TIPS AND TRICKS FOR A WELL STOCKED FREEZER
Blanch vegetables before freezing
Food writer Sue Quinn suggests blanching and freezing fruit and veg to preserve its nutrients and colour. “If you have a glut of fruit and veg you know you won’t have time to eat fresh before it spoils, freeze it all. Chop the vegetables, blanch in boiling water, then store in freezer bags.”
Squeeze lemon or lime on defrosted veg to bring it back to life
“You only lose out on nutrients if you then heat the fruit or vegetable once you’ve frozen it because it diminishes the vitamin C,” says Jane Clarke. “The trick to get that back is to squeeze some lemon or lime juice on it.”
Label everything
Date everything, too, as ingredients will start to deteriorate – a general rule is to use everything within 3 to 6 months. Freezing meals and ingredients in flat boxes and storing them upright like files, with labels, will help you remember what you have – and be more likely to eat it.
Don’t batch cook
While it’s fantastic for children, for adults it can leave you with a freezer packed with a meal you wouldn’t mind seeing the back of after a few rounds. Instead, make one or two extra portions of anything you make and freeze as you go to ensure variety in your freezer.
Freeze herbs to liven up dishes through the winter.
‘If you want really fresh veg then grow your own or buy frozen’
You can chop fresh herbs, combine with olive oil, then pour the mixture into ice cube trays and freeze. Then just stir cubes through a hot dish. The herbs will lose their bright green appearance but retain all the flavour.