Freezer meals: what to buy frozen and what to freeze yourself

Buy it frozen

Here are a few of our favourite foods to buy already frozen:

Prawns

Race home from the shops to ensure your prawns say thoroughly frozen and at their best. Most prawns are snap frozen onboard the boats they’re caught on to ensure they stay at their best, so it makes sense to buy them in this state, ready for when you need to use them. Perfect for adding to a stir-fry or salad, this a great freezer-filler that will make getting dinner organised a cinch.

Creamy Garlic Prawns

Peas

While some veggies don’t hold up very well to freezing, luckily peas are just as good frozen as they are fresh. Try baby peas for added sweetness, or minted peas for a fresh take that is perfect to pair with new season lamb.

Puff pastry

While shortcrust pastry is easy to make from scratch, puff pastry is notoriously labour intensive and best bought frozen and ready to use. Try buying an all-butter variety that will give you that irresistible flakiness, together with a rich flavour that doesn’t leave any residual greasiness in your mouth.

Berries

If you don’t have your own berry patch, or your supplies don’t stretch throughout the year, never fear. Frozen berries are cheap, easy and come in a number of flavour combinations to see you through even the chilliest months. Best of all, you can add them to your cooking from frozen to save time and ensure they keep their shape.

Freeze it yourself

Make the most of your freezer by packaging up these items and adding them yourself:

Butter and margarine

If you notice your favourite cultured butter on sale, make sure you stock up and keep some in the freezer for another day. Butter and margarine will keep for 3 months.
Flavoured butters are a great way to add extra flavour to almost anything, sweet or savoury, here are some buttery flavours you can always have on hand to complete a meal:

Grated cheese

If you have an excess of grated cheese, save some for another day by adding it to the freezer. Grated cheese will last for up to 4 months, and best of all, there’s no need to defrost before adding it to your dish.

Use your excess cheese in everything from pasta bakes to pastries, here are few recipe ideas the whole family will love:

Sliced bread

Never run out of toast in the mornings by adding sliced bread straight from the freezer to the toaster. Frozen bread will last up to 3 months.

Shortcrust pastry

Next time you need to make a pie or tart, make up a double batch of pastry and add half to the freezer. Defrost your pastry in the freezer before using and keep for up to 4 months.

Green vegetables

Make your summer crops last longer by par boiling them and adding them to the freezer. Simply add peas, beans, asparagus or broccoli to a pan of rapidly boiling salted water. Boil for 30 seconds, then drain and refresh in iced water. Drain them again, then freeze and use as desired for up to 3 months.