Moms Need To Know ™

Moms Need To Know

  • Recipe Index
  • Gardening Tips
  • The Mom Life
    • Life As A Mom
    • Frugal Living
    • DIY Projects
    • Etiquette and Manners
  • Essential Oils
  • Saving Money
    • Grocery/Drug Store Coupon Deals
    • Coupon Insert Preview
    • Coupons.com
    • RedPlum Coupons
    • SmartSource Coupons
  • About & Contact Me
    • Contact
    • Terms & Conditions

9 Foods That You Should Not Freeze

September 9, 2016 by Mindi Cherry

A freezer can be a great way to stock up on foods when they are cheap and then save them for later. But there are just some foods that you should NOT freeze

A freezer can be a great way to stock up on foods when they are cheap and then save them for later. But there are just some foods that you should NOT freeze

Freezing is an excellent form of food preservation. Unfortunately, not all foods freeze well. Some foods separate. Some foods experience a texture change. Other foods can create a mess. If you like to freeze foods, it pays to know which foods that you should not freeze so that you don't waste money. Let's take a closer look.

1. Cream Cheese

You may find a great deal on cream cheese and think that you'd like to stock up. If you do, only buy as many packages as you can use before the expiration date. The reason is the texture and flavor of the cream cheese can change drastically when frozen.

How To Create a Food Budget

Creating a food budget is a great way to keep your finances under control!

If you ever find yourself with a block of frozen cream cheese, the only way I know to “save it” is by using it in place of butter when making homemade mashed potatoes.  The heat from the potatoes will melt the cream cheese and it will blend in fairly easy.

2. Mayonnaise

If you don't eat a lot of mayonnaise, you may be tempted to freeze part of the jar for later use. This isn't a good idea. Mayonnaise separates when it's frozen. When you thaw it out, you'll have a gross looking liquid that you won't want to spread on any sandwich. The same can be said for any mayonnaise-based condiment or sauce.

3. Crisp Vegetables

Onions, peppers, greens, lettuce, and celery lose all their integrity when frozen. When you thaw these items, they will be mushy and unappetizing. The color will also change, leaving the vegetables an unappetizing color.

4. Pasta

Who likes mushy pasta? Unfortunately, freezing pasta will result in it being mushy (except for my Mexican Lasagna recipe and my freezer friendly lasagna recipe – THOSE freeze beautifully!). The water in the pasta will cause the pasta to change texture as it freezes and thaws. In other words, the freezing destroys the cell walls of the pasta.

5. Spices

Menu planning is a great way to stick to your diet. Here is how to start with meal planning!

Menu planning is a great way to stick to your diet. Here is how to start with meal planning!

Many spices will actually become stronger in flavor when frozen. Some will become so strong that the flavor is actually bitter. If you want to preserve your spices, consider using a vacuum sealer. This will remove the air from the spices and increase their shelf life.

That being said, there are a few ways that you can freeze your herbs (look for that post next week), but as a general rule, you can't just go throwing fresh basil and cilantro in the freezer!

6. Cream Pies

Cream pies can also suffer from separation issues when frozen. When you thaw the pies, the water can separate from the filling, leaving you with a watery mess and a soggy crust. If you want a pie that freezes well, consider making fruit pies.

7. Fried Foods

The coating of fried foods loses all the crispiness that you love when frozen and thawed. The only way to regain that crispy texture is to deep fry the foods a second time, which can add even more oil to the food. (you can bake them, but it won't have the same texture)

8. Sour Cream

You don't need to clip coupons to save money when you meal plan. Here is how I save without clipping coupons!

You don't need to clip coupons to save money when you meal plan. Here is how I save without clipping coupons!

Sour cream is another food that will separate when frozen and thawed.  Unlike cream cheese (see above), there is just no “saving” frozen sour cream (trust me, I have a spot in my refrigerator that will freeze dairy and lettuce if I accidentally put it there – I can't tell you how much sour cream I have thrown away!)

9. Raw Eggs in the Shell

Last, but not least, you should never freeze raw eggs in their shells. When liquids freeze, they expand. What does this mean for eggs? As the liquid freezes, it will expand to the point that it will cause the shells to burst. This will create a large mess in your freezer. If you want to freeze raw eggs, do so in large ice cube trays. Once frozen, transfer to a zip top bag.

Your freezer can be a great place to store items you can't eat before they expire. However, there are some foods that you should not freeze. Not only can these foods lose their texture, but some will change in flavor and others will even make a mess.

Do you have any other foods to add to the list?

9 Foods That You Should Not Freeze

Related

Filed Under: Daily Life, Frugal Living, general, Life As A Mom

This post may contain affiliate links which might make me money. I promise to only use the money to buy wine, male strippers and glitter-pooping unicorns (and maybe to donate to starving orphan puppies in Africa) or whatever the heck I want. If you think I shouldn't make money for the 60+ hours that I spend on this site each week, please go away and never come back. Read my disclosure policy.

« The Best Herbs For Your Fall Garden
Thai Curry Coconut Shrimp With Rice Noodles »

Comments

  1. Amelia says

    September 10, 2016 at 2:02 am

    Nice article, however I always freeze chopped onions and peppers. Now I only use onions usually for sauteing/stews and peppers for stir fry. But when I find deals like 39 cent for 3 pounds of onions, I usually get 9 pound chop them and freeze them for recipes. I don’t thaw them I just toss them into the recipe/skillet I will say if my husband wants onions for a sandwich I will keep on out for it is crisp for him. Good Article!

  2. Julie says

    September 10, 2016 at 8:52 pm

    We freeze peppers every summer. We clean and slice them, place them in zipper bags, and toss them in the freezer. They work really well when we get hungry for fried peppers any time of year.
    We also dice peppers and freeze them to use with onions and/or celery when browning meat.

  3. Kate says

    September 13, 2016 at 5:44 pm

    Didn’t know about these. It’s hard to believe you can’t freeze pasta since frozen dinner meals and ravioli come this way! Never would have thought.
    Thanks for joining us this week at the Merry Monday link party!
    We hope you can join us again next week!
    Kate | TheOrganizedDream.com

  4. katie says

    September 20, 2016 at 12:09 pm

    Ha ha ha I knew about cream cheese, found out the hard way 🙂 thanks for sharing this I love freezing anything that’s left over but now I know which ones I shouldn’t!

  5. Vickie says

    September 21, 2016 at 12:29 pm

    I find that freezing most vegestables works just fine. Most of the other items I agree that shouldn’t be put in the freezer. I don’t like freezing bread cause it seems to taste like it’s been frozen. I only freeze the fruits that I will put in smoothies. If I’m planning on eating them like they are, then they are gross after being in the freezer.

  6. Sally says

    September 24, 2016 at 12:46 pm

    I freeze pasta for spaghetti all the time. Just add little olive oil and place in ziploc bag and viola next time we want spaghetti I just need to heat it up

  7. Diane says

    October 25, 2016 at 11:26 pm

    Potatoes. Mashed, fried, potato soup or any other type.

Welcome!

Thanks for stopping by! As a busy mom. I just want to put healthy and flavorful meals on the table quickly without having to rely on processed foods, while still trying to maintain a household. Read More…

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Keeping This Site Free For You!

Most Popular Posts

  • The Best Dip For Doritos
  • Oreo Truffles Oreo Cake Balls Recipe
  • Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe in the Crockpot
  • Slow Cooker BBQ Pork Recipes Crockpot Dr Pepper Pulled Pork
  • Companion Planting What Not To Plant Together
  • Easy Cherry Thumbprint Cookies Christmas Cookies
  • Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup Easy Chicken Recipes
  • More Deliciousness!

    Easy Homemade Soft Pretzels Recipe

    I am slightly addicted to fish tacos but don't like the way that so many places fry the fish. Blackening the fish gives these fish tacos so much flavor!

    Blackened Fish Tacos with Cilantro Slaw

    Easy Cinnamon Roll Recipe | Homemade Cinnamon Rolls!

    Mexican Lasagna | Freezer Friendly and Absolutely Delicious

    Mindi has been blogging since 2008 sharing her best frugal living tips, recipes and more. When she isn't writing, she spends time as an unpaid cook, maid and chauffeur to her 3 children!

    • Facebook
    • Google+
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

    Privacy Policy

    Just 4 ingredients are needed to make this fabulous pumpkin sugar scrub. This scrub will polish and moisturize your skin - and with a wonderful scent!
    A creamy dijon and mushroom sauce make this my absolute favorite pork chops recipe! Simple to make and you can even substitute chicken for the pork!
    This quiche recipe can be whipped up very quickly and is full of flavor! They're quick and easy (and gluten-free), and the variations are endless!
    This limoncello cake is perfect for dessert or even for breakfast. The light sweetness of the limoncello glaze gives the perfect added sweetness.
    This fettuccine and sausage recipe is full of flavor, yet so simple to prepare and made from ingredients that you probably have in your pantry!
    A homemade taco seasoning mix give these lettuce wrap tacos plenty of flavor (and if you children want to use regular taco shells - let them!)
    Built on the Genesis Framework
    Copyright © 2021 Moms Need To Know. All rights reserved.