The foods you can and can't freeze

We could soon discover a new found appreciation for the humble freezer amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The latest government recommendations are calling for people to practice social distancing, while anyone who has or lives with someone showing symptoms has been asked to self-isolate for 14 days, which means it’s looking increasingly likely we’re going to be spending a lot more time at home.

If you’re already working from home or are preparing to stay home more than usual, it’s important to have healthy food on hand to see you through.

And freezers could be our best friends in these coronavirus-laced times.

But while it is tempting to chuck all that food you’ve stockpiled into the freezer, there are some foods (and drinks) that don’t do too well if they are frozen.

Think soggy salad leaves, flavourless fruit, and fizzy drink explosions.

On the upside there are some surprising things that actually freeze amazingly well and could have you rethinking your whole kitchen ethos, even post corona isolation.

“In the current climate, many of us may be looking for ways to make our food last longer,” explains Kirsty Oakes, Head of Marketing at Hammonds Kitchens.

“Freezing food is a great way to do this, but there are some important things you need to keep in mind relating to certain types of food, the length of time in which they can stay in the freezer and how to defrost and reheat them properly.

So how do we know how wide to cast the frozen net?

“As a general rule of thumb, foods with higher water content freeze less well,” explains Joey O’Hare, Head Development Chef at allplants.

“This is due to the fact that water expands as it freezes; the water content of each cell breaks through its cell walls within the food, and thus on defrosting can present a soggy mess!

“This is often why we see so much fluid present around food that's been taken out of the freezer to thaw overnight.

“By freezing food, you're pressing the 'pause' button; it will not lose any nutrients or deteriorate in any way. There is power in frozen food – it's a great way to preserve vegetables and fruit that pack a nutritional punch.”

Which is exactly what we need right now to help keep our immune systems as tip top as possible right now.

So without further ado here’s our expert-backed guide to the foods you can and can’t freeze.

What food can you freeze?

• Bread: Sliced bread and bread crumbs

• Fruit: Frozen berries, sliced bananas, pineapple, mangoes and peaches which are perfect for making smoothies or topping yogurt and oatmeal.

• Liquids: Homemade stocks or soups

• Meals: Left-over curries, stews and dahls

• Vegetables: Chopped onions and tomatoes; blanched broccoli florets; green beans; spinach; cauliflower; chopped butternut squash can form the foundation of the majority of your meals.

• Tofu - Sliced tofu (with parchment paper between!)

• Herbs - Hard herbs, or ice cubes of soft herbs in oil. “Fresh herbs, eg parsley, basil, rosemary, coriander are high in vitamin C and therefore great to support immunity as well as flavour foods,” explains Laura Southern, a nutritionist for www.london-gynaecology.com.

  “I recommend chopping fresh and freezing in ice cube trays, or turning into pesto (with olive oil, salt and pepper) and freezing to add flavour to pasta, sauces, stews etc.”

• Baked goods - “Surprisingly, cakes, flapjacks, cookies and other baked goods can also be frozen in clingfilm, and then defrosted in the microwave when they are ready to eat,” says Kirsty.

What food can’t you put in the freezer?

• Vegetables with high water content and delicate leaves - cucumber, salads, lettuces etc.

• Eggs (unless cracked into small containers)

• Artichokes, chicory, aubergine, potatoes (unless they're mashed), radishes, or sweet potatoes don't freeze well.

• Soft cheese - According to Charles Reilly, Managing Director at Fridgesmart you shouldn’t freeze soft cheeses like cottage cheese and ricotta. “This is due to them having a high water content, these foods will become soggy upon thawing and unsuitable to eat,” he explains.

• Carbonated drinks - The frozen gas may expand and explode in your freezer, causing a bit of a mess.

How long you can leave leftovers in the fridge or freezer

“You can safely freeze most cooked dried goods, such as cooked pasta and rice, for about three months,” advises Kirsty.

“Raw and cooked meat is safe to freeze (four months for raw meat, three for cooked meat), as well as dairy items such as butter, grated cheese and eggs (which you can crack into a container and then freeze – don't freeze them in their shell).

“Bread can be frozen for up to three months,” she adds.

The team from Magnet Kitchens have also devised a handy chart to use as a guide for how long your leftovers should really be kept in your fridge or freezer.

After conducting a study, the chart shows smoothies will only last a day, while things like mince, burgers, and pork sausages are reportedly only good in the fridge for two days.

The chart also mentions salads can be kept in the fridge for five days, however that would very much depend on your salad ingredients.

Check de-frosted foods are cooked through

Although some dishes can be cooked from frozen, when it comes to meat, you MUST check that it's cooked through before serving.

“The meat must reach a core temperature of 70°C for at least 2 minutes to destroy any harmful bacteria,” Oakes explains.

"Cooked food such as pasta can be heated up in the microwave as long as it's cooked through before you eat it.

Kristy says frozen fruit can be left out to thaw or used in smoothies or desserts, and you can heat up bread slice by slice in the toaster.

Know the freezer storage rules

According to Charles, meat, poultry and fish should be stored at the bottom of the freezer and kept in containers and not on the same shelf as any other non-meat items.

“Fruit and vegetables can be placed higher in the freezer, in sealed containers to prevent any leakages,” he continues.

“Lastly, bread pastry and chips can be stored at the top.”

With additional reporting by Marie Claire Dorking.

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