What You Can (and Can't) Freeze

The freezer is the most underused tool in most kitchens. Used well, it turns food that's about to expire into meals for weeks or months later. The key is knowing what freezes well — and what turns to sad mush on the way back out.

Freezes brilliantly

• Bread and baked goods — freeze in slices and toast from frozen
• Meat and fish — months of extra life; wrap well
• Cheese — hard cheeses especially (great for cooking)
• Milk and butter — leave room for expansion
• Cooked meals — soups, stews, curries, cooked rice and pasta
• Berries and chopped fruit — perfect for smoothies
• Herbs — chop into an ice-cube tray with a little oil

Not sure about a specific item? The Can You Freeze It? tool gives an instant answer and a storage time.

Freeze with care

Some foods are technically freezable but change texture, so use them in cooking rather than raw:

• Tomatoes — great for sauces, useless in salads afterward
• Potatoes — best frozen cooked, not raw
• Soft cheeses — can go crumbly or watery

Best kept out

• Lettuce, cucumber and other high-water salad veg — they collapse
• Eggs in the shell — they expand and crack
• Cream-based sauces — they tend to split
• Fried, crispy foods — they thaw soggy

How long does frozen food last?

Frozen food kept at 0°F / -18°C stays safe almost indefinitely, but quality fades over time. Ground meat is best within 3-4 months; whole cuts and bread keep longer. The Freezer Storage Time Chart has the specifics.

Beat "freezer blindness"

The downside of the freezer is that things vanish into it and get forgotten until they're freezer-burned. PantryKit keeps every frozen item on a visible list with its own use-by reminder, so your freezer becomes a rolling supply you actually cook from — not a frozen graveyard.