Freezing Foods 101
Bread dough is a great candidate for freezing!
Freezing foods is the perf way to extend their shelf life. In this post, I’ll explain the basic freezing process and tell you the ins and outs of freezing every type of food.
Freezing Basics
Prepare if needed
Some foods need to be chopped, blanched or otherwise prepared before freezing. For example, it's easiest to chop fruits and meat before freezing, and you should almost always blanch vegetables before freezing. Check out my special considerations below for more info about prepping foods for freezing!
Freeze food portioned on sheet pans
This step only applies to chopped foods (like fruits, veggies, tofu or chicken strips), shaped foods (like burger patties or cookie dough balls) and cooked grains. For these foods, it's useful to freeze them in a single layer on a lined sheet pan for about 2 hours before transferring them to a proper freezer container.
Freezing these foods while they're spread out on a sheet pan will ensure that they don't stick together as much in their final container. This will make it easier to grab small portions for blending, baking, cooking or thawing the food.
Transfer to small plastic or silicone containers
For meals like soup, stew, or stir-fry, it's best to freeze in small plastic or silicone containers. Using small containers will allow you to thaw the food faster and to only thaw as much as you will eat. If your food is liquidy, be sure to leave some room at the top of the container for it to expand as it freezes.
Although plastic is the devil in almost every other situation, reusable plastic containers or freezer-proof plastic bags work really well for all long-term freezer storage. Freezer-proof bags are especially useful because they allow you to seal foods tightly in multiple layers to avoid freezer burn. To avoid plastic waste, you can wash out these bags and reuse them. Silicone bags and some metal containers can also work, but these are better for short-term (a few weeks or less) freezer storage.
Glass is one material that does not do well in the freezer. It has a tendency to shatter when frozen and sealed. Some argue that leaving room at the top of glass containers can prevent breakage, but this is a risky business. You should also completely avoid freezing canned or jarred foods. These containers will explode and leave you with a treacherous and messy situation.
Cool, then freeze
Always always always cool your food before transferring it to the freezer. Putting warm foods in your freezer could thaw the other foods in your freezer. If those foods aren't able to refreeze quickly enough (spoiler: they probably won't be) this could cause a food safety hazard. To avoid this mess, cool cooked foods at room temperature for about 2 hours and then pop them in the freezer.
Thaw in the fridge
When it's time to thaw, the fridge is your best friend. I know it's tempting to run frozen foods under hot water, but this is a major no-no. Running frozen foods under hot water could cause bacteria to multiply uber quickly on the outside of the food while the inside is still frozen. Instead of risking this, throw your food in the fridge the night before you want to eat it. This will thaw the food slowly and evenly while keeping it out of the temperature "danger zone."
Special considerations
Meat, Poultry and Seafood
You can easily freeze cooked and uncooked meat, poultry and seafood with no special prep. However, cooked meats get freezer burn more easily than uncooked meats, so keep that in mind before firing up your stove. If your meat is cooked into a dish rather than by itself, it won't have the same freezer burn problem. See "prepared dishes" for more info on freezing meals.
Fruits
Fruits also require almost no preparation before freezing. Berries and other small fruits (and even citrus zest!) can be popped in the freezer as is. For larger fruits like apples, mangos, peaches or bananas, you'll probably want to chop them before freezing. For small fruits, chopped fruits and fruit zest, follow my advice above by freezing them in a single layer on a lined sheet pan before transferring them to a sealed freezer container. To eat, you can blend frozen fruits into smoothies, add frozen fruits to baked goods and use frozen citrus zest straight from the freezer — no thawing necessary!
Dairy and Eggs
Most dairy products and eggs also freeze well with virtually no prep. For butter and cheese, simply wrap them in a few layers of silicone bags, plastic bags or plastic wrap before freezing. For milk and other liquids, don't try to freeze them in their original sealed container — they will explode. Instead, open the original container and use some of the product before freezing it. This way, the liquid will have room to expand as it freezes.
You should avoid freezing eggs in their shells, but you can freeze cracked eggs. One option is to whisk the eggs together and pour them into ice cube trays for freezing. Most ice cube trays can fit about 1/2 an egg per compartment. Alternatively, you could separate the yolks and whites and freeze them in separate ice cube trays.
Eggs yolks tend to thicken as they freeze. To prevent this add either a dash of salt or a dash of sugar to your yolks before freezing. About 2 yolks or 1 white can fit in one ice cube compartment. Once frozen, transfer the eggs to a freezer bag or container to avoid freezer burn until you're ready to use them.
Nuts and Grains
Most uncooked grains and nuts will last for a few weeks or months on the countertop, but freezing is an option if you want to extend their shelf life even more. For uncooked grains, flours and nuts, simply place them in the freezer in their original container. When you want to use them, there is no need to thaw. Just use them straight from the freezer.
For cooked grains, coat them in a little oil and freeze them spread out on a lined sheet tray before transferring them to a freezer container. This will prevent them from sticking together. When it’s time to eat your frozen cooked grains, simply toss them into the microwave, simmering sauce or boiling water until warmed through, being careful not to over-cook them. Unlike other foods, you shouldn’t thaw cooked grains in the fridge because this could give them a nasty gluely texture.
Prepared dishes
Meals like soup, stew, chili, casserole and stir-fry work great in the freezer, cooked or uncooked. For both cooked and uncooked dishes, remember to leave some air at the top of your freezer container if the dish is liquidy. This will give it room to expand as it freezes. When you’re ready to eat let the cooked or uncooked dish thaw in the fridge overnight. Then, for cooked dishes, cook them until they are warmed through, being careful not to overbake. For uncooked dishes simply bake them as you would if they were fresh.
Baked Goods
You can freeze cooked or uncooked baked goods with no special preparation. For cooked baked goods, be sure to wrap them well to avoid freezerburn. Thaw them in the fridge and warm them through, if desired, before eating. For yeasted baked goods, wrap and freeze them after they have been shaped. When you're ready to eat, let them thaw in the fridge overnight and rise at room temperature for about an hour before baking. Easy peasy!
Tofu
Before freezing tofu, you should press it and cut it into cubes. To press tofu, remove it from its packaging and place it between two thick layers of folded tea towels. Then, place something flat and heavy (like a textbook) on top of the tofu and let sit for about 30 minutes. Freeze as instructed above. When it’s time to eat, thaw the tofu in the fridge overnight and use as you normal would post-press.
Vegetables
Most vegetables should be blanched or cooked before freezing. If you're not familiar, blanching is the process of partially cooking and then cooling. The Spruce Eats has a great guide for blanching vegetables for freezing. To use frozen veggies, you can toss them straight into a skillet or baked dish without thawing.
Do not freeze Unopened canned or jarred foods
Foods that are sealed into cans or glass jars will bust out of their containers if you freeze them. Broken glass and aluminum shards don't mix well with food, so don't risk it. Since these foods are already meant to be preserved, freezing won't extend their shelf life anyway. If for whatever reason you really want to freeze canned or jarred food, simply transfer them to a different container, leaving some room at the top, before freezing.