We love freezer hacks here at Expert Home Tips, and today we're sharing 14 of our favourites with you.
Discover foods you never knew you could freeze, why you should store batteries in the freezer, how to prevent freezer burn and much, much more.
Freezers are way more useful than you ever imagined! Find out why now...
1. Why you should freeze batteries
Batteries don't come cheap, and it's both frustrating and costly when they run out.
Keep your toys, remotes and other battery-powered items going for longer by storing your batteries...in the freezer.
That's right!
Most people don't know, but batteries begin to discharge (even when not in use) at room temperature. Storing batteries in the freezer can reduce their loss of power by up to 90%, so it's definitely worth doing.
2. Freeze mozzarella for grating
Mozzarella contains less than 3/4 the calories of other cheeses, such as cheddar and gruyere.
If you're trying to lose weight, or even just try something new, grated mozzarella could be just the thing for you.
Freeze a ball of mozzarella for about 30 minutes, and you'll be able to grate it easily and mess-free. It's perfect for a lighter pizza or sprinkling onto your favourite Italian dishes.
Mmm!
Get even more weight loss tips here.
3. Yoghurt pop
Our last freezer hack is definitely one of our favourites.
If you love ice cream and ice pops, but want to keep things healthy, why not try freezing your yoghurt pots?
All you need to do is place a lollipop stick into the yoghurt pot, then freeze. They make seriously tasty, healthy and nutritious treats - perfect for kids and adults alike.
4. Freezer hack to make crisps super tasty
Crips - who knew potatoes could be so tasty. The only downside of crisps (besides the calories, we mean) is that they can go stale.
Well, your crisp-prayers have been answered. Next time you open and don't finish a share bag of crisps (an unlikely thing in our home), pop them into the freezer. This will keep them crisp until you next fancy some.
5. Freeze wine
Not going to finish that bottle of red you opened at the weekend?
Don't let your wine go to waste. Instead, freeze it!
Pour your wine into an empty ice cube tray, and freeze. The wine ice cubes will come in handy for dishes that require a dash of red or white, and you won't have to buy a whole new bottle.
Wine ice cubes are also good for popping into wine in Summer. If you like Spritzers, white wine ice cubes can be used instead of ice to prevent dilution of your drink - delicious!
Check out our other unusual ways to use wine today for more great ideas.
6. Freeze water bottles in Summer
If you have kids, you may well have discovered this freezer hack already.
A cold drink really is like a dream come true on a hot Summer's day, especially after PE.
A great way to keep drinks cooler for longer if you don't have a fridge is to freeze the bottles. Take them out in the morning and pop them in your bag. They'll defrost slowly during the day, leaving you with an ice-cold beverage to sip on.
7. How to seal freezer bags
Resealable freezer bags are great. Second best are freezer clips. Don't have either?
No problem!
When we run out, we use binder clips. These are strong enough to keep even the fullest of packaged goods sealed.
TOP TIP: Bought a bag of frozen chicken breasts, battered cod or burgers? The packaging takes up so much unnecessary room in your freezer. Before freezing, take the items out from the packet and rebag them up in the portions required. You'll save so much space.
8. Freezer hack for bakers
Are you a fan of baking?
If, like us, you have a bit of a problem with portion control, freezing your dough for later could help.
When you bake, make a batch of dough, then bake only the cookies you intend to eat that day. Portion the others up, and freeze for later.
These can then be pulled out of the freezer and baked when you fancy a cheeky mid-week treat.
You can also freeze almond milk to add to recipes!
9. Clean your jeans in the freezer
Wow, this is certainly a new one for us!
Recently we blogged about how often you should wash clothes, and it came to light that many of us wash our jeans far too much.
If you want to make sure your jeans are clean, but don't want to ruin their texture or colour, your freezer could be the answer.
Place your folded jeans inside a clean plastic bag, and pop on a clean shelf in your freezer. The sub-zero temperature will kill germs and make them much fresher.
10. A freezer hack for those leftover herbs
We love cooking delicious, flavoursome meals here at Expert Home Tips, but one thing we don't love, is food waste.
If your recipe calls for lots of fresh herbs you know you might not use in the days to come, you can freeze them for later.
Use an ice cube tray and put some cut herbs into each section. Top with water, and freeze. They're great for throwing into soups, stews and other dishes to add a burst of authentic flavour.
11. This is why you should freeze candles
Freeze candles?! Yes, really!
Giving your candles a blast in the freezer overnight before lighting them will prolong their burn time.
This is particularly useful for long, thin candles, which aren't anywhere near as aesthetic when short.
Try this freezer hack before a party and keep the room lit all night long.
12. Can you freeze rice?
The answer? Yes, yes you can!
This is good news for all your stir-fries, side dishes and even salads.
Rice can take a while to cook, so having some on hang in the freezer will make getting delicious dinners on the table easy during the week.
Next time you're cooking rice, cook more than you need and portion and freeze the rest for a later date.
13. How to get thin, Chinese-style chicken
Have you ever noticed that, when you got to the Chinese or get a takeaway, the chicken is always very thin, very neat, and very...perfect?
Have you also ever tried to replicate this at home only to end up with irregular shapes? We have the answer - a freezer hack!
Use frozen chicken breasts for your stirfries. Take them out of the freezer to thaw, and slice them about 45minutes-hour into thaw time. The frozen texture of the meat will be much easier for your knife to slice through neatly, and won't lose its shape when you apply pressure.
14. Grape ice cubes are great for Summer
There's nothing worse than planning a refreshing glass of wine at the end of a long day, only to get home and find there's no wine on chill.
Grape icecubes are your best friend in such situations.
Next time you buy a bunch of grapes, throw some into a freezer bag and pop them into your freezer.
They'll chill your glass of wine in minutes without diluting it - genius! (They're also pretty tasty).
What freezer hack could you not live without? Tell us your favourite in the comments below!
You forgot to remind people to leave about 10% space by volume in bottle before freezing otherwise there is strong chance bottle will burst on freezing if FULL and with a screw cap tightly shut.
Hi Charles. Great tip - thanks for sharing! :)
Wow all new to me. So interesting thank you , I look forward to your tips
Hi Linda, I'm so glad you enjoyed our tips! I must admit, this article is one of my favourites :) Thanks for stopping by.
Usually get too many chips when ordering fish and chips from the fish and chip shop, so I freeze the surplus, reheat in oven, often better second time !!
Hi Anthea. Too many chips? I don't think that's possible! ;) This sounds like a good idea to us. Let us know how you get on. Thanks, Steph
If you're not going to use a whole loaf of sliced bread before its "best before" date, place two slices at a time into freezer bags and freeze them down, then when you want a sandwich, take out one or more of the frozen slices, pop them into the microwave on a lowish setting for about 30 seconds (or a higher settting for less time), take them out and, if not defrosted, turn them over and give them another 20 seconds or so. Check them from time to time if your unsure of timings, different sizes of slice will take slightly different times. Of course, if you dont't want to use the microwave, you can always leave them out to defrost but there is a risk that they may become too dry (in which case, you can always use them for toast).
Hi Donatello. Good to hear from you! This is another great tip. Personally, I find that, providing I don't squish my slice of bread when freezing, the slice come away easily. My mother actually used to make sandwiches up with frozen bread, which would help keep them fresh throughout the day. Thanks for stopping by :)
Slice bagels/muffins before freezing and you can toast them straight away without having to defrost them :)
Fab idea, Elaine!
Hi Steph, People are going to be confused. On one hand, we are being told to avoid re-heating rice as there is the possibility of 'arsenic poisoning' yet here you are advocating freezing. We regularly freeze rice but it is thoroughly heated through in the microwave but it could just as easily be done on the stove. I think you need to emphasize the need for THOROUGH HEATING THROUGHOUT.
Hi Charles! I would stand by both points. Re-heating rice is dangerous, but only depending on how rice is stored. As long as rice is cooled quickly - within 1 hour - and only kept in the fridge for 1 day, it will be safe. It can also be frozen and kept for longer. If left at room temperature, spores of Bacillus cereus could multiply. If eaten, this will result in food poisoning.
The freezer is good when you get chewing gum stuck on your clothing. Just pop the item in the freezer and wait until the gum goes hard to simply peel off.
I've done this before and it really works!
Wax on fabric... pop in freezer. Then easy to peel off.
Great idea, Linda!
I freeze nearly everything ! Freeze sponge cake scraps, when you get a bag size full, you can make cake pops or cake truffles freeze cakes, bread, rolls on a tray before putting them into plastic bags etc , this way you wont get the frosty ice particles from the moisture.
Great ideas! Thanks, Elkie!
If you've frozen the batteries, can they be used straight from the freezer?
You should let them thaw for between 4-8 hours before use. Make sure they are completely dry before using them too. You can store them inside of a plastic bag to keep them dry in the freezer.
I put a wet face cloth (not dripping wet!) In a plastic ziplock bag and freeze it to use when I have a headache or to put in your neck on a hot summer day.
That's a fantastic idea, Anita! I'll definitely be giving this a go. I always find that they warm up way too fast otherwise.
Freezing bottles of water and putting them in your bag for throughout the day not a good idea.It will defrost ,thus leaving your bag wet through.
Hi Paula! Yes, it will make your bag wet if you place it inside like this. I always keep mine in a plastic bag anyway to prevent leaks and spills. You could also get a lunch bag to keep it even more insulated.
In the hot summers, I freeze my hot water bottles with only a small amount of water in, and pop them into my kids beds to help them have a nicer nights sleep!
That's such a fab idea, Carrie!
Great tips, thanks. If i have cereal/drink milk, I always put in the freezer for around 30 mins to ensure it's ice cold. Same for protein shakes. Keep the tips coming.
Thanks for sharing!
I have always frozen cooked rice (and pasta). When defrosted and well heated it contains fewer calories and excellent for diabetics who are watching their carbohydrate intake.
Freezing cooked rice or pasta does not reduce the calories. Still, reheating can alter their texture and slow the release of carbohydrates, which can benefit people with diabetes. Be sure to safely handle frozen and reheated rice and pasta and incorporate them into a well-balanced diet to manage diabetes and overall health.
I like a slice of lemon in my cup of tea, rather than milk; so I slice a whole lemon, open-freeze the slices, then bag them up once frozen and keep them in the freezer. Yes it will cool the tea slightly, but this is good from my viewpoint; I can't drink anything very hot, so it means I don't have to wait ages for my tea to cool enough for me to drink it. Frozen lemon slices like this are also good if you like a vodka & lemonade or a gin & tonic now and then.
Great idea! Freezing lemon slices is a convenient way to preserve freshness and have them on hand whenever needed. It can also help cool down the temperature of tea or other beverages.
I always buy cheese blocks when they are on offer and then I grate one block and keep in in freezer.So easy when making pizzas etc.I hate having to grate bits for recipes.
That's a fantastic idea!
I buy root ginger, peel it, cut it into cubes and freeze it. The next time I need to use some, I pop a cube of ginger out of the freezer and grate it. Not only is it less stringy this way but it also grates a lot easier, and it still keeps its flavour. But the best part is, you don't have to thaw it out!
That sounds fantastic!
Want smithies every day but keep running out of bananas and Fat free Greek yogurt. I slice my bananas on a tray and freeze. Once frozen I put them into a zip lock bag for storage in the freezer. The fat free greek yogurt I freeze that in ice cube trays then transfer to zip lock bag when frozen. Nothing goes to waste plus its great to blitz when frozen for a cold smoothies.
That's a fantastic idea!
Chewing gum urge! Chewing gum on clothing is a nightmare but freeze the clothing item and it picks right off easily.
Great tip!
Some fabulous freezer tips thanks everyone.
You're welcome, Nancy!
Thanks for sharing these freezer hack's, some of these will definitely come in handy. Especially the one regarding freezing jeans. I seem to wash them just after one day of wearing, even though they look clean. I'm definitely trying this 🙏
We hope it helps!
Absolutely loving all of your tips very intereresting. Looking forward to seeing more.
We're glad to hear that, Carol!
Freezing milkk (the plastic bottle kind!). I have done this for many years and it is useful when you can't get to the shops. Defrost in microwave or in water in sink.
Great idea! When frozen, milk may develop ice crystals and have a different texture when thawed. It's not recommended to defrost frozen milk in the microwave, as it can cause the milk to heat unevenly, which can lead to bacteria growth. Defrosting frozen milk in water in the sink is safe, but it will take some time.