How to save money by using your freezer effectively

Your freezer can be one of the hardest-working tools in the kitchen. Used well, it saves money and time, reduces waste and keeps food safe for months. Here's how you can get the most out of it...

Freezing food stops the growth of bacteria, so food won't go 'off'.

But the longer food is kept in the freezer, the greater the risk of freezer burn and fats going rancid and the quality, taste and texture will change.

As a general rule, most meat keeps four to 12 months, fish two to six months and cooked meals up to three months.

Meat

Fish

Pantry

Dairy and eggs

Fruit and Veg

Cooked Food

The faster food is frozen, the less likely it is to become mushy – so, freeze little and often.

Flat-packing food in thin layers in plastic bags helps too. Just make sure whatever you freeze is completely cold before it goes in the freezer.

To prevent freezer burn, wrap food well and eliminate its exposure to air.

If you're storing food in a bag, seal the bag almost completely and then use a straw to suck out any air (don't do this with raw meat, though!).

If you're using plastic boxes – make sure they're filled as completely as possible.

Whatever you choose, label everything with its use-by date (using the information above). Then you'll know what to use first and what everything is!

When you're ready to defrost, always do this in the fridge.

Blanching vegetables – by partially cooking food in boiling water before draining and cooling in iced water – helps retain the colour and texture (and kill any nasty bacteria) before freezing.

Most bite-sized bits of veg will only need 2-3 minutes at a rolling boil. Peppers don't need to be blanched, though – they can be frozen cooked or uncooked.

Leafy greens are best cooked before freezing to reduce the space they take up. Wilt, squeeze out any excess moisture, then freeze in silicone muffin cups or a giant ice-cube tray.

Keep a bag in the freezer for parsley stalks, celery ends, tough outsides of fennel bulbs, leek ends, even mushroom stalks. When you have enough, they can all go in a homemade stock.

Par-boiled roast potatoes and mash freezes well, but raw potatoes don't.

Raw veg with a high water content, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms, courgettes and lettuces, don't defrost well. This is also true of many fruits, including citrus, watermelon and grapes, but they're good to eat when frozen and can be popped into drinks.

Delicate and juicy fruit (berries, sliced/chopped melon) need to be spread out and 'fast-frozen' on a baking tray first. Then you can tip into a bag, seal and return to the freezer. Toss peaches and apricots in sugar and lemon juice to keep their colour.

Whole lemons, limes and oranges can be frozen (and zested from frozen). Or, you can freeze grated zest in a container/bag and juice in ice-cube trays.

Bananas go brown and mushy when frozen, but they make amazing instant banana ice cream, smoothies and banana bread. Just peel and slice them into bags before freezing.

Apples and pears are best cooked before being frozen.

Chopped herbs mixed with oil, pesto and herb butter all freeze well. Spread thinly in resealable bags, then you can chop off as much as you need from the frozen pack.

Soft cheeses such as camembert, brie and cream cheese don't freeze well. Parmesan's flavour can change and lasts for ages in the fridge so isn't worth freezing.

Egg yolks can be frozen for use in baking or as an egg wash but won't work for everything. Mayonnaise splits when frozen and hard-boiled egg whites will go rubbery. Whole, raw eggs shouldn't be frozen.

Frozen milk can separate and become grainy, although a quick shake usually fixes it. Thawed frozen custard (ice cream) and yoghurt can face the same fate. If you want to freeze double cream, give it a light whip first.

Originally published May 2020. Updated March 2026.

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