Freezing Food — What You Can and What You Should Never Freeze

Your freezer is the most underused tool in your kitchen. Most cooked meals, raw meats, bread, butter, broth, chopped herbs in olive oil, and even bananas freeze beautifully and stay good for months. Portion meals into individual containers before freezing so you can thaw exactly what you need.

But some foods do not survive the freezer. Never freeze raw salad greens, soft herbs (they turn black), cream-based sauces (they separate), cooked eggs in the shell, or water-rich vegetables like cucumbers and tomatoes (they become mushy). Dairy like yogurt and sour cream change texture badly. The rule of thumb: if a food's appeal depends on crunch or a delicate texture, the freezer will ruin it. Everything else is probably fair game.