Head chef answers the UK’s most Googled ‘can you freeze?’ queries…

Brits are binning perfectly edible food worth £728 each year 

How can Brits cut back their food waste? 

• 4 in 10 Brits are taking action to reduce household food bills, with millions switching up their food shopping habits 
• The average UK household discards 28.1kg of food waste each month, with 15% struggling to use up their food before expiration 
• 64% of Brits now plan out their weekly meals, with a further 43% cooking smaller meal portions to reduce excess wastage 
  
• While throwing away the odd squishy tomato or the leftovers from our plate might seem minor, food waste is a huge global issue that needs to be tackled. But the problem begins at home, with UK households being responsible for 60% of food waste, business, and hospitality responsible for the remaining 40%. 

AEG has conducted an extensive study into the UK’s food waste discovering which UK councils offer a food waste service as well as Brits attitudes and behaviours in tackling food waste in the home.

How are Brits changing their behaviour to reduce wastage? 

One of the most effective ways to reduce wastage is to cut back on the amount bought. While shoppers might pick up the odd impromptu item, taking a shopping list (70%) and planning meals (64%) are among the most common methods people are taking to reduce food bills– and subsequently waste. 

For 62% of Brits, freezing fresh food is helping them reduce food waste. Freezing on the day of purchase can increase shelf-life considerably and many might be surprised to know that mushrooms, avocados, spinach, and many other fresh foods can be frozen without sacrificing quality. 

Can you freeze? The most searched for queries 

One of the key solutions to reduce food waste is the freeze more of the fresh food that will perish if not eaten in time. In fact, data shows that many still don’t know which fresh foods can be frozen. 

Google searches show there is a sharp increase of people searching for “Can you freeze” queries, with an average increase of 51% from 2021-22. 

Search Term	Total Searches
can you freeze cheese	506,000
can you freeze milk	504,500
can you freeze mushrooms	290,600
can you freeze eggs	187,100
can you freeze potatoes	173,400
can you freeze bananas	173,300
can you freeze rice	167,600
can you freeze courgette	129,760
can you freeze avocado	111,000
can you freeze coconut milk	109,080

The 10 most popular ‘can you freeze’ queries on Google 2019-2022 

Dairy food items top the list, with searches for ‘Can you freeze cheese’ and ‘Can you freeze milk’ coming first and second respectively. Collectively these queries hit one million annual searches. Eggs also appears near the top coming fourth with 187,100 searches per year. 

Fruit and vegetables also dominate the most searched for ‘Can you freeze queries’ with mushrooms, potatoes, bananas, courgettes, and avocados all making the top ten. 

AEG spoke to expert chef Anna Williams for her guidance for freezing the most Googled food items. Please find her full commentary below. 

·        Cheese 

“Hard cheeses are the best to freeze since they hold less moisture. The best way to freeze the cheese is in a food storage bag tightly sealed so that as little moisture gets in or out.  Make sure to squeeze before fully sealing, so all the air is sucked out.” 

·        Milk 

“It is important to freeze milk before it’s best before date. You can freeze in its original plastic container but not glass or cardboard as it does expand. Ice cube trays and freezer bags can also be used to store milk but ensure these are tilted appropriately to avoid any leaks.” 

·        Mushrooms 

“You can freeze these raw but be mindful, as they contain a lot of moisture their texture can be affected. It’s important not to wash mushrooms before freezing otherwise they will go soggy. To save space you can also slice them down without any issues.” 

·        Eggs 

“Eggs can be frozen, but I do not recommend doing so whole in their shells. You can crack the eggs and store them in a container as a whole egg or freeze beaten. I also would not advice freezing soft- or hard-boiled eggs as they tend not to recover from the process.” 

·        Potatoes 

“Potatoes can be frozen in many ways, but I do not advise freezing straight from raw due to their water content. Mashed potatoes can be easily frozen in any freezer bag as well as roast potatoes and homemade wedges. Boiled potatoes can also be frozen and easily reheated in boiling water.” 

·        Bananas 

“You can place bananas in the freezer whole with their peel on, just note that they will need to thaw a little afterwards otherwise they won’t peel. Chopped banana can also be easily stored in freezer bags, perfect for adding to smoothies or popping onto your morning toast.” 

·        Rice 

“Cooked rice can be frozen but, it must be cooled down quickly. The best way is to spread cooked rice over a flat tray and place it in the fridge beforehand. When reheating, it’s best to do so in the microwave and make sure that it is piping hot throughout before consuming.” 

·        Courgette 

“Like mushrooms, these can be sautéed off before freezing to remove the excess water or frozen whole. Just be mindful when they are defrosted, they will be very squishy as such a high percentage of them is water.” 

·        Avocado 

“The best ones to freeze are ones that are still a little firm. First, remove all skin and the stone and then place on a silicone lined tray. I always squeeze a little lemon or lime juice on before freezing to prevent them from browning. After a few hours remove and place in an airtight freezer bag and remove all air before placing into the freezer.” 

·        Coconut Milk 

“Similarly to ordinary milk, this can be frozen using ice cube trays and freezer bags that are tilted appropriately to avoid any leaks. Once the ice cubes are frozen you can remove these and place them into a freezer bag to free up some space.” 

Anna further adds; “Food Waste is something we should all start to be creative with – it’s a skill. We all should be creative with our cooking and while doing the food shop be mindful of what’s in the cupboards at home.” 

For more information on the UK’s Food Waste please visit the campaign page: https://www.aeg.co.uk/local/from-aeg/the-food-waste-report/