Can I Freeze That?

hawkeye on 28/09/2019 - 19:51

Just come back from being away for 5 months and it's a pain coming home jet lagged and having to go to the shops when the freezer can save you a trip till your rested + I don't like wasting food so this could be a better way to save money.
I also bought food saver vacuum sealer years ago and has saved me a fortune this helps with freezing.

Frozen bread was ok
frozen cheese Vacuum sealed ok
didn't have milk to freeze but think would be ok.
Froze lemons before for fried fish = better than nothing

Just asking does anyone freeze funky stuff that's worth sharing most of us wouldn't of thought of before?

I just threw out an open jar of olives worth $4 thinking if I vacuum sealed and froze them would my friends think they taste OK before adding to a frozen pizza. Thinking now while I type, Well yes because frozen pizzas come with olives duh

Food & Grocery

Comments

  • Hybroid on 28/09/2019 - 19:53
    +23

    There's bargain hunting and then there's… this…

    • hawkeye on 28/09/2019 - 20:01
      +3

      Obviously not a camper traveler or specials seeker

      • [Deactivated] on 01/10/2019 - 17:18

        Thinking now while I type…

        If you're going to take up the time of professionals, at least put a bit more effort into constructing a clear and concise post.

    • Zedsdeadbabyzedsdead on 30/09/2019 - 03:59
      +33

      I find tap water freezes well. Turns into hard water that's quite cold.

      • Munki on 30/09/2019 - 13:56
        +2

        Holy shit that's crazy.

      • Bargain80 on 01/10/2019 - 14:49

        frozen ice cream and ice block work well too

      • Gaz1 on 01/10/2019 - 14:55
        +1

        Need to be careful with dry ice though, once it melts you get dry water….

  • [Deactivated] on 28/09/2019 - 20:01
    +1

    I tried carrots but they went black. You can peel them, but they are still mushy. Don't bother. Leave it to the snap freezing specialists.

    • hawkeye on 28/09/2019 - 20:08

      I tried to blanch my own veggies years ago too it didn't last long

    • lgacb08 on 07/10/2019 - 15:08

      Most of the fruit and veggies will turn mushy after freezing, so they are not candidates for freezer because their cell structures get destroyed during freezing (water expand during freezing causing breakage of cell wall) , except for a few like berries which is already squishy.

  • dasher86 on 28/09/2019 - 20:07
    +2

    Frozen fresh ginger.

    • zambuck on 29/09/2019 - 07:25
      +1

      When I harvest my ginger I peel and cut it into pieces, then store it in the fridge covered in sherry. The alcohol keeps it fine for ages, and once you finish the ginger you've got some supercharged ginger-sherry to use in cocktails.

      • kiitos on 29/09/2019 - 09:10

        Nice! That's a good idea, the sherry would taste like rice wine in Asian cooking anyway.

        Do you need to keep it in the fridge?

        • zambuck on 30/09/2019 - 10:12

          I just figure the fridge is a slightly safer spot. I'd expect the ~18% alcohol in sherry to keep most bad things at bay but why take the chance. The rice wine I've tasted in the past had nowhere near the flavour this sherry ends up with. Imagine you accidentally drank undiluted ginger cordial. I think it'd do quite well as an extra flavour in a mulled wine or similar.

      • bringbring on 30/09/2019 - 17:33

        I've found ginger lasts over a month in my fridge. I used to wrap it up and it would go mouldy, instead, just leave it uncovered. Will slowly dry out but won't go off

        • spaceflight on 01/10/2019 - 21:09

          Freeze it.
          It's easier to grate when it is frozen compared to fresh.

    • c64 on 07/10/2019 - 19:41

      any surplus stuff i have i dry out and stick it in the blender to make powder

  • spackbace on 28/09/2019 - 20:10
    +11

    A frozen pizza or something to deal with that day 1 jet-lag, then just go to the shops the next day for fresh stuff?

    • Other on 30/09/2019 - 01:04
      +5

      People just can't order a pizza?…..

      • Zondor on 30/09/2019 - 09:29
        +2

        Cheaper, a frozen aldi pizza + some extra cheese on top is great.

        • ds311 on 01/10/2019 - 20:45

          Yea pizzahut/dominos tastes the same if not worse than frozen pizza to me so honestly it's worth it

  • Emli on 28/09/2019 - 20:11
    +2

    Cheese is best frozen when grated.
    I buy chicken penne pasta from Aldi (reduced to $6.99) today or a tuna mornay from Woolworths. Divide each into four serves with spinach and freeze. Get four lunches out of each.
    Leftover passata and tomato paste (when a recipe calls for one tablespoon).
    Tomatoes can be frozen but only used in casseroles.
    Leftover curry, rice, slow cooker meals … put in single serve containers great for lunches or when tempted to buy takeaway. Can save a lot of money.

  • hawkeye on 28/09/2019 - 20:32
    +2

    Just remembered for Thai lovers for winter times. Fresh chilly and kaffir lime leaves in a zip lock bag no problems

    • Bargain80 on 01/10/2019 - 14:50

      yes to chili. However, it reduces the spiciness a bit, IMO

  • follow on 28/09/2019 - 21:17
    +7

    thought freezing bread was what most people did.

    • Yawhae on 29/09/2019 - 23:33

      Especially in more humid areas, bread goes mouldy fast when left on the bench, and it goes stale in the fridge.

  • [Deactivated] on 28/09/2019 - 21:27
    +4

    Breast milk can be kept frozen for up to 12 months.I had some in my coffee the other day and it was alright : better than skim milk but not as good as the full-cream stuff. Also had some in pancakes once when hungover.

    • SBOB on 28/09/2019 - 22:05
      +15

      'Bitty'…

      • [Deactivated] on 28/09/2019 - 22:08
        +2

        Very! My kids are 12 years old :p

    • follow on 28/09/2019 - 22:14
      +4

      https://youtu.be/NtiyNv7zCbQ

      • [Deactivated] on 28/09/2019 - 22:25
        +1

        Peep show! :)

    • JIMB0 on 29/09/2019 - 00:08
      +1

      Milk from a different kind of cow.

      • [Deactivated] on 29/09/2019 - 12:23

        How dare you call my beloved a cow?! She's far from one. In fact, she's quite sweet with the lightest hint of toasted nuttiness. Those pancakes really hit the spot :P

        • spackbace on 29/09/2019 - 12:26
          +2

          She's not the only nutty one in the household 😂

          • [Deactivated] on 29/09/2019 - 12:27

            @spackbace: Can't argue with that but she took me on, so that makes her the nuttier one of the 2 of us :D

    • [Deactivated] on 29/09/2019 - 12:20

      Just to clarify, my toddler had already weaned himself off the stuff months before I found the frozen pouches of breastmilk in the freezer.

    • ozbjunkie on 29/09/2019 - 17:31

      So to be clear, you detected a less palatable flavour and texture emerging after 13 months..

      • [Deactivated] on 29/09/2019 - 18:04

        Nope. I had them well within the 12 months. My youngest went off breast milk the day he discovered the Laughing Cow "cheeeese, peeese!" :) It was quite sudden and we had a fair few frozen pouches left in the freezer.

        12 months is the maximum recommended time.The lipase, a naturally occurring enzyme that helps break down fat, can cause the milk to taste sour or soapy even after a couple of hours. We used the scalding method to keep it tasting 'fresh' for longer.

        P.s : Fresh is best whenever possible,obvs.

        • Munki on 30/09/2019 - 13:59

          Yeah nothing like grabbing a tit when you're making tea.

          • [Deactivated] on 30/09/2019 - 14:12
            +1

            @Munki: Any excuse to grab one…

            • try2bhelpful on 07/10/2019 - 17:18

              @[Deactivated]: There was a great Kenny Everett sketch

              He goes up to a coffee van
              Kenny - "One coffee please".
              Women Barister - "You want sugar"
              Kenny - "Yes please"
              She fishes out two lumps of sugar from her bra
              Women Barister - "You want milk"
              Kenny - "you wouldn't dare".

    • WT on 29/09/2019 - 23:49
      +2

      I prefer my breast milk straight from the teet

      • [Deactivated] on 29/09/2019 - 23:56

        You and Jim 😂 I won't link to the clip from Me, Myself and Irene as some people might get offended but if you haven't seen that movie, go watch it.

    • blehgg on 30/09/2019 - 14:36

      great protein for body builders too

      • [Deactivated] on 30/09/2019 - 22:38

        You got negged by a bub 😂. Rather than providing nutrition to a grown man, may I suggest that that person donate the extra milk to the milk bank?

        There are 5 milk banks across Australia. 4 are connected to the NICUs and only supply donated breastmilk to premature and sick hospitalised infants.Breast milk protects high risk infants against life threatening conditions such as neonatal sepsis (a dangerous, multi-system infection) and necrotising enterocolitis (a severe disease of the intestine).

        It has been estimated that using donor human milk will provide cost savings of $13 million per year to the Australian health care system just by reducing the number of necrotising enterocolitis cases alone.

        There are also informal milk donor networks on social media. These are usually used for bubs who are born via a surrogate, are adopted or fostered, or children of same-sex parents.

  • Stewardo on 28/09/2019 - 21:33
    +10

    Wet paint brushes, wrap in cling film then put in ziplock, Thaw and keep painting the next morning.

  • Donaldhump on 28/09/2019 - 21:58
    -1

    There’s cheap then there is just stupid.

    I assume you don’t live alone, otherwise just Turn your freezer off.

  • [Deactivated] on 28/09/2019 - 22:07
    +5

    Couldn't you just have 2 mins noodles with a can of tuna? Or cereal with long life milk? That's what I would do.

    • Other on 30/09/2019 - 01:06
      +3

      Or I dunno…. order takeaway?

      This is a one off - it's not a recurring expense - so why would you try and save $8 by leaving your freezer on for 2 months?

  • djones145 on 28/09/2019 - 22:34
    +4

    deliverooooo
    ubereats

    woolies and coles deliveries, a few hours after u get home (order a few days before)

    long life products (long life milk, can soups)

  • outlander on 28/09/2019 - 22:44
    +6

    So… you want to know what meal you can make, freeze, and then eat 5 months later, because you're too tired to pop into the kebab shop down the road. Am I understanding that right?

  • apsilon on 29/09/2019 - 05:32
    +10

    Do people not turn their fridge/freezer off when they're away for extended periods? Just clean it out before you go and save the electricity. Grab takeaway when you get back and go to the shops the next day.

    • gimme on 30/09/2019 - 00:16
      +4

      If you have a teenager's fridge it'll make sense but if you actually have stuff in there it's not worth the hassle to save $10-15 a month. Then again ozbargain, so maybe

    • RedHab on 30/09/2019 - 15:35
      +2

      Power in Australia tends to be pretty reliable.

      In places where the power can go off for an extended period of time leading to melting and then re-freezing of what's in the freezer, a trick is to put a coin on top of an ice cube.

      If it's still on top then the food is OK to eat.

      • gromit on 30/09/2019 - 16:49

        Power is pretty reliable, can you say the same for your house circuit breaker? Mine trips at least a few times a year in Canberra. Had a friend who came home a few years back to a freezer full of rotten meat because the breaker tripped. He had to throw the freezer away as he just could not get rid of the smell.

        • superValue on 01/10/2019 - 20:45

          Mine used to trip up often and then I had my circuit breaker board upgraded and more breaker. Now no issues.

  • try2bhelpful on 29/09/2019 - 06:49
    +2

    We are but two so we, often, freeze leftovers for consumption later. Anything “stew” like freezes well. Then you just cook some rice, heat up “stew” and ready for quick meal. I peel, and freeze, bananas; they work well in smoothies. In summer I take the fruit from my sangria jug and freeze it into largish individual ice blocks. Gives me the option of a single glass of cold sangria with fruit when desired.

  • tabitha731 on 29/09/2019 - 07:30

    I've julienned carrots and put them in a Tupperware container for years and then frozen them.. Always came out fine.. Saves me the hassle of chopping up carrots before I cook dinners.

    I've also cut up mangoes inro small cubes and frozen them.. No problems

  • try2bhelpful on 29/09/2019 - 07:45
    +2

    “Just asking does anyone freeze funky stuff that's worth sharing most of us wouldn't of thought of before?”

    Forgive me if I’m getting this wrong but I think this was more of the point of the OPs post rather than getting stuff out of the freezer after having been away for 5 months.

  • drilly on 29/09/2019 - 08:08

    I freeze everything with the vacuum sealer. KFC wicked wings are the best after you airfry it, they taste better than fresh. Boiled eggs have been the only thing that taste weird after freezing but everything else has been fine.

  • Bad Wolf on 29/09/2019 - 10:44
    +1

    Freeze funky stuff
    Hydration backpack bladder.
    Stores in the freezer ( without water) less effort then fully drying and prevents any funky growth
    Summer a nice cold towel

    Food wise
    The juice/fat from roast pork freeze in chunks for any gravy/fried rice between roasts
    Any really cheap supermarket clearance items. Google can I freeze… bought 10kg of ricotta at $1 /kg didn’t realise it could be frozen

  • AS2035 on 29/09/2019 - 12:11

    Dry our fresh ginger in the oven and store in a glass jar. Lasts up to 3 years.. not at my place as it gets used up fast.. rehydrates when thrown into hot water.

    plenty of hints on line how to snap freeze and store.. do you know if you had a power failure and everything got defrosted and refrozen again?

    When going away leave the freezer empty.

    • kiitos on 30/09/2019 - 12:27
      +2

      There are a few tricks to tell if the freezer was off for a while as long as you set it up in advance, like freezing a jar half full of water, turn it upside down, then when you come back if the ice is at the bottom it has defrosted and refrozen.

      • AS2035 on 30/09/2019 - 16:25

        I know of a few tricks but I'd rather not throw anything out.

      • wortho on 30/09/2019 - 16:45
        +1

        Just stick a coin on top and no need to turn upside. If it defrost the coin will be at the bottom of the jar!

        • kiitos on 01/10/2019 - 07:30

          But this is ozbargain! :)

  • ozbjunkie on 29/09/2019 - 17:32

    Don't freeze avocado. Texture is horrid. I learned a valuable lesson.

    • [Deactivated] on 29/09/2019 - 18:17
      +1

      Yes, you can. Here's how you do it :

      • Cut the ripe avocado in half, remove the seed and peel. You can dice the avocado or leave as half or quarter, depending on how you like to portion.

      • Sprinkle over some lemon or lime juice and place in either a zip-lock freezer bag, removing most of the air, or in a freezer-safe container.

      Frozen avocado can be used straight from the freezer to make smoothies.

      Or buy frozen avos from the freezer section of your supermarket.

      • ozbjunkie on 29/09/2019 - 23:13
        +1

        So removing the skin and seed and sprinkling lemon means the texture will remain smoothe rather than turning fibrous? I somehow doubt it, but, I haven't tried so I can't say this doesn't work.

        • [Deactivated] on 29/09/2019 - 23:19
          +1

          Texture is smoother but the lime does change the taste slightly. I used to have it with smoked salmon and salad in a wrap and it was alright.

    • RandomFox on 02/10/2019 - 00:59

      I freeze avocado, it's fine for sandwiches.

      • c64 on 03/10/2019 - 08:31

        doesn't it go brown and the texture not very nice?

  • gimme on 30/09/2019 - 00:13
    +2

    Another overcomplicated ozb thread. It takes 15mins to goto the shops or just ubereats a meal. It's not like you're coming back from fighting a war. I should really stop reading this stuff. So much nonsense and lack of perspective out there.

    • Other on 30/09/2019 - 01:10

      This.

      Its kind of like a really bad 1st world problems post…. but at least those might have a reason behind (I have no internet, etc). This has none of the redeeming qualities of those kind of posts (thats saying something).

    • sbot on 30/09/2019 - 11:37
      +3

      Nothing wrong with thinking 'man it would be nice to have some frozen food right now instead of having to order something.' The OP isn't catastrophising the situation or being over dramatic. Just prompted a thought about what kind of stuff they could leave in the freezer for a long time. Don't worry about it.

  • Flozza27 on 30/09/2019 - 06:56

    It would probably be cheaper to run your food down before you leave and chuck the remainder out and turn your freezer off for the five months. A couple of days before you return you could do an online shop and collect it on the way home, it will only take five minutes to pick up. Alternatively you could just pick up a pizza or something.

  • newjerseydamo on 30/09/2019 - 08:12
    +6

    If you're away for 5 months, why have your fridge/freezer on?
    Sounds like a waste of money to me.

  • LXE3 on 30/09/2019 - 08:58

    I always shop online while I’m away and arrange for it to be delivered at the same time I expect to be home. Probably a disaster if your plane is delayed but it’s always worked out fine for me.

    • lette on 30/09/2019 - 21:46
      -1

      If it's woolies they bump you back to a later slot that day or early day after timeslot. Coles just refund which is a pain. They have no way of organising redelivery apparently. I've had a bunch of delayed Cairns >adl flights and just give them a call as soon as I know I'll be late home.

      • doowhydiddi on 01/10/2019 - 13:17

        That's bad luck, sounds like it depends on the customer care rep you to talk to.

  • 91rs on 30/09/2019 - 09:12

    Can afford to go on a 5 month holiday overseas (hence the humble brag about jetlag) yet complains about wasting food and wanting to freeze things?
    The 5 months of freezer time is costing you money anyway.
    Its not that big of a deal to swing past the shops on the way home or after you get home and unpack a bit
    Run your food down before you travel as it sounds planned, not last minute or random travel.

  • OzzyOzbourne on 30/09/2019 - 09:34

    Vodka slushy

  • jimdotpud on 30/09/2019 - 09:40
    +1

    all the "juice" left over from roasting chicken/beef/lamb/whatever, chuck it in a mason jar and freeze it. great for making gravy or adding heaps of flavour to stew/soup

    also used to blanch and blitz kale or chards/beets in the blender, then freeze. chuck it into a stew or bolognese, gives a great "greens" hit and also the kids wont realise they are eating it

  • Stinge Master on 30/09/2019 - 16:01
    +1

    I would worry about the power going out at some point, long enough for the food to go bad then it comes back on. When you get home it's cold and you are none the wiser.

    Something I do is to freeze a small cup of water then place a coin on top. That way if the power goes out for an extended period of time, you will know as the ice will melt and the coin will move downwards. That way you'll know if the food might have gone bad.

  • Herbse on 30/09/2019 - 17:08
    +3

    Apparently most households throw out 1/3 of their groceries because they go off before being consumed. I try my best to reduce that as much I can by freezing everything and use it when I need it.

    -Chicken wings, fillets
    -Beef mince, steaks, burger fillets
    -Pre marinated meats from the deli
    -Bread goes straight in the freezer
    -Aldi brioche buns (keep for when I feel like burgers)
    -Shredded ham (use for stir frys)
    -Salami slices ( freezes easily and seperated easy for sandwiches)
    -Shredded cheese bags
    -I put portions of tomato paste from a big bottle into ice cube trays then pop the cubes into a zip lock bag to use for cooking
    -Fresh squeezed lemon juice into ice trays as well, use in drinks and making lemon water
    -Freeze eggs in bigger ice cube trays end defrost when needed as a cooking ingredient. Doesn't work well to eat by itself.

    I also buy whatever frozen veggies that can be bought
    -Pre chopped onion (a life saver, haven't had to cut an onion in years)
    -Frozen peas, corn, edamame etc
    -Frozen mixed berries for smoothies
    -Frozen mashed potato (just throw in the microwave with some bitter and tastes amazing)

    Lots more i can't remember. Not everything freezes but I try most things and see what works.

  • kiitos on 01/10/2019 - 07:37

    My wife and kids don't seem to like frozen bread, either defrosted or toasted. I can't tell the difference, but are there any tips about freezing bread? Not really sure how many different ways you could do this, though!

    • try2bhelpful on 01/10/2019 - 08:44
      +1

      We found if you freeze it whilst it is fresh, rather than waiting until it gets stale, it seems to work better. We also toast from frozen. Maybe use the toasted frozen stuff for scrambled eggs, soups, etc.

  • hawkeye on 01/10/2019 - 10:29
    +1

    Ever wonder why plastic milk jugs have those circle indents on the side? They are there to allow milk to expand while freezing

    If you don’t want to store flour in the freezer, you can freeze it for three days when you first bring it home to kill off any bacteria or critters trapped inside. EWWWW!!!!

    Freeze sauces in ice cube trays. Once frozen, pop the cubes out and put them in a freezer bag.
    The tip above is also great for things like canned tomato paste! Most recipes only call for a small amount of tomato paste, and then you’re left with an open can that’s nearly full. Freeze it instead!

    Squeeze lemon juice or lime juice into ice cube trays, then pop the cubes out after they have frozen and store them in freezer bags. Now you have “fresh” lemon and lime juice whenever you need it. And you never have to kick yourself for letting another bag of lemons from Costco go to waste! (Been there, done that.) And don’t forget to ZEST the lemons or limes first, and keep the zest in the freezer as well!

    Someone else has written an article here

    • spaceflight on 01/10/2019 - 21:15

      Ever wonder why plastic milk jugs have those circle indents on the side? They are there to allow milk to expand while freezing

      No they aren't.

      If you don’t want to store flour in the freezer, you can freeze it for three days when you first bring it home to kill off any bacteria or critters trapped inside. EWWWW!!!!

      Who stores flour in the freezer?
      When it warms up moisture can form so the flour can get wet and then have moisture in it causing it to go mouldy.

      Freezing anything will not kill bacteria, it just slows down it's reproduction.

      • try2bhelpful on 02/10/2019 - 00:36

        Freezing flour, in water proof containers, is a known way to kill off weevils in flour.

  • c64 on 01/10/2019 - 11:26

    i've got a 500l chest freezer and freeze just about everything!

    • try2bhelpful on 01/10/2019 - 11:31
      +1

      Anyone seen granny lately?

      The problem with chest freezers are they are a pain to get things in and out of. I prefer my upfright freezer, even it if is less efficient.

      • c64 on 01/10/2019 - 11:41
        +1

        Anyone seen granny lately?

        sssh!

        The problem with chest freezers are they are a pain to get things in and out of

        yes, i do have trouble sometimes getting the stuff i want or even remembering what is in there and where it is located

        • try2bhelpful on 01/10/2019 - 11:58

          You've given me an idea. I should photograph what I put in the freezer and create a freezer database; that way I have a record of what is in there and when I put it in. I then just delete the picture as I take things out. If I have it on my phone then I can work out what I need when out shopping.

  • cyrax83 on 01/10/2019 - 12:01

    I froze my partner. Will re-thaw in a few years.

    • try2bhelpful on 01/10/2019 - 14:37

      I’d say “Idiocracy” but I think we are already there.

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