You’d be surprised to know which leftovers can be frozen (Picture: Getty Images)
With the cost of living soaring, and prices set to rise still further when it comes to energy bills, food and other essentials, a lot of us are looking at ways to ensure we make the most of our weekly food shop.
In the age of meal prep, a lot of us know the power of the humble freezer. But did you know that along with your cooked leftovers and usual oven chips, you can also freeze items like crisps and cheese?
The good news is, the days of having to throw away that half-block of cheddar or prawn cocktail crisps with tears in your eyes can now be long behind you.
Thanks to NetVoucherCodes.co.uk, we’ve got eight surprising food and drinks that you can freeze and preserve for longer, helping you to get more bang for your buck (or, you know, pounds) with your non-perishables.
Butter
I can’t believe it’s not perishable. Salted butter lasts for up to nine months if frozen, while frozen, unsalted butter lasts for six months. Freezing your butter is easy: just wrap it tightly in freezer film or high-quality kitchen foil.
Chopped chilli and herbs
We’re all guilty of buying more chillis and herbs than we need for one meal and then throwing away the excess, only to do the same when we want that specific meal again a couple of weeks later.
Instead, try storing excess chilli and herbs in a water bottle and freezing it. This ensures the products aren’t affected by moisture and stay fresh for whenever you need them.
Chopped herbs and chilli peppers can go straight in the freezer (Picture: Getty Images)
Alcohol
Don’t let a good wine go to waste! If you’re unable to finish that one last bit in a bottle, don’t pour it down the sink – put it in your freezer instead. White wines, rosé or any wines that are better chilled are especially ideal for freezing, and most spirits can be put in the freezer too.
However, bear in mind that with any drinks with high alcohol content, they won’t freeze completely – but they’ll stay refreshing and chilled.
Nuts
Whether they’re salted, unsalted, fresh, or packaged — a huge variety of nuts can be preserved in the freezer for up to nine months. It’s just a matter of throwing them in a ziplock freezer bag.
You can then either thaw them the old fashioned way or reheat by roasting them in a pan or the oven.
Baked goods
Went a bit crazy at your latest bake sale? Overestimated how much brownie batter you needed? If stale or dry muffins are your pet hate, then we have good news for you — baked goods are ideal for preservation too.
Baked goods such as brownies, cakes, and cookies can be stored in reusable containers for up to three months.
Freeze baked goods (Picture: Getty Images)
Crisps
Crisps gone past their expiry date? Get an extra couple of months back by storing them in the freezer in their original bag.
Cheese
Hard and grated cheese can keep for three to six months in the freezer. Nobody likes crumbly cheese, however, so be sure to defrost the cheese fully before putting it back in the fridge.
As for grated cheese, it’s important to put extra flour in the bag and shake it well before trying to freeze it.
Garlic
Whether its cloved, chopped, or a whole garlic, you can increase its shelf life for up to twelve months just by putting it in a ziplock bag.
‘By compiling this list of foods you didn’t know you could freeze, it will hopefully help weekly shops go the extra mile,’ a spokesperson for NetVoucherCodes.co.uk said.
‘When it comes to freezing your food, it’s always advisable to use freezer-proof zip lock bags to keep foods fresh for when you come to use them.
‘Remove any excess air before storing and be sure to label and date your preserved foods.’
‘By freezing what you don’t eat, you can save yourself from spending unnecessarily during your weekly shop.’