Martin Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert has dished out some top tips on how to store food properly – and it involves putting some surprising kitchen items in the freezer
If you thought tea and coffee didn’t belong in the freezer, think again. Experts at Martin Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert now suggest the public should rethink their food storage habits as it could slash grocery bills.
Aside from the two popular beverages, the gurus highlighted a number of surprising kitchen items that can be stored in the freezer for an extended shelf life. This not only minimises the need for frequent shopping trips but also aids in reducing food waste.
Incredibly, 9.5 million tonnes of food worth billions of pounds is discarded every year, according to Business Waste. A large portion of this, if not recycled, could end up in landfill, adding to the worsening problem of greenhouse gas emissions.
“Lots of food and drinks can be saved from being wasted by freezing them in ice cube trays,” MSE experts said in its latest newsletter.
“They’re then in convenient portions for you to add to your cooking (or use in another drink).” If you’re keen to freeze coffee and tea, MSE guidance suggests using them as flavour additives when making iced beverages in future.
Aside from this, they also recommend freezing coconut milk, yoghurt or cream for curries, sauces and smoothies. Fruit and juice can go in the freezer too for any smoothies you plan to make.
Even making ice cubes from stock, wine or herbs can be perfect for sauces, soups and gravy as well, they stress. For the herbs, they advise adding olive oil or water for the best results – an idea initially put forward on Forumites.
MSE’s freezer tip also comes as the gurus have just highlighted some dos and don’ts for fridge storage. Drawing on advice from WRAP, they stressed that eggs, oranges, potatoes and almost every other fruit and vegetable should go in the fridge.
However, onions, whole pineapples, bread and bananas should be kept well away from the fridge. Instead, they should all be stored somewhere cool and dry, though they did acknowledge that freezing bread is fine.
The MSE experts added: “To stop bread going stale in the first place, put it in the freezer the day you buy it. Then take it out a couple of slices at a time for toast or sandwiches.”
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