Good foods to freeze and how long you can keep them in the freezer

The average household throws away 1.96kg of food per day which risks adding up to a staggering £720 a year spent on food waste. 

With the cost of living crisis continuing to cause a strain on purse strings, many of us are looking for creative ways to cut down our spending.

5 ways to save on your weekly food shop

One useful method is to start freezing more fruit, vegetables and dairy products, according to Richard Price, Director of online supermarket Britsuperstore.

The expert has collated a list of key essential groceries that can be frozen and used later.

What foods can you freeze and how long you can freeze them?

Mr Price suggests freezing both cooked and uncooked potatoes to help extend their shelf life.

You can freeze potatoes for up to 10-12 months but you should make sure that cooked potatoes have cooled down before putting them in the freezer.

Whole potatoes need to be thawed before cooking, mashed and roast potatoes don’t require defrosting; you can simply cook them straight from frozen when you need them. 

Meanwhile, Carrots, Mushrooms and Broccoli can be frozen for up to 8-12 months.

Mr Price recommends buying a block of cheese, grating it and storing it in a ziplock bag in the freezer (rather than buying it pre-grated)

Cheese can be frozen for six to nine months.

Foods that can be frozen for up to six months include milk, tomatoes, cooked rice and bananas.

Finally, bread can be frozen for up to 4-6 months and cooked pasta can be stored in the freezer for 3 months.

What foods can you not put in the freezer?

These are the food products that you should not put in the freezer, according to the Britsuperstore Director.

1. Basil, chives and parsley
2. Yoghurt and sour cream
3. Soft cheese, cream cheese, cottage cheese
4. Mayonaise
5. Lettuce

These are the products that should not be stored in a freezer. ( Getty Images) (Image: Getty Images)

Top tips for freezing food

These are the top tips you should follow before putting any food products in your freezer:

1. Make sure the food reaches room temperature before freezing
2. Never refreeze meat that has been frozen and thawed before
3. Try to freeze the food at its freshest, either when it was just bought or just cooked
4. Make sure that the freezer isn’t full so that air can circulate

“Throwing away food after it expires doesn’t just waste money but can also harm the environment," Mr Price commented.

"The excess food ends up in landfills, which can harm the environment as it begins to rot producing methane, a more powerful greenhouse gas than CO2.

"On average, the UK throws away 9.5 million tonnes of food waste annually.

"However, by freezing these essential food products, you can extend their shelf life by a year, depending on the item.