7 leftover foods you should freeze

Many of us are unsure what exactly we can freeze and not freeze. Whether you’re trying to cut down on food waste, batch cooking, or simply fancy stockpiling emergency ingredients, here’s Candis food editor Catherine Hill’s guide to leftover foods you should not throw out and instead store in the freezer…

1 Mash

Divide leftovers into small batches and pop into freezer bags ready to use as a side or a base for potato cakes.

2 Rice

Spread out on a baking tray to cool then toss in a little oil. Pile into roomy bags, place in the freezer and spread the rice out flat in the bag to freeze. You can do several layers at once. Microwave from frozen.

3 Fresh herbs

If you’re unlikely to get through that big bunch of fresh herbs, chop off any tough stalks and place in a freezer bag. Once frozen, crush in the bag to ‘chop’. Use a handful at a time from frozen.

4 Chicken carcasses

Home-made chicken stock is the best. If you have a roast chicken carcass but no time to make stock, bag and freeze it to tackle when you have more time.

5 Eggs

Crack into bags and freeze whole, remembering to label how many there are in each bag. Whites can be frozen as they are, but if you’re freezing yolks, add either a pinch of salt or sugar depending on how you plan to use them once defrosted. Defrost in the fridge to use.

6 Wine

Freeze in 100ml bags for use in recipes that require a dash of wine.

7 Home-made granola

Most recipes for granola make quite a hefty batch. Pop into bags and freezer for perfectly fresh granola every time.