\nEveryone knows that the freezer is ideal for storing chilled treats, meats, and casseroles, but this useful kitchen appliance is great for keeping many other items too. Take advantage of it by storing some of these surprising foods you probably didn\u2019t know you could freeze.\n
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Because of their high oil content, nuts can go rancid very quickly. In fact, after just two weeks at room temperature, the oils in many types of nuts can start to go bad, but if you freeze them it will slow their decline.\n
Place what you\u2019re going to use immediately in the refrigerator as repeatedly opening and closing a bag in the freezer introduces moisture and the potential for contamination.\n
Store the rest in the freezer by wrapping them well in plastic, and then placing in a resealable freezer bag.\n
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You don\u2019t want to place herbs directly into your freezer as they\u2019ll become limp and lose some of their flavors, but there is a way to freeze them properly so that doesn\u2019t happen.\n
The trick is to use olive oil. Simply chop up fresh herbs like sage, oregano, thyme, or rosemary and pack them into your ice cube trays about halfway full.\n
Cover them with extra-virgin olive oil, leaving a little bit of room at the top for expansion.\n
Wrap in plastic wrap and then freeze the ice trays overnight.\n
Afterward, remove the cubes from the trays and store them in the freezer in resealable freezer bags.\n
When you\u2019re ready to use them, you can simply drop them directly into a soup, stew or frying pan.\n
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If your bananas have gotten overripe, don\u2019t despair. They\u2019re great to use in all sorts of recipes, like banana bread, and are especially good for smoothies.\n
In fact, the riper the banana, the sweeter tasting that smoothie will be.\n
Just use a knife to slice the peel down one side, and then pop the banana out. Don\u2019t freeze your bananas with the skins on as it\u2019s way too difficult to peel them later when they become hard as a rock in the freezer.\n
You can wrap them up in plastic wrap or place them in resealable bags by squeezing out as much air as possible and organizing them in a way that they don\u2019t stick together.\n
If you want to use them for smoothies, just take them straight from the freezer and blend them up.\n
For use in baking things like banana bread, defrost them overnight in the fridge first, or thaw them for about an hour at room temperature.\n
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So, you were lucky to score a few dozen local eggs, but it\u2019s not anywhere near Easter and there\u2019s no way you can use them all before they go bad.\n
If you try to freeze eggs in their shells, the liquid will expand, which causes the shell to crack and create an incredibly yucky mess in your freezer.\n
Instead, crack them into a bowl first, and then blend in just a pinch of salt, being careful not to whip too much air in as the yolks will clump when thawed if you do.\n
Store them in an amount you normally use at one time in individual resealable bags \u2013 they\u2019ll be good for up to a year.\n
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Ever dreamed of enjoying the sweet taste of corn on the cob in the middle of a gloomy winter?\n
Plan it outright, and you can do just that.\n
Fresh-picked corn, from a local farm or farmers\u2019 market, can last as long as a year when it\u2019s frozen the right way, husk and all.\n
If you get it fresh, just place it immediately into freezer bags with the husk and silk intact, and when you defrost, it will be wonderfully succulent and fresh.\n
If you buy it from a traditional supermarket, you\u2019ll need to husk and blanch it first in order to prevent enzymes from forming to result in a loss of color and flavor.\n
Blanch small ears of corn for 7 minutes, medium-size ears for 9 and large ears for 11 minutes.\n
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They say you can never have too much garlic, and we agree. Not only does it add lots of flavor to a dish, but it offers a multitude of health benefits.\n
And, garlic is incredibly easy to freeze.\n
You can chop up the cloves and stick them in the freezer, or freeze the whole bulb.\n
The important thing is to select the highest quality, organic garlic, as it will have the best flavor after freezing.\n
Be sure that there are no mold or green shoots coming out, and that it\u2019s well-dried and firm, not sticky or wet \u2013 if it is, use that garlic as soon as you can as it won\u2019t freeze.\n
If you want to chop or mince it up before freezing, allow it to sit for about 10 minutes first to release the compound known as allicin, which is responsible for garlic\u2019s health benefits.\n
It can be stored safely for several months in a plastic or glass freezer container.\n
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Frozen grapes make one of the best healthy snacks ever. They\u2019re crunchy and fabulously sweet at the same time, and they\u2019re one of the easiest foods to prepare.\n
All you have to do is wash them, dry them, and then spread them out on a baking sheet.\n
Place the sheet into your freezer for three or four hours, and then either store them in resealable plastic bags to enjoy later or eat them immediately.\n
Pop a few into a glass of white wine to chill it instead of using ice which can melt into your wine and ruin the taste.\n
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Freezing citrus fruits like lemons, oranges and limes will keep them fresh and makes them convenient to use in recipes and drinks later.\n
They\u2019re not only tasty, but they also contain a high amount of nutrients, like folate, vitamin C, and antioxidants that can protect your body\u2019s cells from free radical damage.\n
Just don\u2019t freeze them whole or they\u2019ll get mushy.\n
Instead, slice them up thinly and place wax paper between each layer of slices, and then place them into the freezer.\n
Be sure to wash your fruit well first, cutting away any areas of broken skin that can contain microorganisms, leading to food-borne illness. You can also \u201cwet pack\u201d citrus fruits by putting them into a freezer-safe canning jar.\n
Fill the jar with water, leaving about one-and-a-half inches of space at the top to allow room for the fruit to expand as it freezes.\n
Crumple up a piece of wax paper and stuff it into the top of the jar to keep the fruit from floating to the top.\n
If you want to store the juice, first juice it using your hands or a juicer, and then pour the juice into ice cube trays and place them into the freezer. Once they\u2019re frozen solid, take them out of the tray and place them in a freezer bag.\n
For zest of citrus, simply grate the rind, add several squeezes of juice, and freeze in an ice tray.\n
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The Japanese say frozen then reheated rice tastes the best \u2013 and many others swear by this too after testing out various storage methods.\n
You may have tried refrigerating rice before and noticed that the texture becomes hard and dry. Oftentimes, storing leftover rice in the fridge even for a day makes it pretty much inedible.\n
But the freezer method is different. Pack up that fresh-cooked, moist rice in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag, and then immediately close it up tightly.\n
When you reheat the frozen rice, either by pouring it into a bowl and microwaving for a minute or heated up with a liquid on your stovetop, it will be fresh, moist, and delicious just like fresh-cooked rice.\n
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Like garlic, onions are amazing when it comes to adding flavor and benefiting your health.\n
You can make it easier to use them liberally in all sorts of dishes by preparing them ahead of time.\n
Peel and chop them, and then place them in plastic freezer bags and store them in your freezer until you\u2019re ready to use.\n
You don\u2019t even have to thaw them out first, just toss them right into your marinara sauce, soup, stew, or what have you, right out of the freezer.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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