The 9 issues the sensible set have of their freezer, by a meals skilled

Is freezer food getting fancy? 

With Jamie Oliver launching a new range of frozen meals in Iceland and next month Waitrose, we’re turning our attention to the supermarket freezer aisles – and wondering whether our own freezers should contain more than just peas, green beans and several tubs of ice cream.

According to Eleanor Maidment, You’s food editor, there are lots of excellent ways to maximise our freezers – from having time-saving veg mixes on hand, to ensuring that last drop of wine is never wasted. 

Here are nine things she always has in the freezer…

Leftovers

I should start by saying that my freezer is mainly filled with home-cooked meals, as I’m a big advocate of batch cooking and freezing the leftovers. 

Where possible I store everything in freezer bags. They can be laid flat on top of each other, which is a very efficient use of freezer space plus they’re quick to defrost. 

They’re labelled with the dish, the date made, how many people it serves (usually 200 to 250g per person for a stew, 400g per person for a soup) and any notes, like ‘needs salt’ or ‘add lemon juice’. 

My go-tos are ragús, dals, soups, stews and chillies. I also make an effort to eat everything within six months so the freezer doesn’t become a leftovers graveyard.

Soffritto 

The classic combination of chopped onions, carrot and celery forms the base of many dishes and can be bought frozen from most major supermarkets. It’s a real time saver and you’d never know the difference in the finished recipe. 

It cooks straight from frozen, though it may require a little longer cooking than from fresh.

Edamame beans 

Nothing beats good old frozen peas, but podded edamame beans make a nice alternative. They’re great in fried rice and noodle dishes or can be simmered in soups and broths.

Chopped frozen squash 

This is a really handy product as, quite frankly, it’s a faff to peel, deseed and chop a squash. Great for roasting, or for adding to risottos or chilli con carne.

Frozen berries

I’m a glutton for English berries in summer, but the imported berries on supermarkets shelves in winter pale in comparison.

Fortunately there are really good homegrown frozen berries and the flash-freezing process means they retain all their nutrients. I usually make a quick berry compote with apple to go on porridge or throw them into to winter-y crumbles.

Sourdough 

A loaf of good sourdough doesn’t come cheap. I always cut a few slices to freeze as soon as I buy one, as it makes it feel like it goes further. Sourdough freezes really well and the stashed away slices always come in handy.

Itsu chicken gyozas 

These are my go-to instead of a takeaway. They’re easy to cook and taste amazing with a splash of soy sauce and chilli oil. 

I often eat them with a bowl of Borough Broth tonkotsu ramen broth (which comes in sachets, also kept in my freezer) simmered with edamame beans and some noodles. A restaurant-worthy meal assembled predominantly from the freezer.

Pizza and fish fingers 

I have a five year old, so these are always in the freezer. I like Crosta and Mollica pizzas (the pizzetta two-packs are a good size for my jam-packed freezer – I chuck away the cardboard and write the cooking instructions in marker pen on the packaging). 

And I alternate between classic cod fish fingers and breaded sole goujons for a bit of variation.

Rosemary, sage, curry leaves and makrut lime leaves 

Rosemary and sage both freeze really well. 

It can be hard to source fresh curry leaves (for dals) and makrut lime leaves (to use in Thai coconutty soups and curries) so if I buy some then I’ll always freeze any leftovers. They are far superior to the dried versions. 

Wine 

I never let the end of a bottle of opened wine go to waste. 

I freeze it (labelling how much there is) and keep for when I’m making bolognese or chicken casseroles.