Your Freezer is Not a Graveyard

Your freezer is the most overlooked appliance in your kitchen. April Dodd, our Associate Director of Education and resident freezing fanatic, believes the freezer shouldn’t be a graveyard for forgotten foods or ice cream storage unit. It’s a tool that fights food waste, saves you money, preserves seasonal produce and makes weeknight meals easy.

In Milk Street’s How to Freeze Anything digital class, you’ll get insider knowledge on the rules and science of freezing, learn how to label and organize like a chef and watch demos of simple, but bold dishes. (Ones that your guests wouldn’t even have known started in the freezer). After an extensive crash course, Milk Streeters will play around with different kinds of fat (olive oil, duck fat, the like) and learn how to process and freeze grated produce, from zucchini to pears. You might even discover a cure for freezer burn and the ultimate way to customize popsicles any day of the year. Read on for some key takeaways of the class and then purchase our class!

Don’t make your freezer a war zone

“The most important tool to become a nimble, everyday freezer”—no, not the freezer itself—“is to know what’s in it,” explains April. That could mean becoming a smart shopper; creating spreadsheets and foolproof systems; learning how to label clearly and neatly; remembering to mise out proper quantities before freezing to reduce food waste; and understanding what tools are—and aren’t—worth the investment. April even shares her own diagram-slash-floor plan of “Gina,” her beloved chest freezer, during the class.

Treat your freezer like it’s a spice cabinet. You can pinpoint exactly where ingredients are located for more streamlined, stress-free cooking. No more rifling through the freezer.

The starting lineup

You really only need five tools to master the art of freezing:

• Freezer bags. A no-brainer, perhaps, but get a range of pint, quart and gallon bags for different-sized ingredients. To remove moisture, use this old trick: Insert a straw in a corner of the bag’s seal, suck out the air and close. No need for a vacuum sealer! Bags can be reused, but if they begin to feel soft or have holes (which allow air to cycle through, causing freezer burn), it’s time for a new one.

• Molds and trays. There are a range of molds on the market for soups, pesto, purées, popsicles and much more. We like using bigger molds for broth or soups; medium-sized ones for things like pesto and fritters; and smaller ones (think a tablespoon or two, similar to ice cube trays) for concentrated flavor boosters like tomato paste, grated garlic, caramelized onions and gochujang. Silicone lets you pop the foods right out. Keep the ingredients in the molds indefinitely or transfer them to bags after they freeze into your desired shape.
• Deli containers. We like 2- or 4-cup versions to hold sauces, broths and stews. Be mindful of quantity and freezer space; don’t freeze giant containers of soup if you only have a family of four. “When in doubt, downsize,” says April.
• Painter’s tape. The No. 1 thing people do wrong when freezing, according to April? Forgetting to label foods. Is that mystery liquid milk, yogurt or duck fat? You wouldn’t have to debate the contents if you jotted it down. Colorful blue or green tape makes it easy to ID and it peels right off.
• Sharpies, or comparable marker brand. To do the actual labeling, duh. If you write directly on a container, the marker’s ink might be streaky or transparent. Remember to write on the label before taping it down and freezing. Tape doesn’t stick well to containers that are already cold, so be sure to label before it goes into the freezer!

Tools like vacuum sealers and organizing dividers or tubs are a good perk, but not required.

To freeze or not to freeze

Can I freeze that? The answer to most of your freezing questions is yes. But for the nitty gritty details, you’ll have to take the plunge. In the class, April runs the gamut of ingredients you can and can’t freeze. (Blue cheese? Par-boiled beans? Milk?) It all comes down to moisture content. If the water content is very high or very low, it’s freezer-friendly.

If the food is in an in-between area, something April calls the “danger zone,” the water inside will expand as it freezes, creating ice crystals that will tear or burst cellular walls. (Have you ever frozen a very-full container of broth and it gets a bit bulbous? That’s basically what happens, but on a cellular level.) Ruptured cells result in mushy, soft and unappealing tastes and textures. You can combat this in one of two ways: 1) grate or purée foods, which rupture cells in advance to avoid expansion under pressure, or 2) suspend them in broth or oil. Some ingredients, such as lettuce and cucumber, are a lost cause because of a combination of their high water content and enzymes that make them gloopy once frozen.

All of that and more is detailed in the coolest “dos and don’ts” flow chart. Yes, you’ll get to keep it forever. Yes, you should put it on your fridge. Here are just a handful of the usual (and not so usual) suspects you can freeze:

• Carrots, Onions, Potatoes and Zucchini. These ingredients are in the “danger zone” of moisture content. (This especially applies to zucchini, which our Director of Education Rosie Gill calls “the garden’s water balloon.”) Remember to grate these sorts of produce—aka rupturing those cell walls—and follow up with a generous salt and squeeze, which pulls out additional moisture. They make delicious fritters, latkes and hash browns.
• Tomatoes. Who knew you could enjoy summer tomatoes all year long? Wash cherry tomatoes whole, dry and freeze on a tray and then transfer to a freezer bag. Or, purée bigger varieties, like heirloom, and transfer to a gallon-sized bag. You can store them flat to stack. Pull the tomatoes you need and make a sauce after thawing!
• Ginger and garlic. Ginger is low in moisture and fibrous enough to freeze whole. You can slice them into coins before freezing if using them as aromatics. April likes to roast or confit garlic and mix with olive oil before freezing. It preserves those complex, subtly-sweet notes.
• Citrus. Have a ton of lemons or limes? Freeze whole for a fun, fluffy zesting experience once thawed, or slice into rounds for your next cocktail or fun beverage. Or, separate your citrus entirely by freezing grated or sliced pieces of zest, then freezing the juice in a small container for easy use.
• Herbs. Purée herbs—from basil and cilantro to dill and rosemary—and leave them as is, or submerge in oil for extra protection against freezer burn.
• Hard cheese. Yup, Pecorino, gouda, cheddar and more are fair game. Avoid freezing fresh cheeses.

Every season is popsicle season

Who said popsicles are strictly a summer sweet treat? If you draw the line on the first day of fall, you’re missing out on autumnal apples, cold-month citruses and spring stone fruits. So here at Milk Street, popsicle making and eating is a year-round activity and we focus on uplifting the true flavor of fruit. “You can get creative in a way that’s almost limitless,” says April. Don’t shy away from flavor combinations that may seem unusual. (Don’t sleep on pear-and-ginger popsicles or pouring in some buttermilk.) If anything, “popsicle practice” is a way to experiment and grow in the kitchen.

If you’re incorporating firmer fruits, like pears or peaches, you’ll want to grate them. This separates the fibrous pulp from the liquid—which you can discard or use elsewhere—and results in a more concentrated flavor. You’ll also prevent extra moisture forming into crystals within your popsicle, which can hurt your teeth or gums. Only grab the blender or food processor for fruits that would be massacred by a box grater—think berries, grapes and currants. A good rule of thumb here is to top up your blended mixture with some dried fruit, such as dates or prunes, to add a creamy texture.

And speaking of rich texture, it’s important to incorporate fats, salt (to uplift flavor that’s dampened by cold temperatures) and herbs or vanilla. This gives your ice pops more of a luscious, upscale quality. Our favorite fats are yogurt and full-fat coconut milk—which you can infuse with spices or aromatics for more flavor.

Is freezer burn that big of a deal?

Short answer: Not really. Slightly longer answer: It depends on what you’re making.

Freezer burn is the result of sublimation, a chemical process you probably haven’t heard since high school science class. Water molecules leech out of your food turn and turn into vapors, which form into ice crystals. This can dehydrate your ingredients or cause lipid oxidation (aka rancid flavors and aromas), especially in meat or seafood. There are some silver linings: 1) Freezer burn is usually visible, so if you check up on your freezer often, you’ll quickly know whether to eat (or toss) foods before it’s too late and 2) “Ice crystals are just water,” says April. If they form on fruits like peaches, bananas or strawberries, it’s not the end of the world. You’ll blend, purée or process them, and ultimately incorporate the crystals back into the mixture. No trace left behind!

“If you want to be a freezer burn warrior, focus your energy on meat or seafood,” recommends April, “Once it’s started, it’s going to snowball.” Things like pork chops, steak and cutlets will get leathery, discolored and tough to chew. Make sure to have those ingredients in an easy-to-reach place for any burn treatment, if needed. Two helpful tips from the class: Fats are your friends (they form a layer to trap moisture inside and prevent freezer burn) and the less you open your freezer—especially chest models—the better.

Learn how to freeze anything at your own pace with this digital class lead by Milk Street’s April Dodd.

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Francesca Furey

Francesca Furey is the Commerce Editor at Milk Street. A writer passionate about the intersections of gastronomy and culture, she edits and produces content for the Milk Street Store, blog and more.