How to save £900 on food a year, according to an expert
Oftentimes, food waste can feel inevitable. What else are we meant to do with wilted spinach, spoilt milk, or mouldy bread? But the freezer could be the solution to reducing wasted food and money, says a food storage expert.
Kate Hall, a self-proclaimed ‘freezer expert’, regularly shares her top tips on how to utilise the freezer and store food so that it lasts longer and reduces waste.
According to data from AO.com, the average Briton bins £450 worth of food a year, with 10% of the weekly shop going straight into the bin. This adds up to £900 a year for a couple, which is the equivalent of a week-long holiday for two people in Spain.
Reducing food waste can also help save money, which is still a priority for many Brits. A YouGov survey found that 52% of consumers found food and groceries ‘much more expensive’ in May this year compared to the same time last year. Around a third (31%) said food prices were ‘a bit more expensive’, while only 11% said they were ‘about the same’.
The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), released on Wednesday 14 August, showed that the annual inflation rate rose to 2.2% last month, the first increase since December 2023. The ONS said that food and non-alcoholic drinks prices rose by 1.5% in the year to July 2024, the same rate as the year to June.
To help Brits save money and food from going into the bin, Hall shares her top 10 freezer storage tips.
How to freeze fruit and vegetables
Knowing how to prepare certain fruits and vegetables to be frozen can help save £5.24 per week from grocery shopping, which adds up to £272.48 per year, according to AO.com.
Hall says: "Most people don’t realise that you can freeze fruit and veg at home. Whilst they won’t defrost well, frozen fruits can be blitzed in smoothies or used in baking, and veg can be used in cooked dishes.
"For fruit, simply wash, dry, and chop up as appropriate and freeze it on a lined tray before moving to a freezer bag. This way it won’t freeze in a solid clump.
"The same technique can be used for veg, although some vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower are best ‘blanched’ before freezing. This just means putting them in boiling water and then ice water, which helps to preserve the colour, texture and flavour.
"Once you’ve blanched your veg, open-freeze it just as described for fruit, and always cook it straight from frozen for the best quality."
How to freeze bread
Bread is one of the most common items that gets chucked into the bin. However, reducing bread wastage could save you £1.40 a week, equivalent to £72.80 per year.
Some people might think putting bread in the fridge is the answer, but Hall warns against this as it will make the bread go stale faster. Instead, the freezer is your friend.
"If you can’t fit a whole loaf in the freezer that’s okay, just take out some slices as soon as you open it and freeze them flat in a large freezer bag," Hall explains.
"You’ll be able to fit far more in the freezer like this! These slices can be toasted straight from frozen, or defrosted at room temperature. Just be sure to keep the bread wrapped whilst it thaws so it doesn’t dry out."
How to freeze milk
Sour milk is a real turn-off and nobody wants to deal with that. But there are ways to prolong the life of your milk, which could save you £33.80 per year.
Hall’s advice for storing milk in the fridge is to consider storing it in the main body of the fridge rather than the door. This can add up to three days to its shelf life, she says.
But if you can’t get through your milk fast enough, don’t worry - freezing it could be the answer.
"I like to freeze mine in usable portions, flat in a freezer bag so it can be quickly defrosted in a dish of cold water when I want to make my porridge or a cup of tea!" Hall says.
"Milk can sometimes look yellow when frozen and may split when it defrosts, don’t be put off by this, it’s just the fats separating from the water. Give it a good shake and it'll come back together!"
How to freeze meat and fish
Brits are guilty of throwing out meat and fish 43 times a year on average, or every 10 to 12 days. This is a lot of valuable food going into the bin, and reducing this waste could save £4.80 per week, or £249.60 per year.
Hall says: "Instead of letting meat or fish go to waste, freeze it. But before you do, consider how you’re likely to want to use it. For example, if you have a big packet of minced meat, divide it up into smaller portions and freeze it flat in freezer bags. This way it will take up less space, and will be much faster to defrost when you want to use it.
"It’s also handy to freeze items such as sausages or fish fillets individually, particularly if you’ve opened a pack and don’t need all of them. A simple hack is to freeze the raw leftovers spread out in the original packaging, just be sure to enclose this in a freezer bag, and freeze away from ready-to-eat foods to avoid any cross-contamination.
"Once the meat or fish are frozen solid you can remove the packaging, squeeze the air out of the bag and seal."
How to freeze yoghurt
Yoghurt is a household staple, but Brits tend to throw it out every 12 to 14 days if they can’t finish it before it goes off. You can freeze yoghurt, but be aware that freezing can change the texture.
"Yoghurts tend to be a bit thin and less creamy after freezing, so although you can freeze, thaw in the fridge and eat, I prefer to use them to make frozen fruity lollies, yoghurt bark, or freeze it in ice cubes to use in smoothies," Hall advises.
"Plain yoghurt can also be frozen flat in freezer bags in usable portions so that it can be used in cooking."
How to freeze potatoes
Potatoes are a very important part of the British diet, but they still get wasted sometimes if you can’t eat them quick enough. Knowing how to freeze potatoes can save you £46.28 per year.
Hall advises that potatoes can’t be frozen raw, so you will have to cook them beforehand. Her favourite methods include:
Making mashed potatoes and freezing it flat in freezer bags. These can be reheated from frozen in a pan or in the microwave.
Bake jacket potatoes, allow to cool for no longer than two hours, and freeze. These can be reheated from frozen in the microwave in just a few minutes.
Prep roasted potatoes by peeling and parboiling as usual, then allow them to cool and freeze. These can be roasted straight from frozen.
How to freeze stock
If you make your own stock, you will usually end up with more than you need. Freezing it will give you a steady supply of stock to pull out of the freezer whenever you need it.
Hall’s top tip for saving space is to boil the stock down to a quarter of the original amount. "Once it’s cooled, pour it into an ice cube tray. When it’s frozen, you can transfer the cubes to a freezer bag or sealable container to store and use them straight from frozen in your cooking."
How to freeze cheese
We adore our cheese, so it always seems a shame to have to throw it out. But knowing how to save your cheese can save you £2.08 a week, equivalent to £108.42 per year.
Hard and semi-hard cheeses, such as cheddar and gouda, freeze beautifully. Hall says these should ideally be grated before freezing so they can be used straight from the freezer.
"For semi-soft cheeses such as mozzarella, I like to tear or cut it into bitesize pieces to add straight onto pizzas and pasta before cooking," she says.
"Softer cheeses should be portioned into usable quantities and tightly wrapped before freezing to ensure they are well protected from the cold air. When you want to eat them, thaw them slowly in the fridge before moving to room temperature to serve."
How to freeze eggs
Yes, you can freeze eggs!
"People are always surprised to find they can freeze eggs!" Hall says. "If you have a leftover white or yolk then these can be frozen, although you should add a little salt or sugar to the yolk to prevent it from turning too gloopy (don’t forget to label your bag or container so you know if your yolks are sweet or salty).
"If you want to freeze whole eggs, break them out of the shell, then whisk them before freezing. It’s a good idea to do this because the yolk and white will not combine easily after freezing and defrosting.
"You can then freeze your whisked eggs in an ice cube or muffin tray, and then store them in a freezer bag once they are solid. Or freeze them flat in usable portions in a freezer bag so they take up less space and can be defrosted much faster."
How to freeze herbs
Herbs are wonderful additions to meals, and provide plenty of fibre and flavour. However, they tend to wilt quickly if you can’t use them quickly enough.
Hall says that freezing herbs can actually save households about £65. They can be used straight from the freezer in cooked dishes.
"The simplest option for freezing is to just wash and dry your herbs and then pop them in a freezer bag, but you can also mix them with oil, butter or water and freeze them in ice cube trays if you want your herbs ready-portioned! Remember to label the bag so you know what they are!"
Read more about saving money:
'We flew to Mallorca for the day to sunbathe and it cost just £61' (Yahoo Life UK, 2-min read)
'How I slashed my weekly food bill from £130 to £62' (Yahoo Life UK, 3-min read)
How 'loud budgeting' can help you talk openly about money in relationships (Yahoo Life UK, 6-min read)
