To take full advantage of all your grocery store’s specials, buy meat, cheese, and fresh produce in bulk. You can then batch-cook, try your hand at canning, or simply freeze any excess to use at a later date. Here are a few foods and prepared dishes that freeze well, meaning you’ll save precious time AND money in the long run! 

Freezing cauliflower, zucchini, and other vegetables  

It’s harvest season and produce prices are unbeatable? Want to take advantage of an incredible deal? It’s time to fill your cart with your favourite fruits and vegetables and freeze them. Learn the best ways to freeze your purchases and preserve their freshness, texture, and nutrients.

Freezing vegetable: which to choose?

The majority of vegetables can be frozen, with the exception of those that contain a lot of water, such as tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, and celery. It’s also best not to freeze radishes, onions (including green onions), and potatoes. 

Can you freeze raw vegetables?

No. It’s essential that you blanche your vegetables before freezing them, in order to inhibit the enzymes and prevent bacterial growth, both of which could accelerate your produce’s decomposition. Wash and chop your vegetables the desired size (small cubes, minced, chunks, etc.), then place them into boiling water for a few minutes. Next, plunge them into ice water to stop the cooking process.

Be careful not to over-blanche your vegetables—this will activate their enzymes, which will cause them to go limp once thawed.

Average time to blanche . . .

… carrots: between 3 (chopped) and 5 minutes (whole);

… zucchini: 30 seconds;

… chopped cauliflower or broccoli: 3 minutes;

… spinach: 3 minutes;

… asparagus: between 2 and 4 minutes.

Finally, dry the vegetables by laying them on a large towel or spinning them in your salad spinner.

Freezing strawberries, apples, and other fruit

Fruit is easy to freeze: simply place whole or chopped fruit on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place in the freezer for a few hours. Once thoroughly frozen, transfer the fruit to a freezer bag or plastic freezer container (this will prevent the fruit from clumping together). Before storing in the freezer, spray any chopped fruit with a tendency to oxidize (think apples, pears, and avocadoes) with lemon juice; this will prevent them from browning.

Freeze your fruits and vegetables at low temperatures

In order for your fruits and vegetables to preserve as much as their original texture as possible (although they won’t be as crisp once thawed as they were prior to freezing), it’s recommended to set the temperature of your freezer to very low (around -25°C or -10°F) at least 24 hours beforehand. Also, try not to overfill your freezer—that way your fresh produce will freeze quicker. Once they’re thoroughly frozen, you can adjust your freezer temperature to a more normal level (approximately -18°C or 0°F).

Fruits and vegetables keep in the freezer for about a year. 

Freezing chicken, beef, fish, and other meats

All uncooked meats can be frozen (2 to 3 months for ground meat, 2 months for fatty fish, and approximately 6 months for chicken). Just make sure to remove the original packaging before placing your meat in the freezer, seeing as the plastic wrap they come in is not resistant or airtight enough to adequately protect them. We recommend placing your meat in a freezer bag and removing the air through a straw—this will help prevent freezer burn, which can alter your meat’s texture and flavour (you can still safely consume meat that has freezer burn, though).

To learn how to safely thaw meat, read this article. 

Freezing cheese

All firm cheeses (cheddar, mozzarella, Swiss, Romano, etc.) can be frozen: simply grate them first. Then enjoy the fact that you always have fresh cheese on hand to make pasta and pizza in the blink of an eye! On the other hand, fresh cheese, such as cottage cheese, or soft chesses like Brie, do not freeze well.

Freezing bread and pastries  

Bread, muffins, pancakes, cakes (and even most frostings), donuts, and other sweet treats freeze well. Yet another great reason to double (or triple) your recipes!

Freezing eggs

You might be surprised to learn that raw eggs can be frozen for up to 4 months. Simply crack them and store them in an airtight freezer container—that’s all! If you only want to freeze the yolks, add a pinch of salt or sugar to preserve their texture. Egg whites sold in cardboard containers can be frozen as-is. Note: thawed eggs should only be used in dishes that are thoroughly cooked.

Freezing vinaigrettes

Feeling inspired to whip up some homemade vinaigrette? Make a larger quantity and freeze the leftovers: once thawed, it’ll taste just as good as the day you made it! Just keep this one thing in mind: you should only freeze oil-based vinaigrettes, non mayonnaise-based ones.

Freezing sauces and sauce-based dishes

Why not prepare a few dinners at once? When you’re making sauces (vegetarian, meat, rosé, etc.), stews, or sauce-based dishes, double your recipe—that way you can freeze your extra portions and have last-minute dinner options for when you’re pressed for time. You’ll be glad you did—trust us!  

Freezing pizzas

Another great option for busy weeknights? Homemade frozen pizza that you just have to heat up in the oven! You won’t regret prepping 2 or 3 pizzas and storing them in your freezer for those chaotic weeknight dinners (hey, we’ve all been there!).