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Make your freezer work for you
ideas to save you money
As well as extending the shelf-life of food and saving on waste, your freezer offers various shortcuts for preparing meals
words GOOD FOOD TEAM
What should I stock my f reezer with?
MIXED VEG Frozen vegetables are often healthier than fresh, because they’re processed and frozen just after being picked, so there’s no time for them to degrade in transit from farm to shop. You can also choose packs that combine different types of veg for specific purposes, whether it’s packs of stir-fry veg for noodles, fillings for enchiladas, broccoli and cauliflower for gratins and curries, or carrots, beans and sweetcorn for soups, stews and rice dishes.
SWEETCORN Frozen sweetcorn is good value, tastes better than canned and is a family-friendly choice. Because the kernels are frozen separately, you can easily measure out what’s needed, as and when you need it.
Use it in chowders and pancakes or stir into cornbread. A bag will keep for months to no ill effect. Corn on the cob cut into sections can also be found frozen, a wise buy during barbecue season or as a snack for kids. Try our curried sweetcorn soup at bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/curried-sweetcorn-soup.
BERRIES Frozen blueberries, raspberries, and cherries allow you to enjoy a taste of summer all year round, and are often considerably cheaper than fresh. You won’t waste any either, racing to eat them before they turn mushy. Their texture is changed by freezing, so they’re best used in recipes where they’ll be cooked or puréed, or you don’t mind them collapsing (stirred into yogurt or porridge, for example).