We’ve all been there: Sunday meal prep turns your kitchen into a frenzied freezer-filling marathon, only to find a week later that something has gone horribly, soggily, or even stinkily wrong. Freezing food seems like a no-brainer for saving time and fighting waste, but not all foods are suited to a sub-zero staycation! Some can change in taste, others develop off-putting textures, while some might even grow harmful bacteria. Read on for the foods you really shouldn’t freeze (unless you like surprises that bounce, ooze or simply don’t taste right)…
Why Freezing Isn’t Always a Good Idea
Freezing is undoubtedly practical—speed up your cooking, stash leftovers, save money and do your bit for the planet by reducing waste. But take heed: at temperatures between -12°C and -18°C, some foods lose their culinary appeal or even become risky to eat. Before you fill your freezer with wild abandon, here’s a guide on what definitely shouldn’t take a deep freeze.
The Foods That Don’t Survive the Freeze
- Whole eggs (in their shell): When you freeze an egg still in its shell, the liquid inside expands and can cause the shell to crack. That leaves the door wide open for bacteria (the unwanted kind) to move in. Cooked eggs like hard-boiled eggs come out spongy, rubbery, or oddly tough. The same warning goes for mayonnaise and sauces made with eggs—they don’t freeze well and will lose their lovely textures. If you must, you can freeze just the egg whites, safely stored for up to four months.
- Raw tubers: Raw rutabagas, parsnips, and especially potatoes are best kept well away from the freezer. Freezing changes their texture and even their mineral content—no thanks! Instead, keep them in a cool, dark place to prevent sprouting. Cooked potatoes (and cousins like cooked parsnips or rutabagas) can be frozen if needed.
- Coffee beans and ground coffee: Thinking of keeping excess coffee in the freezer? Bad idea. Freezing saps the aroma from your coffee and lets it absorb those strange freezer odors. Instead, store it in an airtight container, away from air and light. For long absences, the fridge works better.
- Milk and yogurt: Freezing milk (and yogurt) might seem logical, but both lose their normal consistency and become lumpy and watery upon thawing. The taste and the pleasure are gone—unless you’re into drinkable yogurt, which some have suggested is salvageable by whisking after thawing.
- Soft cheeses: Fresh or soft cheeses undergo a dramatic ruin in the freezer: their texture shifts, they lose their shape, and their flavor changes. Only cheeses with low moisture content can handle the freeze.
- Dessert creams and sauces: Most dessert creams, including those made with milk and eggs, tend to curdle and lose their creamy texture after being frozen. The same goes for caramel sauce and mayonnaise, among others—texture and flavor will take a nosedive.
- Certain fruits and vegetables: While some fruits and veggies freeze well, others—especially those high in water and fiber—lose their firmness, texture, and flavor after thawing. For best results with these, blanching is key: plunge them in boiling water for 3–5 minutes, then drain, cool with fresh water, and dry thoroughly before sealing them up and freezing. If properly packed, they can last close to a year. However, opinions differ: strawberries and raspberries, like all berries, are sold frozen by supermarkets and many insist they freeze perfectly well, so take advice with a pinch of salt (but not literally, salt doesn’t help freezing here).
- Fried foods: Fries, shrimp tempura, fried zucchini—if it’s battered and fried, freezing will turn it floury and limp. Baked goods, on the other hand, have their supporters: bread, pastries, choux, tarts reportedly handle freezing like pros. Simply rehydrate, pop in the oven for a couple of minutes, and voilà—good as fresh!
Extra Wisdom: What Not to Do
- Never refreeze any food that’s already been thawed, especially meat. Dangerous bacteria could flourish, making it a real risk to your health.
- Blanching isn’t always necessary for freezing veggies, despite common advice. Some users claim you can freeze fruits like figs, strawberries, and even watermelon in small pots—take them out and you’ve got instant sorbet or a fruity sauce for yogurt. As for yogurt, beat it vigorously after thawing and you’ll end up with drinkable yogurt—if that’s your thing.
The Bottom Line: Freeze Wisely!
Freezing food can be a boon for your schedule and your sanity, but not every ingredient is a candidate for icy preservation. Watch out for the troublemakers—the foods that become tasteless, change texture, or even become a hazard. Listen to both experience and science: store foods the right way, embrace a bit of kitchen trial-and-error (and maybe a few mishaps you’ll laugh about later). Your tastebuds—and your stomach—will thank you.
