9 Foods You Should Never Freeze

Kitchen
Blossom Lady
Blossom Lady
Sep 06, 2022 07:15 AM
9 Foods You Should Never Freeze

The lives of certain foods can be extended by storing them in your freezer, and they’ll taste as good as they did when you put them in there. But for other foods and ingredients, your freezer is not your friend. Leave these items in the fridge if you want them to stay fresh.

1. Eggs

Whole eggs should be kept out of the freezer. The egg could expand and crack the shell, allowing bacteria to creep in. Even if the shell remains intact, the yolk will become syrupy and hard to blend with the egg whites, according to the USDA. Similarly, icings or sauces made with eggs can turn tough or rubbery in the freezer.

2. Soft cheeses

Soft cheeses, like goat, brie, and ricotta, tend to separate and take on a grainy texture when frozen. Hard cheeses, like cheddar, can hold up better in the freezer — though they could also turn mealy.

3. Other dairy products

Almost all dairy products are not freezer-friendly. Sour cream separates and becomes watery, and cream, yogurt, milk and milk-based sauces may curdle and separate.

4. Certain fruits and vegetables

Some produce, especially fruits and vegetables with high water content, will be limp, soggy, and possibly have a change in flavor or smell after freezing and thawing. Lettuce, cucumbers, cabbage, and watermelon are all better off in the fridge.

5. Potatoes

Unless they’re French fries, potatoes don’t hold up well in the freezer. Depending on their preparation before freezing, they’ll turn mushy, mealy, watery, or tough. If you have lots of potatoes on your hands, try making a batch of freezer fries. See a recipe here.

6. Dressings

Salad dressings and condiments like mayonnaise are better left in the fridge. Although they’re safe to eat after thawing, freezing will make the ingredients separate. The eggs, oil, and vinegar in mayo will all separate, leaving liquid on top of the mayo. Attempting to return it to its original texture might not work, and if it does, you’ll have a thinner, watery substance left.

7. Seasonings

Most spices and seasonings should be stored exclusively on your spice rack.

Freezing does not extend the shelf life of spices, and according to the NCHFP, freezing causes taste and flavor changes. Garlic, pepper, and imitation vanilla will become bitter, onion and paprika may change flavor, and curry is known to “develop a musty off-flavor.” Yuck! Fresh herbs, on the other hand, can be frozen, but use them for flavoring only — they become soggy and limp, not the best bet for a pretty garnish.

8. Fried foods

The yummy crispiness we love about fried foods disappears after a trip to the freezer, because thawing makes formerly crunchy foods waterlogged and soggy. The exception here is homemade French fries, which can be cooked, frozen, and cooked again without thawing first. They’ll still taste good and crisp up, plus you can make them healthier by limiting the amount of oil and fat you use to make them.

9. Cooked pasta

Some fresh pastas can be kept in the freezer before cooking, but stick to the fridge for storage after cooking. Freezing cooked pasta will turn it into a mushy mess, and give it a weird “warmed over” taste to boot.

food freezing
Like!
Add to bookmarks
Assign tags
Cleaning Hacks: 9 Things You Should Never Clean With Vinegar
In most cases, vinegar is a great all-purpose cleaner, but there are some things that you shouldn't clean with it. This natural cleaner can actually do some serious damage to appliances and other hous...
9 Items You Should Never Put in Your Dryer
Due to lack of space, convenience, and time, clothes dryers have pretty much replaced outdoor clotheslines. Most of us are just too busy to take the time to hang our laundry outside on a clothesline, ...
10 Things You Should Never Put in the Garbage
When household items are broken, expired, old, or going unused, many of us simply reach for the nearest trash can, right? But among the thing we use on daily basis there are several categories of haza...
7 Things You Should Never Pour Down the Drain
Have you ever considered what you're putting down your drain? If your answer is "never," you're not alone. I’ve never thought of it before. And then I had to deal with a great problem with clogged kit...
7 Things You Should Never Do When Using the Dishwasher
Of all the household tasks we do every day, loading the dishwasher seems to be one of the easiest. Sure, you may get annoyed when your partner loads the dishwasher incorrectly yet again, but on the wh...
9 Things You Can Freeze to Save Money
The freezer is your best friend. It's the easiest way to save money and reduce food waste. And you can get the most out of your food budget by strategically freezing your goods. You'll be amazed at ho...
7 Items & Foods that Almost Never Go Bad or Expire
It's not often that you can forget an item in your pantry or refrigerator without it expiring. So if you are like me and tend to store and forget, you can rely on these items and foods that never go b...
Tips on how to freeze everything: Part 1
Save time and money with these proven food-freezing techniques.Not only will this help you avoid food waste, but it'll also improve your bottom line: look in the freezer before you write a grocery lis...
8 Easy Recipe Hacks You Never Thought of Before
There may be too many cooks in the kitchen, but there can never be too many tips to make meals easier. Whether you want to whip up a quick dish or need some guidance on how to get around the kitchen, ...
7 Surprisingly Useful Things You Can Do With Expired Foods
I know, I know... it happens. Sometimes we don't get to use food we've purchased before it goes bad, but that doesn't mean you should just throw it away! There are ways to safely use expired food in r...
6 Leftover Party Foods to Repurpose
It’s the same problem every year. The holiday festivities are over and there’s still so much food left. You have two options: throw away the scraps (don’t do it!) or store your leftovers for future me...
9 Surprising Uses of Rice That You've Never Heard Before
Rice, one of the most widely consumed staple foods of the world can often be found lurking in the back of your cupboard. But did you know you can do more with it than just eat it? Today I’d like to sh...
Loading...
No comments