To Freeze or Not to Freeze? That is the Question...

What You Can Freeze

(This is what has worked for me. There are many other items people will tell you that you can freeze – but many of them don’t turn out well.)


Fruits

• Strawberries (perfect for smoothies, pancakes, muffins and cupcakes)
• Blueberries (wonderful for pancakes and muffins)
• Blackberries
• Bananas (Best for smoothies or puddings)
• Cherries
• Peaches

Veggies

• Mushrooms (Can get soggy, so I usually use them for soups or sauté them in beef broth)
• Carrots (Great for adding to soups)
• Zucchini
• Peppers
• Celery
• Onions (Add to soups, hamburger meat)
• Spinach (For soups, spinach dip)

Dairy

• Shredded Cheese (Block cheese doesn’t work as well)
• Creamer
• Cream Cheese (I would only use for recipes once defrosted, not for a cheese spread)
• Butter/Margarine

Cooked Meats

• Cooked hamburger (Great grab, cook and go burritos right in your freezer)
• Cooked chicken breast (Best if cut up)
• Steak (Great for fajitas, mix a bag of steak and peppers and throw it in the skillet for dinner)
• Shrimp (Add to a scampi pasta, for a great dinner)

Breads

Pretty much all bread can be frozen to preserve it;

• Sandwich bread
• Rolls
• English Muffins
• Bagels
• Garlic Bread
• (You can also store and freeze bread dough)
• Muffins
• Biscuits

Desserts

• Cookies (or cookie dough)
• Brownies
• Candy Bars (keeps them fresh)
• Fudge
• Pies (Before you bake)

Condiments

• Jams (Great alternative to canning)
• Jellies
• Maple Syrup

Meals

• Soups
• Chili
• Casseroles
• Pizza Dough
• Burritos
• Fajitas
• Calzones
• Spaghetti Sauce

What You Shouldn’t Freeze

(Some of them you can of course freeze…but the quality and taste are often lost in the process.)

• Milk (It's just not the same. I would only freeze milk that you might be using for recipes. Not milk to drink)
• Eggs
• Yogurt (I will freeze GoGurts for a frozen treat)
• Tomatoes
• Pineapple
• Apples (Sometimes they do well, sometimes they don’t)
• Cucumbers
• Grapes
• Cottage Cheese
• Potatoes (Except for French Fries, click here for recipe that works)
• Any canned foods
• Mayo
• Lettuce
• Cabbage
• Watermelon
• Frosting