Freezing your food is an easy way to make them last longer. These are some items you did not know you could freeze!
Raw Eggs
Couldn’t finish that carton of eggs before heading on vacation? Freeze them—but not in their shells (the liquid will expand, and the eggshells will crack and seep all over your freeze).
Beat eggs for later scrambling or baking, then freeze in cube trays, and remove and store in plastic freezer bags for up to six months. Or, just pour each whole egg into a muffin tin, freeze, and then remove and pack into a container.
To freeze only yolks, add 1/8 teaspoon of salt or 1 1/2 teaspooons of sugar to four beaten egg yolks. This will stop them from gelling when frozen.
Garlic
Both whole and chopped garlic freezes nicely. According to the National Center for Home Food Preservation, freeze garlic in oil to avoid botulism. It can be stored safely for several months in glass or plastic freezer containers, but leave ½ inch headspace at the top because liquids expand when frozen.
Onions
Save yourself some prep time by freezing peeled, chopped onions for use in your next marinara sauce. Simply store them in plastic freezer bags. No need to thaw them before using—just toss them, frozen, into the pot whenever you need them.
Mushrooms
Typical button mushrooms, creminis, portobellas, and maitake can all be frozen successfully. Chop, slice, or dice mushrooms, spread on a cookie sheet and freeze. This will stop them from sticking to each other in a large clump.
Transfer to freezer bags or containers. For cooked mushrooms, cool to room temperature and place into freezer bags in layers. Store the bags horizontally—the mushrooms will easily break off into pieces for cooking or using in recipes.
Whipped Cream
To freeze sweetened, freshly whipped cream, spoon dollops on a cookie sheet, freeze, and then store in plastic freezer containers. They will last 1 to 2 months.
Pull them out when you want to add an instant upgrade to a mug of homemade hot cocoa.
Fresh Citrus
Keep your lemons and oranges juicy and fresh by slicing each fruit thinly and freeze them, using wax paper between each layer of slices. You can also divide it into sections and freeze.
Remove as many seeds as you can before freezing.
For juice, freeze in glass containers and leave a bit of headspace for it to expand. For zest of citrus just grate the rind, add a few squeezes of juice, and freeze in cubes in an ice tray.
Read: 4 things you need to know before freezing your food
This article was first published on Men's Health.
