Don’t Freeze This
The freezer can make your life a lot easier and more efficient, but there are also a few things you need to pay attention to when freezing food. Do you always put everything in the freezer? Then take note. You absolutely must not freeze these things.
Do not freeze these products
Raw or cooked potatoes
In theory, you could, but your raw and cooked potatoes will not become tastier from spending time in the freezer. A potato consists of 80 percent water. When a potato freezes, the water separates from the starch granules and other nutrients. After thawing, your potato has completely lost both its flavor and texture. Fried potatoes or mashed-potato dishes are fine, though.
Foods with a high water content
What applies to potatoes actually applies to all foods with a high water content. Think of many types of fruit: apples, pears, kiwis or grapes. And lettuce, cucumber and tomatoes too: don’t even try. Unless you want to use them in a smoothie, in which case freezing is no problem at all.
Low-fat dairy products
Products such as milk, buttermilk and yogurt change in texture when frozen. They start to ferment and flakes form in your dairy products. If you still want to use the products for cooking, you can. As for hard cheeses, freezing will not improve their texture. What you can do is grate your block of cheese and then freeze it in a bread bag. This way, it is still perfectly suitable for use in hot dishes.
Eggs
Egg yolk expands in the freezer, causing too much pressure on the shell and making your egg burst. Don’t try it with a boiled egg either, or with egg-based products such as mayonnaise or hollandaise sauce. Raw egg whites can be frozen, though; just seal them well in a Tupperware container or sandwich bag.
Fresh herbs
Not all types of fresh herbs are suitable for freezing. Absolutely do not do it with chamomile, bay leaf, mint, oregano, rosemary and thyme. First, these herbs do not retain their flavor in the freezer, but you will also see that their texture becomes brown and mushy. Have leftover herbs after cooking and no idea what to do with them? Here’s what to do with your leftover herbs.
Deep-fried food
The correct order is: freeze first, then deep-fry. Throwing bitterballen into the freezer after frying them and then frying them again will make no one happy. The only result you will get is a greasy, soggy bite.
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