Learn how to quickly and easily freeze dozens of foods — saving you time in the kitchen, eliminating extra trips to the grocery store, and reducing wasted food. Win, win, win!
I am passionate about freezer cooking because it’s such a simple way to save time and money in the kitchen (and prevent wasted food!)
Over the last 2 decades, I have diligently kept our deep freezer(s) stocked with full meals and TONS of pre-cooked, pre-portioned foods like:
- shredded chicken
- ground beef
- ground sausage
- roasted veggies
- homemade refried beans
- cooked beans and lentils
- frozen fruits and veggies
- cheese
- baked goods
- and so much more!
While I don’t claim to be a “Freezer Foods Expert”, I have frozen more than my share of foods over the years — I’ve even taught classes on freezing, drying, and canning.
So with that said…
Here’s my LONG list of freezable foods that will save you time and money.
1. Freezable Baked Goods:
Whenever I bake, I make a double batch and set some aside for the freezer.
Not only does it help with portion control, but it also allows us to enjoy a variety of baked goods, and it means I always have treats on hand, even at the last minute.
You can freeze almost all baked goods; here’s how I freeze the following:
Brownies & Cookies: Put them in resealable bags or storage containers with tight-fitting lids, and they’ll last as long as you can resist them.
Cookie Dough Balls: For fresh-from-the-oven cookies any time, freeze balls of cookie dough and store them in zip-top bags. Simply pull out as many as you need and pop them straight into a hot oven for fresh cookies without the mess.
Yeast Breads, Buns, and Rolls: You can double-bag these to prevent freezer burn, and they should be fine for several months. Both homemade and store-bought bread products freeze well — meaning you can stock up when they go on sale.
Tortillas: I’ve gone through seasons where I make and freeze my own tortillas, but store-bought tortillas freeze well too.
Quick Breads and Muffins: These are one of the easiest baked goods to freeze because they defrost so well. I often keep several mini loaves of quick bread in the freezer to give as gifts throughout the year, and muffins are easy to defrost for a quick breakfast or school snack.
Cupcakes & Cake: Yes, you can easily freeze cupcakes and even full cakes! I usually freeze them unfrosted.
Granola & Granola Bars: If you love homemade granola and Granola Bars, make a big batch and freeze it in zip-top bags or food storage containers.
Pies: Want to prep several pies ahead of time to save your sanity over the holidays? Simply freeze them BEFORE you bake them, then bake from frozen (you’ll need to increase the baking time for this — just Google it!)
2. Freezable Baking Supplies:
Along with the finished baked goods, you can also freeze many of your favorite baking supplies in their original packages (so start stocking up when they go on sale).
I use regular old shoe boxes to “stack” bags of chocolate chips, nuts, candies, etc., and keep them from tipping over or getting lost in the back of the freezer.
Chocolate: I store all my baking chocolates in the freezer because they keep for much longer, and I don’t need to worry about them melting in the pantry.
Nuts and Seeds: I store all our extra nuts and seeds in the freezer to keep their oils from going rancid. I first heard this tip from Rachel Ray years ago, and it seems to work well.
Flours, Cornmeal, and Sugars: While it’s not necessary, I often freeze my flour and sugar — especially in the summer when our house is more humid. NOTE: I do not freeze my freshly-milled whole grain flour (just all-purpose) because I’ve read that freezing it will “kill off” many of the nutrients.
Baking Soda: I often keep an extra container of baking soda in the fridge and freezer (opened) — not because it stays fresher, but to absorb any potential odors. I don’t use this baking soda for baking, but just thought I’d throw this tip out there in case anyone is dealing with a smelly fridge or freezer.
3. Freezable Dairy:
Dairy prices are going up (just like everything else), and you can save so much money by purchasing dairy products in bulk when they’re on sale and freezing them for later.
From my experience, most dairy products should keep for at least 6 months.
Butter: No trick here, just stick the entire package in the freezer and remove when you’re ready to use.
Block Cheese: Block cheese freezes well; however, if you plan to use it sliced, you’ll want to slice it before you freeze it, otherwise it will crumble.
Shredded Cheese: Shredded and sliced cheeses freeze so well, just throw the packages in the freezer (lay flat for easier storage) and pull out whenever you need more cheese.
Feta Cheese: Yes, you can buy the giant containers of Feta from Costco and divide it up into quart-size zip-top bags. It tastes perfectly fresh when you pull it out of the freezer.
Cream Cheese: Believe it or not, you can freeze cream cheese. It might be a bit “lumpier” after it defrosts, but it tastes the same.
Milk and Buttermilk: I usually don’t need to freeze our milk, but I do it whenever we go on vacation. Just pop the milk jugs in the freezer (the “indentations” on the sides will expand when the milk freezes). NOTE: If you’re nursing, breastmilk freezes well too (use these bags).
Yogurt: You can freeze small cups of yogurt with popsicle sticks in them for easy yogurt pops in hot weather. You can also freeze yogurt in ice cube trays to use in delicious smoothies.
Cottage Cheese: It’s freezable, but sometimes the texture is a little runnier after defrosting. The taste is the same, though.
4. Freezable Fruits:
Before freezing fruit, make sure it is washed, dried, and divided into smaller portions. This will make it easier to quickly grab what you need without defrosting the entire batch if it’s all stuck together.
Fruits should keep for up to a year if properly sealed.
All Fruits: You can pretty much freeze any fruit you plan to use in smoothies because it will get mashed up anyway. However, don’t plan on freezing fruit simply for eating — it will be quite soggy.
Apples: Frozen apple slices are delicious in pies, oatmeal, baked french toast, smoothies, or even to make applesauce in the middle of winter.
Berries: I freeze all kinds of berries for pancakes and smoothies. I also keep 2-cup containers of crushed berries to use for making jam, ice cream toppings, or for berry shortcake.
Bananas: I put whole, unpeeled bananas in the freezer any time they start to get brown. Then whenever a recipe calls for bananas, I grab that number of bananas, defrost them overnight (usually on a plate as they get sort of soggy), and bake the next day. I also freeze peeled bananas for smoothies.
Grapes and Blueberries: Frozen grapes and blueberries are an excellent summer snack. Our kids LOVE them!
Cherries: Frozen cherries are a yummy treat in oatmeal, yogurt, or smoothies. Just make sure you pit them before freezing. I use this cherry pitter to make things super quick.
Peaches: These are also great for oatmeal, yogurts, and smoothies. You’ll obviously want to peel and slice them first. Then freeze in zip-top bags, laid flat to save space.
Avocados: If you find a good deal on avocados, or if yours are getting too ripe, simply peel and slice them into zip-top bags and pop them in the freezer. You can use them to make guacamole any time as they defrost quickly.
Jams and Jellies: I usually can my own jam, but my mom and mother-in-law always freeze it. Freezing jam is quicker and easier… if you have the freezer space. That said, you can also freeze your berries to can jam whenever it’s convenient for you (I always do it in the winter months).
5. Freezable Herbs & Vegetables:
Herbs: I freeze fresh herbs in ice-cube trays filled with water to use for soups, stews, and casseroles later in the year. Here’s a free Herb Reference Sheet that explains how you can use and preserve different herbs.
All Veggies: To save some time — here is a link to my Vegetable Freezing Worksheet. It’s a list of 20 different vegetables and how to freeze them … you may print it for free.
Roasted Veggies: Lately, I’ve been freezing roasted vegetables and then reheating them in my cast iron pans. They are delicious and a huge time-saver because I can roast huge amounts of vegetables at one time.
Spinach and Kale: These can go south quickly if left unused in the fridge. However, they can also easily be frozen in zip-top bags and used for soups, smoothies, casserols, pasta dishes, and more. NOTE: Once frozen, I squeeze the bags with my hands to “pulverize” the leaves into tiny bits — this eliminates the need to chop it up!
6. Freezable Protein:
Meat: Meat is the most money-saving, time-saving freezer food. Stock up when it’s on sale or save even more by purchasing a quarter of a cow or half a cow (you’ll need lots of freezer space for this).
All meat freezes well — raw meat, cooked meat, deli meat, ground meat, shredded meat, “whole” meat, etc. I once had a whole turkey in the freezer for about 18 months, and it was absolutely delicious when we cooked it!
NOTE: Here’s my post about Safely Freezing, Defrosting, and Re-Freezing Meat.
Beans: You can freeze almost any type of cooked bean with fantastic results — black, navy, pinto, refried, etc. This is especially handy since beans take a LONG time to soak and cook.
Lentils: Cook full bags of lentils at one time and then portion them out for the freezer. Then use lentils to “bulk up” your soups, stews, and casseroles — saving money on more expensive meats.
7. Freezable Meals:
If you have the freezer space, it’s really not that much extra work to make a double or triple batches of your favorite meals. You could even make a goal to do this once per week.
Freezer meals are great for busy days or even to give to friends or family.
Here’s a list of our family’s favorite freezer meals. Also, the majority of recipes in my online recipe box are freezer-friendly!
Broths: Making homemade bone broth is a huge savings over buying it (plus, you can control the salt). After it’s finished cooking, simply divide it up into 2-cup portions and freeze for making soups, stews, and casseroles.
Soups and Stews: Speaking of soups and stews, they freeze amazingly well too. The only soup I don’t freeze are potato-based soups because the texture is weird for us. Here are some of my favorite soup recipes.
Casseroles: These are so easy to freeze because all the components are already cooked. We freeze lasagna, fajitas, enchiladas, chicken dishes, and more. Defrost it in the fridge the day before and bake as normal.
Pasta Sauce: If you struggle to use up a full jar or batch of pasta sauce in one meal, pop the leftovers in the freezer for the next time you make pasta.
Sandwiches: Expedite your school lunch packing by freezing bulk sandwiches on the weekend. We’ve had great luck with both meat and cheese or PB&Js.
The possibilities are nearly endless when it comes to freezable foods… but these are the ones I have personally tried with much success.
If you’re wondering about a specific food, not on my list above, just give it a try with a small amount of the food… and then you’ll know.
Want more Freezable Foods posts, tips, and information?
- Here are ALL my freezer foods posts over the history of my blog.
- Here’s a post I wrote specifically to address many of the frozen foods questions I’ve gotten over the years.
- Click here to access my virtual recipe box (most of which are freezable foods).
- And this is how I defrost our deep freezer.
What are your favorite freezable foods?
I’m always looking for more foods to freeze, so if you know of any foods I missed, please share your suggestions in the comments below!
Pin it for later!
April says
Thank you so much for the cheat sheet for vegetable freezing! I am planning my garden and was wondering if I could freeze cauliflower and zucchini.
elaine says
Two things I freeze. First one is bananas that are beginning to become too soft to eat. I just put them in the freezer, peel and all, and that’s it. I use the microwave to defrost them and squeeze out the banana from the peel. This is great for banana bread/muffins etc. because they are sweeter than yellow bananas. Works for smoothies too! (ps. they will get dark brown but thats ok).
Second, I buy the 2 for 1 price pizza at the restaurant and freeze the one we don’t eat that night. I wrap it up in plastic and leave it in the pizza box to freeze. Heat from frozen @ 450 till cheese melts. Love getting real pizza for half the price.
Rebecca K Smith says
Just a quick note, I have found cheese to be no problem at all and doesn’t crumble and is just like fresh cheese if you defrost it in the refrigerator, I usually buy and freeze sliced American cheese in one pound blocks. But you must allow a full 24 hours in the refrigerator to thaw.
Meg says
Whenever we have any leftover bread slices/crusts I pulverize them in my Cuizinart and add them to my breadcrumbs bag in the freezer. They never mold and work perfectly in any recipe that needs breadcrumbs!
Julie says
Years ago, I worked at a small church based day-care and the cook was a very frugal woman. She took the ends of the bread and cut them into “fingers” and when she had enough would make baked french toast casserole for the children’s breakfast.
Trudie says
Can you double stack mini-muffins in the container before freezing them, or will that smash them?
Frances says
If I’m freezing baked goods I like to freeze loose single layers and then once they are frozen pack them up tighter in reuseable containers or ziploc bags. I do this with other items I make in large batches too because the items won’t freeze together and you can easily pull out a little or a lot of whatever it is when you need it.
Shannon says
I have frozen baked pies before. I just double wrap them, tightly, in foil and then put in a large freezer bag. I defrost the pie, unwrapped, for a few hours and then crisp it in the oven at 400 for 10 minutes. Never had a problem with it.
Thelma says
I recently froze chicken and dumplings. Not a good idea.
The texture of the dumplings was nasty. Had to throw out the whole batch.
Julie says
Thelma, we make the “sauce” and chicken and freeze at that point. On the night we serve them, I heat the sauce to boiling and then add my dumplings. It works perfectly everytime.
Dianne says
Just curious and wondered if you knew…why do you have to blanch vegetables and not fruits?
Andrea says
Dianne, I don’t know all the specifics 🙂 but here’s a helpful link you might want to check out: http://www.pickyourown.org/blanching_why_and_how.php
Julie says
Oh! And I also cut up onion ahead of time and freeze it for in casseroles or the crockpot – it’s not great for when you sautee it because it retains so much water, but sure is helpful when you only shop once a month. I also freeze tortillas.
Julie says
If you buy store bought milk, you actually don’t have to dump out a cup. The little impressions on the side of the jug are actually FOR freezing! I shop once a month so we freeze our milk and I’ve never had to dump any out nor have I ever had a jug explode. Just thaw and shake and you’re good to go 🙂 (I’m not sure if you buy it from a place that uses glass jugs – I’m sure that technique is different.) It’s actually better for the milk if you don’t open the jug – lasts longer in the freezer without getting freezer burned.
Shelli says
Very true, I too freeze plastic gallons of milk ALL THE TIME! Just please make sure to defrost COMPLETELY before drinking and like Julie said shake once defrosted.
amanda says
I froze store milk and it busted the jug… So be careful to anyone who wants to do that. It wad a huge mess and extremely annoying:)
Tere says
If you freeze milk, what you need to do is give it room to EXPAND — that’s why it could explode. It doesn’t have anywhere to expand. Just pour out an inch or so of the milk in the container and you’ll be fine.
Redd says
not all milk jugs ared created equal, but the ones with the indentations on the sides ARE designed with freezing in mind. if they dont have the circular indentations, you unfortunately have to take some out.
Rae says
I freeze all of my fruit on a silicone sheet placed on a cookie sheet for at least 30 minutes to get firm then transfer them to one big container (per kind unless I will be using it together like my smoothie bin). They do not freeze together in one big clump and it cuts down on individual bags and takes less space then a bunch of individual containers. I do this with bananas cut in half that way I can have specific amounts.
Keri says
I freeze my berries single layer on a cookie sheet. After they are frozen, I put them in ziplock bags and back into the freezer. Individually frozen so you can take out as many as you need and no more. Plus, they aren’t soggy. Wonderful to eat frozen as a snack!
Aandi says
That’s what I do, too: flash freeze my feuits, even pancakes & waffles. So, so much better this way!!!!
bonnie newman says
I freeze all my bread but slices seem to shrink. Is there a special way to freeze breads?
Victoria says
I forget the exact science behind it but its because the moisture in the bread is evaporated or taken out by the cold. It also is the cause of bread feeling drier/slightly stale if you refrigerate it
Gelene says
To freeze breads double wrap them it works great! I do this all the time and it works great. I have never had a problem with it being to dry.
Tim says
Steam the bread lightly to thaw. Should bounce right back with no problem.
Rosemary says
Do you freeze store bought breads? I’m totally new to trying to freeze everything!
Jenna says
Yes, I pop store-bought bread right into the freezer in the bag they come in. To defrost just set it on the counter for a few hours. I have also defrosted slices or rolls in the microwave for a few seconds at a time. Careful, though, it goes fast!
ajs says
A Dannon yogurt representative told me that freezing yogurt will kill the beneficial bacteria.
Conncept says
The Dannon yogurt guy lied to you.
If cold killed bacteria you could take uncooked chicken right out of the freezer and eat it raw because the cold would have killed all the bacteria, and similarly, doctors would sterilize there instruments with cold rather than heat. But such is not the case, heat kills bacteria, cold only serves to preserve it.
leslie says
I’m not sure about the specific bacterias in yogurt, but all bacterias have their own ideal temperature, so the yogurt guy could be right. For example, there are certain bacterias that actually thrive in heat, like the ones that live in hot springs, where other bacterias would die.
kamie says
Freezing doesn’t usually kill bacteria. Frozen yogurt anyone? Freezing simply puts bacteria in a dormant state. Once you thaw the product the bacteria will start reproducing again. This is something we learn in food safety 101. Remember that bacteria comes from space, and space is -450F. Minus 450F.
kamie says
Oh and your body is pretty good at dealing with bacteria, it’s when the bacteria has stayed in the danger zone for too long and starts releasing toxins (read: they have to go to the bathroom somewhere) on your food, that’s when it really becomes a problem. So… don’t leave food out too long!
Julie says
I was very concerned about this debate as I freeze the yogurt for smoothies all the time (I hate adding ice as I drink it slowly and it quickly is watered down). The Yoplait company (makers of go-gurts) actually encoruage comsumers to freeze the yogurt.
I spoke to the company via their 800 number and was told that the freezing process does not harm the bacteria. They suggested that it can actually preserve them until consumption.
Just thought I would share what they said.
FYI – I wasn’t able to reach anyone at Dannon and got stuck in a automated phone system loop.
Maggie Crooks says
try this link: at Yogurt.com: http://aboutyogurt.com/index.asp?bid=28#Q1
Grace says
Although different bacterium have different optimum temperatures (the temperature that they are most active at), the cold does not kill them – only slows their activity, or “suspends” them. Heat can kill them, but the cold cannot.
Siobhan says
Freezing DOES kill the active cultures that are in yogurt, causing it to lose some of its pro-biotic qualities.
beth says
I freeze bananas too, however I just put them in a freezer bag with their skins still on. i use them for smoothies and chocolate breakfast shakes. They stay well protected from freezer burn this way.
Matt says
Cooks Illustrated did some analysis on frozen cream cheese, and they indicated that it wouldn’t be good for things where the texture of the cream cheese comes through (like cheesecake), but would be fine when used in other baked goods.
PJay says
Seedless grapes are great to keep in your freezer anytime. They taste sweeter frozen, and you can eat them like candy, so kids love them, and dieters can use them as a sweet snack. Especially nice in the hot summertime.
heather says
I freeze gallons or half gallons of milk all the time without taking any out. That is actually what the indented circles on the side are for, they pop out when the milk freezes/expands!
Aley says
I bake pumpkin pies for the holidays just about every year.. so to save time I will bake all that I need for Thanksgiving and Christmas at one time (and I use already made frozen pie crusts).. I wait until they are completely cooled, then wrap in wax paper, then wrap in the freezer press and seal wrap… I take them out to defrost when needed.. never had a problem with them tasting bad or any different then eating them right after they are baked.
Leah says
I have started maing a big batch of cookies and just baking 2-3 dozen and forming the rest into balls and freezing it till we need more cookies.. Since i don’t think they taste the same if they’re frozen after they’re baked!!! Works great n its so simple to pop them on a tray n let them thaw and bake em!!
carla says
Can I freeze cake nice, in there boxes .
Kristal says
I bake a whole chicken on the weekend and remove from the bone and freeze the cooked chicken to use in casseroles during the week. It’s much easier to get home from work and thaw cooked chicken than thawing uncooked chicken for quick meals. I do the same with ground round. Works well for me!!
Terri says
every year for Thanksgiving, we bake a lot of pies and freeze them and then pull them out on Wednesday to thaw out. Never have had a problem with, we do pumpkin and apple ahead of time. We go by the idea that if you can buy it frozen, then you can freeze your own.
carol w says
two comments 🙂
frozen milk makes great ice for a portable chest when camping and,
substitute two crackers for the 2 tbls extra flour in crust when freezing pies.
Betty T. says
We only shop once a month – rural area. But we freeze milk and cream. You need to take out about a cup from the gal jugs for expansion. FREEZES GREAT.
TKnTexas says
This is great info. Allow me to share. As a single person I need to freeze more often. Cookie dough has long been something I freeze, Oatmeal, choc chip and sugar cookie dough all freeze well.
Casseroles: I have portioned my leftover casseroles into single servings.
Burgers: Several years ago I started doing burgers and sloppy joes. I purchase a pack of 8 buns. I have had great results with Sara Lee or Mrs Bairds buns. I flat grill the burgers. I toast the buns. As I assemble the burgers I may add a slice of American cheese and/or a couple slices of bacon. I wrap each burger in a sheet of paper towel and then it goes into a freezer bag. I saw a tip from Alton Brown on the Food Network of using a straw to suck the air out of the freezer bag. Works great. I keep the burgers on the freezer door. I started this to have something to take to work for lunch. I pull out of the freezer the night before. I nuke for 30-45 seconds. I figured if convenience stores could do it I could. They are best when eaten within three months.
I have also done this with sloppy joes between the buns. Same freezing and thawing technique.
Sausage Biscuits: Following my success with burgers I have made sausage biscuit sandwiches. I use a larger diameter biscuit cutter, same size as an English Muffin. After the biscuits are baked, I leave on racks to cool. While they are cooling I fry up the sausage patties (2.5oz works well). I assemble the sandwiches, wrapping each in paper towel before putting in freezer back.
Lately I have begun to double bag the burgers and sandwiches. I put the bagged sandwiches into gallon size bags, using the straw technique to remove air from the big bag.
carol w says
I like this!!
Margaret says
Pasta. Pasta can be cooked (I cook mine al-dente), lightly oiled or buttered, then put into freezer bags with the air squeezed out, in sizes appropriate for your family. When ready to use, boil water, put the frozen pasta in (without the bag) for about 2-3 minutes to heat. I did this for a graduation party. I cooked 10 pounds of pasta for a pasta bar and froze it a month before the party. It worked great! I just kept hot water on the stove and “cooked” pasta as it was needed – no cold sticky pasta in 4 hours of serving. 🙂 Note: In order to conserve water and energy, I strained the re-cooked pasta into another pot and re-used the water.
Allie says
Can you do this with homemade pasta? My sister just gave me a really great simple homemade pasta recipe.
Carolyn says
Pull grapes off the stem and freeze single servings in snack baggies. Make great treats especially in the summer – like super delicious little popcicles
penny williams says
iam needing to find out how to frezze fresh patatoes. my family loves fried pataoes and i have tried frezzing some but they always end up with black on them. PLEASE can someone help me figure this out.
Bev says
If I want to cut potatoes the night before I start the crock pot, I rinse them with a solution of 1 cup water and 1 tablespoon cream of tartar to keep them from turning black overnight in the fridge. I’ve never tried freezing potatoes but it would be worth a try.
Wendy says
Potatoes have to be pre-boiled for 5 minutes before freezing. If not potaotes turn black as they freeze.
Can you freeze bun dough? if so how? and how to unthough?
Thanks
Danielle says
I partially boil potatoes before freezing. I wedge mine for fries, it helps if you lay sliced potatoes out on wax paper and spray them with a little oil to keep them from sticking together. Sometimes i freeze them on cookie sheets before dumping them into gallon ziplocs. – this i would suggest esp if you are slicing/wedging them.
Jolene Brighten says
This is great information. I’ve been curious about granola, as I am a mom to be and trying to store lots of freezer foods before the baby is here. Thanks!
Nick says
This is AWESOME. Thx for clearing up a debate with my Wife and Sister in Law
Rachel says
I make a big pot of beans then freeze two cups at a time. I can then substitute the frozen beans for canned. This way I have the convenience of canned beans but cheaper and no additives!
Aksana says
You can freeze berries just for eating in ziplock bags. I dont do the single layer as suggusted, I just wash, then pour into the quart size bags, and put in freezer. We especially love blueberries. Other fruit are great too, like peaches (I wash, dry, then slice them), and we love eating them half frozen. I have frozen pancakes, with great results. You simply pop them in the oven to heat up, and they taste awesome. I have frozen egg rolls, perogi, and lot of dough items like potstickers, etc, in the freezer prior to cooking them.
Emma says
I love to make veggie burgers and freeze them. They are great for those mornings you are rushing out the door and can grab one and let it defrost and then heat it up at work. I wrap mine in lettuce and top with hot sauce. YUM
Lisa Boyles says
When I buy a quart of buttermilk for Ranch dressing, I use the cup of buttermilk I need, then pour the remaining 3 cups into 3 ZipLoc bags (1 cup each). Lay them flat and freeze them. Then you have more on hand for next time or to add to mashed potatoes or for marinating fried chicken.
Sarah says
You can freeze blueberries “just for eating” by first freezing them in a single layer (I use a cookie sheet) and then putting the little frozen berries in a container. If you take that extra step, you will have edible berries.
Banana tip: I don’t peel them first — I put the (ultraripe!) bananas straight in the freezer, in their skins. When I need some for banana bread, I briefly microwave them, clip off the end, and squeeze the softened banana puree into the mixing bowl. No muss, no fuss!
Another Andrea says
I think you probably mean very ripe, not rotten, bananas. You don’t want to freeze something that’s rotten.
Nicole E. says
Whenever I make pie, I always like to freeze it before baking – it holds together much better, and the filling doesn’t seep through the crust while baking or spill out when the pie is cut! This was one of the secrets that earned my pies purple ribbons and ecstatic comments from judges in 4-H contests.
Lisa says
when defrosting the bananas, would you do that in the fridge or at room temp? i want to use them in banana bread or muffins but not sure how this would affect the consistency. great idea by the way!
jane says
You should defrost most things in the fridge to prevent microbes from growing. Things like breads and cookies are probably the few things you can safely defrost at room temp. Bananas will release a lot of liquid once you thaw them, but it is not a problem. Just make sure if they are in a plastic bag that you thaw them in a container in case it leaks. Mash the banana and pour any liquid into your recipe and proceed normally. I use previously frozen bananas all the time and have never had an issue baking with them when I included the extra liquid released by the freeze/thaw process. (Be sure to remove banana skins before freezing!)
Lisa says
Thanks for your reply! Will be sure to try it! Hate wasting food.