Can I Freeze It?
As consumers look for more ways to keep their kitchens well stocked, it's time to make friends with your freezer. So we've teamed-up with M&S’s director of food technology, Paul Willgoss, and resident chef, Steve Fitzgerald, share their top tips on how to make the most of your fridge and freezer space.
Our freezing guide
Whilst we would always recommend you buy your food frozen in the first place, it’s important to know that there are lots of fresh foods that you can put straight in the freezer instead of the fridge. This includes meat and poultry, ready-prepared meals, fresh pasta, bread, and even butter and cheese. Here’s some examples:
Milk
All milk can be stored in the freezer and defrosted before use: just make sure it’s still sealed. It should be defrosted fully in the fridge before use.
Cheese
Firmer cheeses like cheddar, gouda and Swiss freeze very well and maintain their structure. You can freeze in blocks, or grate and freeze in handy portion sizes.
Bread
Baked goods such as bread, rolls, pittas, bagels and crumpets can all be easily frozen. Loaves of bread can be bought ready sliced, or whole to be sliced yourself before freezing. Most toasters have a defrost function so you can toast baked goods from frozen.
Pasta
Fresh pasta is a great option to keep in the freezer. Some pasta won’t have to be defrosted before use either – it will defrost once put in boiling water.
Batch cooking
Consider cooking a larger portion at mealtimes to freeze for a later date. Make sure you freeze the leftovers as soon as possible, once they’re fully cooled, mark clearly the date it was cooked and frozen on the container for reference later. Otherwise you end up with a freezer full of UFOs: unidentified frozen objects.
Once you’re ready to eat the food simply follow our simple defrosting FAQs. Only defrost or re-heat the meal once.
