Can I Freeze It? Food Freezing Guide for Tricky Dairy Foods

We're all trying to save money and not waste food. One way to do that is to freeze extra food. You may have cooked too much food, or maybe you won't have time to use a fresh food before it expires. There are some foods you can safely freeze, and not fret about tossing money down the drain. Some foods freeze better than others, and some should never be frozen.

Eggs

You bought too many eggs during the last sale and you're tired of hard boiled ones. You can freeze eggs, just not in their shells. Crack them open and save just the whites which will freeze safely for up to 12 months according to the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. To freeze the yolks with the whites you need to beat them together first since yolks do not freeze well.

Ricotta cheese

Ricotta cheese is one of those items that is pricey when it's not on sale even if you have a manufacturer or store brand coupon. When a good sale comes, you may be tempted to stock up. If you don't mind a changed texture, you can freeze ricotta cheese for up to two months. "If you freeze it, we suggest thawing it in the refrigerator. After thawing, you may find some liquid on top of the cheese. Just stir that liquid back into the cheese" according to Sargento.

Cheese

Sliced deli cheese does not freeze as well as shredded cheeses. Cheese crumbles more after being frozen. You can freeze cheese but you may want to stick with freezing cheeses that will be baked or melted. The freezer shelf life for cheese (hard or soft) is six months according to the National Center for Food Preservation.

Canned sweet rolls and biscuits

Coupon cutters find their binders cluttered with tons of coupons for these items. This alone should tell you that you will never be without a coupon for these refrigerated items because they seem to roll them out monthly. If you feel the need to buy more than you need, bake them and then freeze them. "freezing the unbaked dough can keep it from rising when you bake it." according to Pilsbury. Of course, for all the money you'll spend on these items, you could skip them and save up for a bread maker and treat your family to more wholesome baked goods.

Whipped Cream

Ultrapasteurized whipping cream should not be frozen and it will never whip up as stiff as cream that has never seen the inside of the freezer. Buy only what you need instead. You can freeze already made, sweetened whipped cream. On a piece of wax paper-lined cookie sheet, make dollops of individual servings of whipped cream and freeze recommends the National Center for Home Food Preservation. Once the cream is frozen solid, remove from the paper and store in an air-tight freezer container. Store for one to two months.

Sources

FDA Egg Storage Chart
National Center for Food Preservation
Personal Experience