When you throw away groceries you never used, you’re doing more than wasting food. You are throw the money in the trash. Now, we’re not saying this to shame you into eating something you don’t want. We’re here to tell you that you can save yourself from hemorrhaging money by using something you probably already have: your freezer. To help you save on food, we’ve put together a list of items you might not realize can be frozen.

1. Herbs

Fresh herbs can seriously enhance a meal. But what do you do when you have a bunch of fresh basil left and you’re exhausted from Italian food? Freeze it for later. Place whole bunches of herbs in a bag, label it, and put it in the freezer. For herbs you’ve already chopped, put them in ice cube trays with a little water and put the frozen herb cubes in a labeled bag.

2. Milk

If you’re a Midwesterner and drank milk with every meal growing up, you may already know that you can freeze milk. But we all know for sure that once milk goes bad, it bad. You don’t have to pour it down the drain if you don’t use the gallon on time. You could freeze it too in an ice cube tray or in the container it came in. If you freeze it in the container when it’s full, you’ll need to remove some as the milk expands. Then just put it in the fridge to thaw and give it a good shake every now and then as there may be some separation. If it’s too off-putting for you to drink, use it in your recipes.

3. Eggs

The key here is to not freeze eggs in their shells (same concept as milk: liquids expand when frozen). So if you freeze them in their shells, they will crack and the thawing process will cause damage. However, you can open them, whisk them and freeze them in a container. You can even add bell pepper and spinach and make a vegetable scramble recipe. Storing eggs that are about to go bad while preparing your breakfast meals is a win-win solution.

4. Butter

If you forgot the packet of butter that was shoved to the back of the fridge and it’s about to go bad, don’t worry. This is a food that you can freeze. You can freeze whole sticks or individual doughs that you can use for smaller recipes. You can freeze salted or unsalted butter, the choice is yours. Just toss it in a freezer bag or airtight container and look forward to a buttery future.

5. Lemons and limes

We see a lot of frozen fruit in the freezer aisle of the store. This includes berries and tropical fruits like mango and pineapple. But you can also freeze lemons and limes. If you want freeze them wholejust wash them well and put them in a freezer bag. You can also freeze lemon and lime slices on a baking sheet before putting them in a freezer bag. This will work best if you want to save them for juicing, as they may become more mushy.

6. Cheese

Leftovers from that expensive charcuterie board you made aren’t getting any younger. But whether or not you can freeze cheese depends largely on the type. Hard and semi-hard cheeses freeze best. It’s cheese like cheddar, parmesan and mozzarella. Soft cheeses like brie and blue cheese will undergo a less than desirable transformation in the freezer. Place your cheese in a freezer bag and expel as much air as possible, then defrost if necessary. Plan to use this cheese for cooking in case you’re not a fan of its texture.

7. Chicken broth

Chicken stock is great for cooking. But often you only need a small amount in a larger container. If you don’t know when you’ll need the rest again, put it in the freezer. You can do this in an ice cube tray for small quantities. Or put it in a gallon freezer bag or mason jars (remember what we said about freezing liquids – don’t overfill either). You can now prepare a soup as you wish or give a touch of flavor to a dish with one of the stock cubes.

8. Various sauces

Too much marinara or barbecue sauce after a big family dinner? Well, this is a food that you can also freeze. Make sure any sauce you heated is completely cooled. Then put it in a plastic freezer bag or airtight container. You can even portion it out in advance so you don’t end up in the same situation you started in: too much sauce. Then defrost it in the refrigerator as needed.

9. Bread

Have you ever looked forward to making a piece of toast or a sandwich and realized a blurry blue spot was staring at you as you went to grab a slice of bread? Us too. If you’re concerned that your bread, whether fresh from the bakery or pre-sliced ​​from the store, is about to go bad, freeze it. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap before putting it in a freezer bag. You can take everything out and let it thaw on the counter or in the refrigerator. Or, if it’s already sliced ​​or you don’t need many, take the number of slices you need and put it in the toaster or leave it on the counter. Defrosting only takes a few minutes.

Are there any foods you shouldn’t freeze?

Knowing which foods you can freeze is a great way to save moneyreduce food waste and plan your meals better. However, some things just won’t fit in your frozen device. We have already mentioned that soft cheese, including cottage cheese, should not be put in the freezer. You also shouldn’t freeze most fried foods, hard-boiled eggs, and items with a high water content like cucumbers and watermelon.

Mackenzie Raetz is a freelance editor for The Penny Hoarder.

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