Freezing: what is possible and what is not? ⋆ SOULFOOD.nl

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It is probably the most frequently asked question on social media: “Can I freeze this too?”† We hear it with snacks, dishes and pastries – and sometimes it's quite difficult to determine what can and cannot be put in the freezer. We could of course try it per dish. But of course that takes a lot of time. That's why I went looking for maxims that you can use for this question. This way you will know exactly what you can and cannot freeze!

I often cook more than we can eat in one day. And then you can best keep those leftovers in the fridge and eat them the next day (or use them in something else), but let's be honest… sometimes you just don't want to eat the same thing twice in a row. The freezer offers a solution. But for which foods is freezing a good option?

I did some research and came up with the following rules:

Can you freeze vegetables and spices?

You can freeze many types of vegetables! But I'll add right away that you can't eat them raw afterwards. They lose some water in the freezer and therefore their crunchiness. They are then still very suitable for soup, pasta, fried rice and so on. For most types of vegetables it is best if you cook them very briefly. Blanchwe call that. A minute is enough.

Then you can drain the vegetables and freeze them in a sealed box or bag. They stay good for 10-12 months. This works perfectly with pumpkin, bell pepper, green beans or snow peas.

You can also freeze raw vegetables such as carrots, onion, leek and cauliflower. This way they stay good for 4-6 months. Vegetables that contain a lot of moisture should not be put in the freezer. Think of tomatoes, cucumbers and radishes.

You can freeze spices, provided you prepare them well in advance. You can chop them up and put them in ice cube trays with a little bit of water or oil. Then you just throw one of those cubes in the pan when you need them. Another way is to put a sprig of parsley, basil or rosemary in a ziplock bag and freeze it. When it is well frozen, you can squeeze the bag to break up the leaves or needles into small pieces. When using, make sure that you do not put the twigs in the food!

Can you freeze fruit?

You can freeze fruit well. But here too, the following applies: only if you don't want to eat it 'like that' afterwards. Fruit also softens a bit in the freezer. The thawed fruits are very suitable for making smoothies, ice cream or jam. Or, for example, as a pie filling or for yogurt. It is best to freeze fruit when it is already ripe. Do you make sure you peel things like banana and mango first? And removing the pits is also a really good idea!

Can you freeze meat?

Meat freezes extremely well – whether raw or cooked. Always cover the meat tightly with plastic wrap and place it in an airtight box or bag. This is how you avoid 'freezer burn', meaning that it dries out during freezing. This way, your meat will remain tender and juicy even after freezing.

You can use the following storage times for different types of meat:

beef: 6 months
pork or minced meat: 3 months
chicken: 8 months
prepared (fried/cooked) meat: 3 months

Note: Some cuts of meat you buy in the supermarket have been previously frozen and cannot be re-freezed. This must always be stated on the packaging. So read the label carefully first!

Can you freeze fish?

Fish is also great for freezing! You can follow the same rules as for (other) meat. So only freeze raw fish if it has never been frozen before and always pack the fish well airtight. You can keep raw fish in the freezer for about 4 months. You can freeze fried or boiled fish, but the quality will decrease. You can keep fish that has already been prepared for about 2 months in the

Can you freeze cheese and dairy?

Cheese and dairy are a bit of a question mark. You can, but it doesn't always go well. You can put very hard cheeses such as Parmesan or Grana Padano in the freezer anyway. Softer cheese usually doesn't keep as good after freezing.

Milk and whipped cream can also be frozen, but make sure that it thaws very slowly and carefully afterwards. So in a cold fridge. If dairy thaws too quickly, it can curdle.

Can you freeze dishes or leftovers?

You can freeze most dishes that you have left over. Dishes that are still delicious after freezing include stews, soup, curries or chilli, rice dishes and lasagna. Potatoes and potato-based salads are not a good idea, because the potatoes can feel crumbly after thawing.

Can you freeze bread, pastries or dough?

You can freeze bread, pastries and cookies very well. It will then remain good for about 3 months. Also make sure that the pastry is airtight in a sealed box or bag. That way it doesn't dry out during the freezing process.

Did you know that you can also make cookie dough, pasta dough and dough with baking powder (for example for Johnny Cakes of pasty) can freeze? It's very handy to always have a roll of cookie dough on hand for unexpected guests. You can then let this thaw, cut into slices and bake... so you always have fresh, homemade cookies when someone comes by!

You can also put dough for Johnny Cakes in the freezer, for example. I always roll out the Johnnies and then freeze them uncooked. When you want to make them, you can fry them — still frozen — in the hot oil.

Note: bread dough, i.e. dough with yeast, cannot be frozen. The yeast dies due to the low temperature. If you freeze and thaw bread dough, it will no longer rise and you will therefore not get good bread.

What can't you freeze?

Of course there are also things that you should not freeze. I've listed a few for you:

pudding, custard and kesio – just don't do it.
dishes that have already been fried. Usually uncooked.
raw or boiled potatoes and potato salad. Puree is allowed!
pasta and macaroni. It is better not to put cooked pasta in the freezer. Baked pasta like lasagna though.
whole eggs. The low temperature will cause them to expand and crack.
all egg based. So mayonnaise, kesio, flan or boiled eggs. Not tasty!
avocado. It is also not tasty after freezing.