One of the good things you can do in this period of inflation to reduce food waste and better manage your food budget is freezing one of the solutions that you should not overlook. As long as you consume frozen food within the time limit and packed in suitable packaging, you can save a lot of money, even with products you may not always suspect… Guaranteed without risk to your health!
some wine
The British newspaper The independent reveals the trick: make ice cubes with the bottom of a wine bottle. Instead of throwing the stale liquid at the bottom of the sink, we recycle it to have a little wine on hand when needed in the kitchen. White wine in a risotto or red wine in a bolognese sauce, it’s often necessary to add a little sourness to a recipe with a dash of Bacchus’ brew.
Protein, and even whole eggs
The trick belongs to Mercotto, Chef Cyril Lignac’s loyal sidekick on the M6 show “Le Meilleur pâtissier”. As a macaroon specialist, the re-converted confectioner recommends using matured egg whites to optimize the success of her macaroons. And you can completely freeze the material to dig in when you decide to start cooking the next day. A frozen egg white can be stored for up to ten months. If this trick is known to confectioners, we know less that the egg can also be frozen. However, it is necessary to take many precautions if you want to store your eggs this way, given the health risks. According to the Albal brand, all you have to do is beat the eggs into an omelette and pour it into a freezer bag. Pay close attention to the date of cooling! We also don’t try the experiment of putting a whole egg with its shell in the freezer at the risk of it exploding.
of flower
In one of her videos, TikTokeuse Caroline Neat, who reserves all her posts for tips and tricks to simplify household chores, shows everything in her freezer. And among the foods, you may be surprised to find flour there. Ultimately, this is not surprising because it is a living food. In the dry, this essential for making cakes and bechamel loses its organoleptic properties. Above all, storage in a closet can promote the spread of parasites or insects. It is not for nothing that the flour indicates a best-before date of optimal use. Indeed, after the specified time, there may be a contamination problem of this type. It is best to use it quickly. Alternatively, the flour can be poured into a freezer bag and placed in the freezer.
Butter, grated cheese and even milk!
The French dairy interprofession is formal: you can put your carton of milk in the freezer for six months, as long as it’s in the container. This concerns pasteurized or sterilized milk. Whole milk can be kept in this condition for only two months. No wonder, the cold solidifies the fat. So you have no choice but to stir it well before use. It is best to use it in cooking and baking. Same recipe for butter that can be left in its original container before being wrapped in aluminum foil. You have six months to use it. The interprofession advises that you pack the butter in small portions instead to avoid waste and make it easier to use. Even liquid cream can be stored in the freezer, as long as you take the time to whip it up beforehand. However, don’t imagine making a future whipped cream with a cream that has just thawed…
In the cheese department, freezing works especially for pressed cheeses: Cantal, Mimolette, Saint-Nectaire… Just put them in a freezer bag and squeeze out the air. You can also choose to grate it in the freezer to your liking. For reasons of textures changed by the cold, it is better not to try the fresh cheese experiment. Camembert and Époisses become mealy when placed in the freezer…
choux pastry
Have you started making your first puffs? cheer! You’ve probably followed the proportions of a great chef’s recipe…and you end up with a mountain of raw dough! Don’t panic, know that the preparation freezes very well. It’s just a matter of putting it in a freezer bag and pushing the air out. You pass it in the fridge so that it thaws gently the day before mounting the next coals. Another trick is to train the cabbage and freeze it immediately, then peel it and put it in a freezer bag.
(ETX Daily Up)