I’m a supersaver… my top tips will fill your freezer and save you hundreds on groceries in the process
WITH costs spiralling it’s becoming more and more difficult to feed the whole family on a budget, and it often feels you’re left with a huge food shop bill but very little to show for it.
Which is why many of us are trying to shop smart, and why it’s so important to really utilise the freezer space you have, as it can save you hundreds.
This is because frozen food is often substantially cheaper than fresh, lasts longer and can be used in a whole host of affordable recipes.
Here, Birds Eye ambassador and food waste expert Kate Hall shares her top five freezer tips on how to save storage space, money, and time by making the most of your freezer.
Waste not, want not
You can actually save up to £720 a year just by using your freezer to its full potential.
Freeze leftover meat, fruit, vegetables, dairy and even cupboard goods like herbs and half eaten tinned food to avoid food waste.
For example, if you have leftover bags of salad that are about to go off, Kate – who posts on Instagram under the handle @TheFullFreezer – recommends making a salad leaf pesto.
Simply whizz the leaves with garlic, lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper, and pour the mixture into an ice cube tray.
You can also pre-grate cheese and freeze it too.
Flat pack food
Even if you have a tiny freezer space, there are ways to ensure you can fit way more than you think in there.
Kate says: “To help save space in your freezer, it’s a good idea to freeze liquids and sauces flat in biodegradable freezer bags.
“Make sure you label the bag so you know what’s inside and the date you froze it, and remember to freeze in usable portions as you cannot re-freeze any leftovers.
“Not only will this take up less space, but your sauces can be defrosted very quickly in the fridge, or reheated straight from frozen, to save space in the fridge!”
N-ice trick
Another way to save space is instead of freezing soup, make a soup puree instead, which can be again frozen into cubes to be used later.
Simply add the cooked roasted veg you’d like with a little stock, season and blend before freezing in an ice cube tray or flat in freezer bags.
Then, once you want to eat it, you simply add stock or water and heat thoroughly.
Kate says: “Always ensure your leftovers are cooled completely before putting them in the freezer.
“Freeze cooked foods in usable portions as they can only be defrosted and reheated once.”
Make space
We are also all guilty of forgetting what’s in the freezer, so it’s important to have a spring clean and take stock regularly.
Kate says: “If your freezer is packed full, now is the perfect time to make some space so you can put it to better use.
“By keeping your freezer about 75 per cent full will help it run more efficiently, making it potentially cheaper to run.
“Simply remove ice packs and excessive packaging, and storing items in biodegradable freezer bags labelled across the top enables you to create a ‘filing cabinet’ of food.
“I also make sure to any write cooking instructions on the freezer bags in marker too.
“If you have foods in your freezer that you know you’ll never eat, get them cleared out.”
Nab Yourself a Bargain
Frozen food is often cheaper than fresh, but you can also bag a bargain in the ‘reduced’ section of items nearing their sell-by date and freeze at home.
Kate says: “Have you ever checked out the reduced aisle in your supermarket?
“There are some great bargains to be had, and because almost everything can be frozen, you needn’t worry about things going off.”
Anita Naik, Savings Expert at VoucherCodes.co.uk adds: “Tinned and frozen foods not only last longer, but they are also cheaper than buying fresh, helping you to reduce your weekly supermarket bills while not compromising on eating the foods you want.
“For example, at Sainsbury’s a fresh piece of broccoli is priced at £2.30 per kg, whereas the frozen alternative is just £1.44 per kg.
“These types of savings can be found across a range of products such as fruits, pizzas, meats, and more.”
Fake-away feeling
Takeaways are expensive so instead of relying on take out, why not ensure you always have a fake-away option available in the freezer for yourself and your family.
Kate says: “Products from the likes of Birds Eye and Goodfella’s, for example, are super versatile, and you can easily please everyone with their vast variety of products and pizzas.
“Of course, you can also make your own meals from scratch but using pre-prepped frozen ingredients such as frozen sweetcorn, pre-cut mushrooms, peppers or red onions to help speed up you meal prep!”
Defrost like a boss
Finally, it’s one of those jobs we all hate – but defrosting the freezer is really important.
Kate says: “Excess ice in a freezer will stop it working as effectively and can make it more expensive to run.
“It also means you can’t store as much food.
“To speed up the process, switch your empty freezer off, remove all drawers except the bottom one (this can be left in to collect water and ice) and place bowls of hot water inside.
“Lay down towels around the base of your freezer, then shut the door and allow the hot water to work its magic for around fifteen minutes.
“Put some gloves on and use a plastic or wooden scraper (not a knife!) to remove the ice from your freezer. If necessary, repeat the hot water trick until your freezer is clear of all ice build-up.”