Leftover box in the freezer ?

[Deleted User]

I was talking to an elderly neighbour the other day who told me that she never throws food away and that any leftovers go into a box in her freezer. When it's full, she puts the contents in a pan, adds stock and boils it up into a soup, which she reckons is delicious.

I hate wasting food but I don't want to eat all the leftovers - this is how I'm 2 stone overweight!

Has anyone done this? I was wondering - are there are guidelines? Can literally anything go in there ? Anything best to avoid? Time limits?

(Sorry if this is an obvious question - for all I know, you may all be doing this already !)

Thanks

Farway

I have not done it, but I do ignore "use by dates" on tins, jars etc, often by a couple of years

If it is frozen it & assumed cooked

it will be fine, may not have same taste / texture as when first frozen, but not poison

fairy_lights

You could end up with a very strange mix of flavours if all your left overs got mixed together like that. Imagine cauliflower cheese mixed with sweet and sour chicken mixed with pizza. The soup would have an unusual consistency too, I'd imagine.
Unless it's vegetable leftovers and peelings she uses for the soup, which might make more sense.

BJV

I would be careful with meat which was frozen and then cooked, as far as I know you should never refreeze.

jackyann

I have "stock drawer". Anything that can go into stock - washed onion peelings, tough outer celery stalks, parsley stalks, soft carrot, bones, chicken / pheasant / rabbit carcasses, and very occasionally the odd bit of left-over meat.
When there is enough, i make stock, and freeze in plastic bags in the drawer. As they get used up, it fills up again.

Grouchy

Never done this, would take up valuable space in freezer (depending on the type of food you eat/left overs might cause a weird box of items all mixed together). I tend to freeze items individually for future use. Left over items from a meal don't happen often in this house, I tend to cook just enough to satisfy rather than overfill plates - can always have a healthy snack later in the evening if still hungry.

Instead a couple of times a week I go through the fridges (I don't eat meat so what is left in small portions and/or needs using is veg) and anything that needs using up goes to make a bit pot of soup. Generally got a big pot of soup on the go and on the whole I waste very little.

rosie383

jackyann wrote: »

I have "stock drawer". Anything that can go into stock - washed onion peelings, tough outer celery stalks, parsley stalks, soft carrot, bones, chicken / pheasant / rabbit carcasses, and very occasionally the odd bit of left-over meat.
When there is enough, i make stock, and freeze in plastic bags in the drawer. As they get used up, it fills up again.

This sounds like a better idea. I may use it. Thank you.

RAS

Mel Bartholomew recommends that rather than leaving small quantities of stuff (he was mainily on veggies) to fester, cook them.

Have a few small boxes in the freezer and a few favoured recipes, say soup, fried rice or a curry or a potato topped pie.

So all the tomato and herbs go in one box say, another is used for sweetcorn, peas and carrots and another for root veggies.

When full, you then have the makings of a root veggie soup, fried rice or a a potato pie over white or cheese sauce (with meat or fish if you like) and either a pasta sauce or another soup base.

THIRZAH

I think there's something about freezing leftovers like that in The Tightwad Gazette. Since there's only two of us at home now we don't have many leftovers so I've not tried it.

Mojisola

BJV wrote: »

I would be careful with meat which was frozen and then cooked, as far as I know you should never refreeze.

There's no problem freezing meat which has been defrosted and then cooked. What you shouldn't do is defrost and then refreeze.

krlyr

Mojisola wrote: »

There's no problem freezing meat which has been defrosted and then cooked. What you shouldn't do is defrost and then refreeze.

As above. I often batch-cook things like bolognese, pulled pork, etc. and freeze into individual/two portions ready to ping in the microwave