It’s not a food associated with the freezer but the internet knows better. Slices of frozen avocado sprinkled with chilli and salt are delicious – they go from chilled to refreshing to creamy as they warm up in your mouth. Most stores stock ready-sliced frozen avocado now, or you can go one step further and try making your own avocado ice cream.
One scientific study found that the vitamin C content in fresh broccoli diminished by 50% in a week but only by 10% in a year when frozen. The downside? According to a report published in the Journal of Food Science, the active compound sulforaphane is destroyed. However, research shows that pairing frozen broccoli with another sulforaphane-rich vegetable will counteract this problem, so when you’re making this pork stir-fry include some horseradish, mustard or cauliflower.
Whether you freeze them yourself or pick up a pre-prepared bag, you'll find frozen bananas are an indispensable addition to your freezer. They're brilliant whizzed up in a smoothie – simultaneously adding flavour and chilling the drink – or made into a healthy dairy-free ice cream. A whole peeled banana on a stick also makes a fruity, creamy ice lolly; dip in chocolate sauce and sprinkles or peanut butter for some extra indulgence.
While there are many benefits to eating fresh fruit and vegetables, freezing can preserve flavour and nutrients in fresh produce that would otherwise start to deteriorate shortly after picking. Blueberries freeze particularly well and because they're a seasonal fruit buying frozen means you can eat them year round. Use frozen blueberries in smoothies, sprinkle on porridge, bircher muesli or yoghurt, and use in crumbles, muffins, pastries and pies.
Broad beans (also known as fava beans) freeze particularly well. Whether they taste as good as fresh is a matter of opinion – some critics believe frozen broad beans lose some flavour – but they do retain their nutritional value outside of their short growing season. Try them in the likes of this courgette, broad bean and pea quiche.
Commercially caught fish is flash frozen on board the boat shortly after being caught to retain nutrients, kill parasites and make it last longer. Because of this method, frozen fish is regarded as one of the best frozen foods available in terms of quality. Oily fish such as salmon and tuna particularly benefit from this process, as white fish can dry out a little, though a saucy recipe such as this fish pie should remedy that. Avoid frozen fish that has freezer burn as this can affect the taste.
Freezing herbs can affect the texture, but if they're frozen properly the flavour isn't affected. Dry freeze coarse herbs such as rosemary and thyme by removing the stalks and keeping in an airtight plastic bag – these retain much of their freshness when defrosted. Softer herbs, meanwhile, benefit from being chopped then frozen as ice cubes with either water or oil – use in risottos, pies and stews.
Mangoes and other exotic fruit such as pineapple and kiwi cope well with being frozen. They can often be found in the freezer aisle and are ideal for smoothies, pies and ice cream. Alternatively, sprinkle with lime juice and chew chunks of frozen fruit – they make refreshing ‘fruit cubes’ on a hot day. If you’re freezing at home, chop, pat-dry, cover with plastic wrap and flash freeze on a baking tray so the pieces don’t stick together then transfer to an airtight freezer bag.
When it comes to convenience, frozen pastry is definitely an easier option than homemade. This is especially true of puff pastry, which is notoriously tricky and time-consuming to prepare. Allow frozen pastry to defrost in the fridge overnight – if you defrost it a room temperature keep on eye on it as it goes soggy if warm and is harder to work with. Once thawed unfold gently; if the pastry starts to crack it needs more time. Try using it in these tomato and pesto tarts.
Peas are arguably the most successful and ubiquitous frozen food ever. They’re flash frozen soon after being picked, so maintain their nutritional value. As their natural sugars don’t have time to turn to starch while they may have less bite than fresh ones they’ll pop in your mouth, releasing a lovely sweetness. Peas are a brilliant vegetable to add to pretty much any savoury dish from pies and risottos to this chicken dish with leeks and basil.
Although prawns only have a freezer life of about three months they make an indispensable addition to the freezer. Prawns don’t take long to defrost (use cold water for this and keep them in the bag during thawing) and are a very versatile ingredient – try them in this pasta dish with leeks and chilli. Drain any liquid away before using and be aware they’ll weigh less after defrosting. Never re-freeze uncooked prawns.
Treat raspberries as you would blueberries and add the frozen fruit to smoothies, muesli and yoghurt and crumbles. They may be a little squidgy after thawing but the taste won't be compromised. Try them in this gorgeous recipe for berries with white chocolate sauce or muddle them into your favourite cocktail.
Soybeans or edamame beans (immature soybeans) have become a freezer must-have. You'll find them ready shelled, or in pods to pop open after being steamed and salted. Try adding them straight from frozen to dishes such as this Vietnamese-style omelette.
Mix up chopped ginger, chilli and garlic into individual pots and freeze for when you’re cooking a curry or stew that requires an aromatic base. While this method doesn’t result in exactly the same outcome as using fresh ingredients, the flavours aren't compromised and it means you always have the essentials to hand.
Because of its high water content, spinach isn’t always regarded as a good vegetable to freeze. However, a bag of frozen spinach is a useful thing indeed, ideal for using in smoothies and juices and dishes such as soups, or stirred into pies or taco fillings. The secret is to ensure it's fully defrosted and drained so it’s not waterlogged. Even this cheat’s gnocchi uses frozen spinach.
It’s easy to buy frozen peach slices and peach puree, or you can make your own. Very little flavour is lost in the freezing process, though the texture may be a little different; in fact, some cooks argue that once defrosted they’re juicier than their fresh counterparts, and cheaper when stone fruits aren’t in season.
Although a study conducted at the University of Chester, England, found that fresh sweetcorn is slightly more nutritious than frozen, it’s still a winning vegetable for the freezer as many nutrients are maintained. Corn on the cob and packets of sweetcorn kernels can both be found in the frozen aisle – this curry recipe is an innovative way to use frozen kernels.
One way to preserve produce – especially watery vegetables such as courgettes and green beans that can go soggy once defrosted – is to turn them into a healthy sauce which can be frozen, then defrosted and cooked as and when required. Ratatouille and vegetable-packed tomato sauce sare two great options.
While frozen bread is never going to taste as fresh as its just-baked counterpart, it's always worth keeping some in your freezer. Best is bread that can be cooked straight from frozen, so think a ready-sliced to loaf to pop in the toaster or pitta bread that can be crisped up in the oven to go with this aubergine shakshuka.
Because of its high water content watermelon can be tricky to freeze – other varieties such as honeydew fare better – but if you're only freezing watermelon for a few hours it makes amazing ice lollies. Simply cut into triangular pieces then insert a lolly stick through the rind. Alternatively, dice and freeze to add to smoothies and drinks.
While plain yoghurt may split if it’s frozen, regular yogurt pots (rather than the low-fat ones) that contain fruit and sugar can be stirred, the lid put back on, a lolly stick inserted then frozen stick facing up. When you’re ready to eat one, give it five minutes out of the freezer to loosen then pull out of the pot and eat it like you would an ice lolly.