Foods you should never put in the freezer are those that can have their quality and safety be affected by the temperature. Freezing foods is a common method used to preserve many perishable items, but not all foods respond well to this technique. Some foods can experience changes which can make them less enjoyable or even unsafe to consume after thawing. To maximize the freshness and quality of your stored foods, it is important to understand which foods to keep out of the freezer.
20 Foods to Keep Out of the Freezer
1. Raw Eggs
There are a number of problems with putting eggs in the freezer. First, since liquid expands when frozen, a raw, uncracked egg would break and explode, probably creating a mess.
If you first crack the egg before freezing it, then the yolk and egg white will freeze separately making it hard to mix them back together later. Instead, it is recommended to either beat your raw egg together before freezing, or take the time to cook them first, as frozen cooked egg saves well and can be reheated without issue.
2. Lettuce
Lettuce should not be put into the freezer because the thawed result will be an undesirable texture. Since lettuce is mostly water, freezing it disrupts the cell structure.
The water expands and causes the lettuce to lose much of its natural crunch, leaving a mushy, soggy consistency upon thawing. Even if properly defrosted, previously frozen lettuce will retain a slimy sheen that is anything but appetizing.
3. Cucumber
Similar to lettuce, cucumbers are 90% water and should not be put in the freezer. When frozen, cucumbers lose a lot of their crunch and can get quite mushy. Plus, like lettuce, they tend to be slimy after defrosting.
There aren’t really any tips or tricks for saving cucumbers from freezer fate, so it is recommended to keep this vegetable in the fridge and only buy what you can consume before it goes bad.
4. Avocado
It can be annoying to buy avocados only for them to ripen on the wrong day. While you can stick an avocado in the fridge to keep it fresh a little bit longer, it isn’t recommended to put this vegetable in the freezer. Avocados should not be put in the freezer because the texture and flavor can be negatively affected.
Avocados get brown when thawed, especially when they’ve been deep frozen. If that weren’t enough, they will get mushy and grainy, completely ruining the smooth texture and creamy taste most people enjoy when they think of eating avocado.
Although avocados can’t go in the freezer, many grocery store guacamoles can stand up to the arctic temperatures. But they will still turn brown when defrosted, so be prepared.
5. Coffee
We aren’t sure where this rumor came from, but coffee grounds don’t stay fresh when they are kept in the freezer. In fact, the intense cold and moisture causes coffee to lose its flavor and freshness, ruining even the strongest coffee beans and resulting in a stale taste.
The good news is, coffee grounds have a long shelf life at room temperature. So, instead of freezing your supply, grab an airtight container designed for coffee to keep it in a cool, dark place.
6. Milk
Milk can get expensive, leading people to want to stock up and freeze it when there is a sale. Unfortunately, milk is one of those foods you should never put in the freezer because when frozen, the fat in milk separates from the water and develops a grainy texture.
Even when the frozen milk is defrosted, it never quite comes back together again, leaving you with clumpy and unappetizing milk. The exception to this is no-fat milk, which won’t have quite the same problem since there is little fat to separate in the first place.
7. Sour Cream
Sadly, sour cream suffers the same fate as milk when it comes to freezing and ends up a grainy, watery consistency when thawed. The cold temperatures pull the fat away from the water, and it’s impossible to mix them back together to that smooth, creamy texture later. While previously frozen sour cream can be used in recipes, it won’t look very nice and the flavor can also be affected, making it less appealing.
8. Raw Potatoes
Raw potatoes should never be put in the freezer because the cold environment will change the consistency and can cause them to become too sweet. The water inside the potatoes forms ice crystals that makes them end up mushy, soft, and ultimately inedible when thawed. Additionally, freezing raw potatoes will convert the starch to sugar and potentially form dark spots as well.
If you really must save some about-to-go-bad potatoes, chop them up, boil them, and freeze them after letting them cool. Once they are cooked, whether that is in French fries or just boiled, they are fine to keep in the freezer.
9. Canned Food
Canned food is meant to last a long time on its own, without freezing. Even when you might think it would do better in there, putting canned food in the freezer is a bad idea.
There are high levels of water in canned foods, which freezes and expands in the cold environment. The expansion can cause the can to rupture or crack, potentially leading to spoilage, a mess, and or even a risk of contamination. At the very least, freezing canned foods could cause the metal to warp, making it difficult to open.
For canned food that is about to go bad, you can remove the contents of the can and place them in a plastic bag for freezing. But if they’ve been around that long, you should likely just throw them away.
10. Previously Defrosted Meat
Saving raw meat that’s about to turn by putting it in the freezer is fine, but raw meat has a limit of one time freezing. You should not put previously defrosted meat back in the freezer because it increases the risk of bacterial growth and can lead to foodborne illnesses. Thus, if you’ve already frozen and defrosted the meat but didn’t cook it, it needs to be thrown away.
Every time meat is thawed and refrozen, the meat loses more and more of its moisture. Of course, some of this reabsorbs when it defrosts, but it is still never quite as juicy fresh.
Freezing the meat a second time is sure to render it dry and tough with a less desirable texture and flavor. If you’re looking at a raw steak that you pulled out for dinner that you now can’t refreeze, cook it first and then refreeze it, as the cooking process seals in some of the juices.
11. Mayonnaise or Mayonnaise-Based Salads
Putting mayonnaise or mayonnaise-based salads in the freezer is a bad idea because the results are an unappetizing texture when thawed. Mayonnaise is mostly made of eggs, one of the other foods you shouldn’t put in the freezer, and the remainder is fat.
When frozen, the fat in the mayo separates and expands, and like many other items on this list, it never quite goes back together. Mayo is relatively shelf-stable when unopened, however, so only buy what you can use and don’t open it until you’re ready.
Similarly, mayo-based salads will also be compromised in the same way. So, it’s best to only make the amount of tuna or egg salad that you can eat in one sitting.
12. Cashew-Based Products
Cashew-based products don’t do well in the freezer because the fats separate and become grainy. Before putting a leftover cashew-based, vegan item in the freezer, check the ingredients. Products with cashew dairy high on the list should be kept only in the fridge and tossed out when they go bad.
Some Common Cashew-Based Products
- Cashew milk
- Cashew cheese
- Cashew butter
- Cashew cream
- Cashew sauces
13. Watermelon
Watermelon is a delicious summer treat that should never be put in the freezer because the extreme cold temperature will alter the fruit’s flavor and texture. The high water content in the watermelon expands, causing the melon to split, and can likely lead to a mess in your freezer.
Frozen watermelon loses a lot of its flavor and crunch during the freezing process—leaving you with a less sweet and refreshing, soggy, inferior product. Instead of stocking up on watermelon and freezing the rest, it is recommended to only buy what you can eat when it’s available.
14. Onion Rings
While there are specific pre-frozen onion rings that you can take home in bags and fry, you should never attempt to freeze leftover or homemade onion rings as the texture completely changes. Freezing onion rings will cause the batter coating to get soggy, and they will lose their crispness.
One of the things that make store-bought frozen onion rings so delicious is the flash-freezing process, and you won’t be able to emulate the same process at home. As a result, when you pull your onion rings out of the freezer to thaw and reheat, they’ll be mushy and less flavorful, and you probably won’t want to eat them.
15. Bottled Beverages
Bottled beverages should not be put in the freezer because the liquid will expand and cause the bottle to crack or burst. This is especially dangerous when the liquid is in glass bottles.
Freezing bottled beverages can also alter the taste and carbonation, making the drink less enjoyable when thawed. Although carbonated bottled beverages should never be frozen, it is okay to freeze plastic water bottles as long as you open them and drink a bit first to make room for them to expand.
16. Non-Fresh Spices
There are a few fresh spices that do okay in the freezer, but many of the cabinet non-fresh staples will lose their potency and flavor when frozen. The cold and moisture from freezing non-fresh spices causes them to clump together, and the spices can become rancid from the condensation and fluctuating temperatures of freezing and thawing.
These spices have an amazing shelf life at room temperature, however, so there is no need to feel like you need to toss them in the freezer. Instead, invest in some nice air-tight containers to keep them fresh and protected on your counter.
Non-Fresh Spices Not to Put in the Freezer
- Pepper
- Ground cinnamon
- Paprika
- Cloves
- Chili powder
- Ground cumin
- Ground turmeric
17. Cream-Based Sauces
Everyone loves a thick white gravy or a creamy alfredo sauce, except for your freezer. These sauces are both milk/cream based and have high-fat content, leading to separation when stored in the freezer.
While you can try to defrost these sauces to bring them back to their former glory, they will never be the same once they’ve been frozen. The thawed result will be grainy and curdled, so it’s better to just make what you can eat in a sitting or two.
18. Frosting
Frosting or meringue will lose their texture and structure if frozen. Ready-made frosting is made with buttercream and eggs, and the sugar and fat will separate and become grainy or oily once thawed.
Meringue is a light and airy, high-egg-based frosting that will become more dense and rubbery after freezing and thawing due to the change in moisture. For those who really worry about their frosting spoiling, consider purchasing the shelf stable variety and only opening the can when you’re ready to use it.
19. Grapes
Grapes are a bit unique in that it is fine to keep them in the freezer—as long as you plan to eat them frozen. But, once defrosted, grapes get soggy, mushy, and unappetizing. So, when tossing grapes in your freezer for a smoothie or as a summer treat, only put in the grapes you plan to consume while frozen.
20. Rice Milk/Rice Pudding
Freezing rice milk or rice pudding will change their texture and flavor. Rice milk often contains small bits of rice, which separate from the rest of the milk when frozen.
Thawed rice milk can develop a grainy texture and lose its smooth consistency. While you might still be able to use the rice milk for cooking, it is recommended to just keep this product out of your freezer in the first place since it is so shelf-stable at room temperature.
Rice pudding will become watery and lose the rice grains original texture upon thawing. Like rice milk, it never mixes back together, so it’s better to only make an amount you know you can eat before it goes bad.
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