What thrifty treasures have you saved in the freezer today?

catznine

:hello: Hi!

I have recently started to freeze away even the smallest amount of leftovers for a treat later on. I realise that I could do better so wondered what you all put into your freezers?

Not your normal shopping but those extras - freebies, left overs, very very cheap priced bargains.

Yesterday I froze:-

some bread crusts (to make breadcrumbs later as a topping)

1/2 a tomato (in the soup freezer fairy)

a handful of cooked runner beans (also in the freezer fairy)

Some ends of celery (to go into a stock later on)

This may seem mean to some but I am determined to cut down on what we throw into the bin and also this might mean a few little treats later on.

I would be lost without the freezer! but I do want it to earn its keep!

Olliebeak

We a Chicken and Mixed Bean Casserole yesterday.

I overdid it on the mixed beans due to using the remains of a packet to soak. Consequently there's lots of beans, chopped mixed peppers, onions and a tomato/chicken stock based sauce. This has been chilled overnight and will go in the freezer but I'm not sure what it'll become. May just warm it up and serve over a jacket potato for lunches one day .

I also have a large resealable bag in the freezer that gets to be home to veg peelings. Eventually those go into soup/stews/casseroles. Another bag is temporary home to chicken bones/carcasses.

WASTE NOT - WANT NOT!

catznine

I love the idea of a bag in the freezer for veg peelings! I have made soup from well scrubbed veg peel before, cooked, seasoned and blended it made a very tasty soup!:T

ubamother

two pieces of unbuttered toast that my son put in the toaster and then forgot and they went all cold and hard (he's 9 and learning!) - they'll do for breadcrumbs
a load of beans I soaked last night and cooked this morning (I'm an early riser!).

And OP it's definitely not mean - not only are you spending less by using more, you are reducing/reusing AND by keeping your freezer fuller it runs more economically (or so the story goes anyway!). So as well as having good things in your freezer, you have gained the moral high ground, and the view is always better from the moral high ground!!

thriftlady_2

I put some marzipan (not homemade) that I bought for a birthday cake last September in the freezer. I cut it into small dice first, I ended up with a handful.

I pulled it out to add to a greengage crumble I made my mum for her birthday a couple of weeks ago. Some got blitzed in the food processor with the crumble mix and the rest was mixed up with the fruit. A great success.

Maitane

I batch cooked for most of yesterday (around interviews) so my freezer reveals the true extent of my nerdy, almost OCD behaviour. Rows of silver foil trays and plastic trays, labelled and stacked. It's like, organised, cold to the touch heaven. :rotfl:

Lamb casserole, sausage and pearl barley casserole, chinese chicken curry with coconut milk, ham and lentil soup, carrot and coriander soup, meatballs in tomato sauce, fish pie and the inevitable bag of peelings for stock.

It's been great for my OH (and ego) and my last batch during the month went down a treat. Instead of whining there's nothing in and going to KFC, there's now a tonne of stuff he can just heat in a pan.

Sometimes he takes stuff to work as well so at least I know he's not going to the Spar or Deli in Bala and buying his own body weight in pork pies, crisps and cheese :rolleyes:. Very MSE.
Plus he likes the jealousy he gets from his colleagues when he opens up the little brown bag I pack for him (the first time, they took the mickey out of the cute little brown bag!).

I've also taken to freezing bread for crumbs, do you guys defrost it before grating it? I've got quite a lot so I was going to be lazy and use my food processor.

catznine

thriftlady wrote: »

I put some marzipan (not homemade) that I bought for a birthday cake last September in the freezer. I cut it into small dice first, I ended up with a handful.

I pulled it out to add to a greengage crumble I made my mum for her birthday a couple of weeks ago. Some got blitzed in the food processor with the crumble mix and the rest was mixed up with the fruit. A great success.

Oh how I wish I had thought of that! Just sorted out the larder and found a solid hard (could break the floor tiles:rotfl:) lump of old marzipan at the back! Unfortunately it went into the bin on Monday! A bag of diced marzipan in the freezer would be so useful as we love a little bit of marzipan on top of slow cooked mincemeat stuffed baked apples!

Good idea about the cold toast! Rarely happens here though! We love our toast and cuppas!

catznine

Maitane wrote: »

I've also taken to freezing bread for crumbs, do you guys defrost it before grating it? I've got quite a lot so I was going to be lazy and use my food processor.

I use the food processor! Often while bread is frozen if I have been in a hurry!

freebiequennie

A serving spoon of chicken curry went in a freezer bag and next time we make a chicken curry it will get thrown in with that and see whats left after that.

studying (well this is informative work!!!) at home today and am making a spag bol so the bolgnese will be so bulked out will make enough for dinner tonight, 2 more meals for both of us and 3 lunches for me - best tidy (sounds very sad) the freezer to make room!!

rosieben

I had more tomatoes than I would use (free from my dsis) so I roasted some with chopped onion and garlic, blitzed with my stick blender when cooled and result = several portions of scrummy pizza topping in the freezer!

I really need to do a check on whats in my freezer, I know I have some bananas in there - somewhere :cool:

cyclingyorkie

blackberries - cooked either on their own or with some apples......autumn puddings will be fab...and a doddle!