When physical distancing, it’s important to cut down on how often you go to the supermarket. But if you should only go food shopping once every 1 to 2 weeks, how can you stay stocked up on milk, fruit and other foods that have a short shelf life?
Freeze them.
Did you know that almost all foods can be safely frozen right up until their ‘use by’ date?
That includes:
- yoghurt
- cheese (except soft cheeses - freezing changes its texture)
- milk
- meat
- fish
- eggs (crack raw eggs into a plastic container and beat them before freezing, or peel and freeze boiled eggs)
- bananas (just peel and wrap them or place in an airtight container before freezing
cakes, biscuits and other baked goods - rice
- bread
- fruit and vegetables
- tofu
Foods with a high water content, like strawberries, tomatoes and tofu, will turn squishy when defrosted, but it’s fine to cook with them.
Just make sure you put all food in an airtight container or freezer bags before freezing, and defrost them in the fridge once you’re ready to use them.
Don’t refreeze raw meat or fish once it’s defrosted, but you can refreeze them if you cook them after defrosting.
This rule only counts for meat and fish. All other frozen raw foods should be defrosted, stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours and then cooked or thrown away.
