9 Foods That Can Be Frozen You Didn’t Know

Surely you have regretted having to throw away some food that ended up spoiling for not being consumed in time.

The heart pain is great, but unfortunately, once the food has passed its shelf life, the only way to avoid contamination and gastrointestinal problems is to get rid of it.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t avoid waste. One of the most practical food preservation techniques that exist is freezing, which slows down the development of microorganisms due to low temperatures.

To make the most of the foods you have in your house, here are 9 of them that can be frozen and you probably didn’t know:

1. Coffee

Have you brewed a pot of coffee and ended up having some left over? It’s not cool to reheat, but you don’t have to throw everything down the drain either.

The tip is to freeze the coffee in ice cube trays to use the cubes in cocktails, iced coffees and other recipes.

2. Lettuce

Didn’t have time to eat all the lettuce when it was fresh? A solution to enjoy the vegetables is to beat the leaves in a blender with a little water and freeze the preparation in ice cube trays.

In the future, the cubes can be used in creams and soups to add flavor, fiber and other nutrients.

3. Banana

Bananas that are acquiring a brown color, indicating that they are past the point of maturity and almost starting to spoil, can be taken to the freezer with the skin on.

These fruits can be used in recipes such as cakes and muffins, simply by defrosting them in the microwave.

4. Fresh herbs

You must have already been through the situation of buying a packet of spices at the market and, no matter how small it was, using only a little and having to throw the rest away.

To avoid waste, you must chop the leaves into very small pieces, place them in ice cube trays, cover the cubes with oil and then store in the freezer to preserve the flavor and aroma of the seasonings.

5. Margarine and butter

Butter and margarine can be stored in the freezer as long as they are stored in airtight containers, isolating them from contact with the environment and other foods.

6. Ripened or mature cheeses

Although fresh cheeses, such as ricotta and Minas, and curd cheese do not react well to freezing, it is possible to freeze cured or mature cheeses.

Prato cheese and mozzarella can be frozen in vacuum-sealed bags and consumed normally after thawing. Cheeses like brie and gorgonzola, in turn, lose some of their texture, but can still be used in recipes.

7. Eggs

Eggs spoil easily in the fridge and even worse outside, but you can increase their shelf life by putting them in the freezer.

The trick is to make a mixture of the white and the yolk and store it in vacuum-sealed bags or in jars with little air. A tip: write down how many whites and yolks are being frozen so you don’t make a mistake when using them in a recipe.

8. Tomatoes

Tomatoes are foods that, in a short time, begin to show signs of contamination, mainly by mold.

To increase their shelf life, you can store them in the freezer to be used in sauces and stews.

9. Grapes

Bought a huge bunch of grapes and won’t be able to consume them in time? Know that you can freeze these fruits so that they can be used later in juices and recipes.

Also, you can use a grape seed to chill your wine glass when you don’t have time to cool it to the correct temperature.

Remember: as much as freezing increases the shelf life of food, this technique does not have the power to reverse a decomposition process. If you see any signs that the food may be spoiled, the safest course of action is to discard it.