Freezing Food in Cubes
Fruit and vegetable produce plus other sauces and food items fill our freezer in cube form.
It's a money-saving idea, but it's also a way to reduce our waste from food. Buying, foraging or food swapping in-season produce and freezing it helps to reduce food waste and helps to keep the cost of food down.
It's also a time saver. It means that I have things that I can whip out of the freezer to use in dishes, drinks or in baking at short notice. From grated zucchini, blended feijoa, and passion fruit pulp, to gravy and grated ginger.
I have compiled a list of all the things that I put in the freezer but let me know what you freeze also and I can add it to my list.
Drinks
lemon juice/ Lime juice - My mum has too many lemons on her tree so I freeze the juice to freeze then pop the cubes into soda in summer. Also, we have a lime tree, so the juice from our limes goes into the freezer too... add some mint if you like a bit of mint in your drink.
Feijoa pulp - This is perfect for smoothies and there is so much of it around during the feijoa season.
Chai - I bought a large jar of chai concentrate and as it only lasts for 3 months and we only have chai occasionally I froze it into measured (10ml) all ready to use when we like it.
Lemon honey ginger drink mix - In wintertime, this is a great idea. just freeze a concentrated mix of lemon, honey and finely grated ginger, then when you want a drink just pop a cube into the mug and add boiling water.
Coffee - Want to make up a quick iced coffee? freeze cubes of either espresso or filtered back coffee, then when you want to have an iced coffee just blend it with milk.
Passion fruit - I froze all the leftover passion fruit pulp from our vine in February this year and I pop it into soda water as a drink.
Smoothies - Ingredients for smoothies can be frozen such as kiwifruit, berries, yoghurt and bananas.
Ingredients for dishes/ cakes/ dinner
Banana - too many bananas? blend up or mash and make into cubes to use later on in smoothies or in cakes (5 ice cubes is around one banana).
Tomato paste - If you can't get through a full jar of tomato paste before the best-before date pop it in the ice tray to freeze then put it in your dishes later.
Ginger - Finely grate ginger and freeze into cubes for use in stir fry's curries and chow-mein.
Grated foods - like carrot and zucchini - Finely grate and freeze in ice trays. Such a great way to get vegetables into the kids as they can't see the vegetables!
Tomato- blend up whole tomatoes (take off the skin if you prefer and freeze them into cubes for use in soups.
Gravy - yep I freeze this too because for some reason the kids will only eat peas if it has gravy on it lol. So easy to take out and defrost.
Vegetable stock or bone broth - I make my own stock and freeze to have a powerful punch of flavour to add to risotto, soups or stews.
Spaghetti sauce - perfect for small servings of spaghetti for the kids or for a single serving for lunch.
Baby food - You can make baby food in cube form too. Such an easy way to make and keep it. check out a baby food blog I wrote for Little & Brave HERE.
