83 Foods to Freeze or Foods NOT to Freeze

Published on May 25, 2019 By Lauren

Lauren Cobello » Meal Planning » 83 Foods to Freeze or Foods NOT to Freeze

A few weeks ago I posted a huge article titled Freezer Cooking 101 – Everything you need to Freezer Cook Like a Pro. Freezing foods is a great way to buy things on sale and preserve them for later. Most foods can be frozen with no problems. It is important to note that some foods need preparation before being placed in the freezer. Other foods don’t freeze well under any circumstances.

Want to try assembling freezer meals? Before you read on grab my free meal plan here. This will help you make 10 meals for under $80!

Here’s an easy list of foods that you can freeze:

DAIRY:

Butter
Cheese
Cottage cheese
Egg whites (must be raw)
Ice cream
Milk
Whipped cream (sweetened, in individual serving dollops)
Whole eggs (follow these extensive prep notes here)

MEAT, POULTRY, and SEAFOOD:

Bacon
Beef
Chicken
Crab
Fish
Hot dogs
Lobster
Lunch meat
Pork
Sausage
Scallops
Shrimp
Turkey
Wild game (venison, rabbit, duck, pheasant, squirrel, goose)

PRODUCE:

Almost all produce can be frozen. Here are some that freeze particularly well. Make sure to follow prepping directions here for best results.

Artichokes
Asparagus
Avocado (pureed and prepped with lemon juice)
Beets
Berries
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Carrots
Cauliflower
Cherries
Greens (including spinach and collards)
Mangos
Melon (chunks)
Mushrooms
Okra
Onions
Peaches (peeled, sliced)
Peas
Pineapple (chunks)
Potatoes
Pumpkin
Squash (summer squash, zucchini, and all winter squashes)
Strawberries (hulled)
Sweet potatoes

PRODUCE THAT YOU CAN FREEZE (but only in certain circumstances):

Cabbage (will be soggy, CAN be used in cooked dishes after frozen)
Celery (only to be used in cooked dishes)
Garlic (frozen in oil)
Herbs (frozen in water or oil to be used in cooked dishes or dressings)
Overripe bananas, peeled (great for smoothies and banana bread)

PRODUCE THAT CAN BE FROZEN in syrup packs:

Apples
Citrus fruits
Grapes
Plums
Pomegranates

NUTS, SEEDS, AND GRAINS:

These items do very well in the freezer. Because of their high fat content they would go rancid sooner if you only stored them at room temperature. The freezer helps preserve them for months longer than the pantry.

Nuts (also nut flours are great in the freezer)
Seeds
Flours (high in oil content like wheat flour)

BAKED GOODS:

Biscuits
Brownies
Cakes (unfrosted)
Croutons
Muffins
Cookies
Quick breads (like banana bread)
Fruit cake
Doughnuts (unglazed)
Pie (fruit, meat, nut, sweet potato, and pumpkin are all okay. DO NOT freeze pies with meringue on top)
Pizza – reheat at 400 degrees
Yeast breads

UNCOOKED DOUGHS, BATTERS, AND PASTRIES:

Pizza dough – uncooked
Pie shells – blind baked (ready to fill)
Cookie dough -individually freeze then place in zipper bag
Cake Batter
Yeast dough

OTHER:

Pesto sauce
Wine (freeze in ice cube trays for use in sauces)

Tips to make dinnertime easy with COOKED FOODS THAT FREEZE WELL

(Make sure to cool completely in the fridge before freezing.)

Baked Breads (cooled completely before wrapping). We load up on clearance breads from our grocery store. They have a rack at the back of the store where all the breads are up to 75% off. These are great time savers for Sunday afternoon meals when you are so hungry when you get home. Also, bread helps a meal stretch to serve so many more people. Frozen loaves reheated in the oven are perfect for when you’re hosting surprise dinner guests!
Casseroles (like this one!) (Unless otherwise noted in recipe, thaw overnight in fridge, bake covered at 350 for one hour or until bubbly.)
Chicken and turkey – deboned and chopped, freeze in 1 cup portions for easy thawing and recipe use
Ground beef – freeze in 1 cup portions for easy thawing and recipe use
Pasta, undercooked – do not rinse – do not add sauce
Tomato based pasta sauce
Here’s a great resource on how to prep your fresh meat and veggies for freezer storage.

See this great chart here for food storage times.