As we spend more time at home now, thoughts have turned to preserving food for as long as possible and buying frozen items that will keep us going in the long-term. Thankfully, many of today's frozen foods are just as nutritious and flavorful as fresh. From the obvious vegetables that fill almost every freezer aisle to other more unusual options, these are the frozen marvels that you should always keep to hand – especially at the moment.
Frozen broccoli is an incredibly versatile ingredient and great to have in the freezer on standby. Serve florets as a side dish, bake them into a cheesy quiche, toss with pasta or use as a healthy pizza topping.
Top tip: Remember that frozen broccoli isn't as firm as fresh so adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Freezing bananas is a great way to rescue fruit that’s becoming overripe (if you don't catch them before they turn, make a loaf of banana bread). Frozen bananas are brilliant whizzed up in a smoothie – for a fruit boost and to chill the drink – or into cinnamon and honey ice cream.
Top tip: Slice bananas before freezing and thaw for 10-15 minutes before using.
Broad beans retain their nutritional value well when frozen. Try them in a zesty side dish with lettuce and shallots or a spring quiche with peas and zucchini.
Top tip: Defrost broad beans before cooking. The skins will start to wrinkle as they thaw and you'll be able to pop them out of their skins without much effort.
There's no denying frozen French fries are a freezer classic. Perfect as a snack or a quick side for a steak, they're also a great time-saver as you don't need to defrost them before cooking.
Top tip: Do defrost them if you're using a deep fat fryer to avoid accidents in the kitchen.
Cookie dough is great to have at hand if you make too much to bake in one go. There’s no need to defrost, meaning you'll have a batch of freshly-baked, soft cookies in under 20 minutes. Find more secrets to making perfect cookies here.
Top tip: Before freezing, use an ice cream scoop to portion the dough for individual cookies so they can be put straight into the oven.
Commercially caught fish is flash-frozen on board the boat to retain nutrients, kill parasites and make it last longer. Oily fish such as salmon and tuna freeze well while white fish can dry out a little. A saucy recipe like this rich fish stew with tomatoes should remedy that.
Top tip: Avoid frozen fish that has freezer burn as it can affect the taste.
Grapes are fantastic frozen – refreshing, sweet and a great treat on a hot summer's day. You can also add them to porridge, muesli or yogurt. They make an effortless healthy snack, and taste a bit like sorbet!
Top tip: They're a great alternative to ice cubes.
Chop soft herbs, like dill, basil, cilantro and parsley, then freeze as ice cubes with either water, oil or butter. Use in herby risottos like this creamy basil version, sauces and stews.
Top tip: If you're freezing herbs with water, keep in mind that it will dilute the flavor so taste and season accordingly. Alternatively, you could defrost the herbs before using and strain the water.
You can dry freeze woody herbs such as rosemary and thyme by stripping the stalks and keeping the leaves in an airtight plastic bag. The herbs will retain much of their freshness and flavor, and can be added straight to the dish as they'll thaw in the heat.
Top tip: Before stripping the stalks, wash them and pat dry as it helps to keep herbs as fresh as possible.
Mangoes can often be found in the freezer aisle and are ideal for smoothies and ice cream. Alternatively, if you've got some fruit at home, blend before freezing for a frozen smoothie popsicle.
Top tip: If you’re freezing at home, chop up pieces, pat dry, cover with plastic wrap and freeze them on a baking tray so the pieces don’t stick together. Once completely frozen, transfer the cubes to an airtight freezer bag.
When it comes to convenience, frozen pastry is definitely an easier option than homemade, especially puff pastry, which is notoriously tricky and time-consuming to prepare. Try using ready-made pastry in these tomato and pesto tarts.
Top tip: Allow frozen pastry to defrost in the fridge overnight. If you defrost at room temperature, keep an eye on it as it can go soggy if too warm and will be harder to work with. Once thawed, unfold it gently – if the pastry starts to crack, it needs more time.
Peas are arguably the most ubiquitous frozen food. They’re flash-frozen soon after being picked so they maintain their nutritional value. As their natural sugars don’t have time to turn to starch, frozen peas may have less bite than fresh ones but they’ll still pop in your mouth, releasing a lovely sweetness.
Top tip: Make sure you close the bag properly every time you put it back in the freezer to avoid freezer burn.
Prawns are an indispensable addition to any freezer. They don’t take long to defrost (use cold water and keep them in the bag during thawing) and are a versatile ingredient. Try them out in prawn and cabbage fried rice or a spicy prawn and tomato Palestinian stew.
Top tip: Drain any liquid away before using and be aware prawns will weigh less after defrosting. Never re-freeze uncooked prawns.
Treat raspberries as you would blueberries, using them for smoothies and crumbles or as a topping for yogurt or muesli. They may be a little squidgy after thawing but the flavor will be pretty much unchanged.
Top tip: If you're cooking with raspberries or making raspberry juice, freezing them for a short while first helps release their juices when they thaw, giving you more bang for your buck and intensifying the flavor.
Edamame, which are immature soybeans, have quickly become a freezer must-have. They can be eaten fresh in salads and slaws, like this zingy soba noodle salad, or cooked from frozen in stir-fries. Frozen edamame come ready shelled, or in pods to pop open after being steamed and salted.
Top tip: Cook edamame like you would broad beans but, unlike the latter, edamame don't have a skin you need to remove.
Add chopped chili, ground garlic and ginger to individual pots and freeze for when you’re cooking a curry or stew that requires an aromatic base. While this method doesn’t result in exactly the same outcome as using fresh ingredients, the flavors aren't compromised and it means you always have the essentials to hand.
Top tip: You can also do this with lemongrass and galangal or mix your own curry paste and freeze.
Because of its high water content, fresh spinach isn’t always regarded as a good vegetable to freeze. However, once cooked, spinach freezes like a dream, whether it's been steamed, sautéed or blanched. A bag of frozen spinach is a useful thing indeed, ideal for using in smoothies, juices and soups, or stirred into pies or taco fillings. Even this ricotta and mint cheat’s gnocchi uses frozen spinach.
Top tip: The secret is to ensure it's fully defrosted and drained so it’s not waterlogged.
It’s easy to buy frozen peach slices and peach purée, but you can make your own too. Very little flavor is lost in the freezing process, though the texture may be a little different. In fact, some argue that once defrosted, they’re juicier than their fresh counterparts and certainly cheaper when stone fruits aren’t in season.
Top tip: Mix layers of different blended stone fruit for a colorful popsicle.
Preserve tomatoes that are almost past their best by turning them into a delicious sauce which can be frozen, then defrosted and cooked as and when required. Be inspired by these perfect pasta and sauce recipes.
Top tip: Add watery vegetables such as zucchini and green beans that can go soggy once defrosted for a pasta sauce or a tomato soup base.
While frozen bread is never going to taste as fresh as its just-baked counterpart, it's always worth keeping some in your freezer. The best option is bread that can be cooked straight from frozen, so think ready-sliced loafs to pop in the toaster or pitta bread that can be crisped up in the oven to go with this eggplant shakshuka.
Top tip: Freeze the bread as fresh as possible and if reheating in a microwave, keep it in plastic wrap – this will let the bread reabsorb moisture resulting in a fluffy texture.
While plain yogurt may split if it’s frozen, regular yogurt pots (rather than the low-fat ones) that contain fruit and sugar can be made into healthy popsicles. After freezing, peel off the lid, insert a lollipop stick and you're good to go.
Top tip: When you’re ready to eat one, give it five minutes out of the freezer to loosen, then pull out of the pot and eat it like you would a popsicle.
Meat is one of the most versatile ingredients to have in your freezer, from meatballs to chicken thighs. Freeze meat as fresh as possible and never re-freeze it once it's been defrosted. Freezing meat does have a slight effect on its texture and flavor so aim to use it up in recipes like this Vietnamese-inspired slow-cooker soup or a fragrant chicken curry.
Top tip: When freezing meat, make sure you pat it dry before sealing in an air-tight bag and date your bags so you know which meat to use first. Discover more ideas to organize your freezer.
However unlikely, if you happen to have leftover waffles and pancakes, don't be so quick to bin them as they freeze very well. Stack the waffles or pancakes with a sheet of parchment paper in between them or lie flat on a sheet of parchment paper and then pop into bags once frozen.
Top tip: Don't defrost them as they'll go incredibly soggy – toasting them straight from the freezer will give you much better results. See more waffle-making tips along with some fantastic serving ideas, like waffle pizza!
Whenever you're cooking, save your scraps and add them to a freezer bag. Things like onion, carrot, celery, corn cobs, garlic, leeks and other vegetables, as well as various bones (chicken, fish, beef) and seafood shells (shrimp and lobster), will come in handy when you want to make a stock.
Top tip: It's also a great way of reducing waste.
Once your bags of stock ingredients are full, make stock that you can freeze afterwards to have ready to hand. Freeze in smaller containers or in an ice cube tray as a base for sauces or to use in risottos.
Top tip: If you don't have a lot of freezer space, reduce your stock to a concentrate and then dilute with water when cooking.
If you prefer fresh beans to tinned beans, soaking and cooking them before adding to a recipe is a time-consuming task. As an alternative, cook a batch of beans and then freeze to use in a soup or a stew later.
Top tip: Beans are best frozen in the bean water, which you can then use in recipes that need a more intense flavor, like a classic Tuscan bean soup.
Ok, we're well aware that an ice cube tray isn't an ingredient. However, there's lots more you can do with this kitchen essential than just freeze water. See our 30 genius ice cube tray hacks for great ideas.
They've only recently become a familiar sight in supermarket freezer aisles, but frozen leeks are a handy vegetable to have in stock, and don't go as soggy as you may think. Frozen within hours of harvest to capture the flavor (which they retain) and freshness, you can cook them straight from the freezer to use as a side to a main meal, throw into soups or in this pasta with leeks, chili and prawns dish.
Top tip: Run out of onions? Leeks are a great substitute in soups, stews and omelets.
Check out these freezer-friendly meal ideas you'll love
Although fresh sweetcorn is slightly more nutritious than frozen, it’s still a winning vegetable for the freezer as many nutrients are maintained. Corn on the cob and packets of corn kernels can both be found in the frozen aisle – this indulgent lamb curry is an innovative way to use frozen kernels.
Top tip: There's no need to thaw corn on the cob whatever way you're cooking it.
Because of its high water content, watermelon can be tricky to freeze – other varieties such as honeydew fare better– but it's worth it. If you're only freezing watermelon for a few hours, make some amazing popsicles. Simply cut into triangular pieces, make a cut into the rind and insert a lollipop stick.
Top tip: Dice and freeze to add to smoothies, drinks and even water.
Blueberries freeze particularly well and because they're a seasonal fruit, buying frozen means you can eat the berries year round. Frozen blueberries are particularly good in crumbles, these bran breakfast muffins, pastries and pies.
Top tip: Pour a handful of frozen berries in your drink instead of ice cubes – they won't water it down.