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millenials each have favorite beers that are their go-to beverage for a night out.
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