The Ultimate Guide To Freezing Christmas Leftovers
Ham and turkey, pavlova and trifle, plates of salads and seafood – a lot of time and money go into making a Christmas feast.
We love to have a mountain of food at Christmas time, but because of this, sometimes we end up with plenty of food left over. Safeguard your leftovers by following the 2-2-2 rule:
Store leftovers in the fridge within two hours. Eat it within two days or freeze. Freeze for up to two months for best quality.
This year, instead of throwing away your leftovers when you can no longer handle another ham sandwich, freeze them. You may be surprised just how many Christmas foods can be frozen, such as cooked turkey, ham, and even your Christmas pud. Freezing your Christmas leftovers will save you food and money, allowing you to enjoy your festive treats for months to come.
Meats and Seafood
Ham: Slice ham off the bone and wrap small portions tightly in cling wrap. Place in resealable bags. Frozen ham may have a slightly different texture but is perfect for use in pasta, pies, quiches, as a pizza topping, and more.
Turkey: Remove the meat from the bones before freezing and keep the bones to make stock. Frozen turkey can be used just like cooked chicken.
Lamb, Beef, and Chicken: These can be frozen just like turkey or ham. Roasted meats work best, while barbecue meats might dry out upon reheating. Ensure you heat the meat until it’s piping hot when reheating.
Seafood: Fresh seafood is best eaten immediately, but smoked salmon or cured fish can be frozen.
Sides and Vegetables
Cooked vegetables like asparagus can be frozen. They might change texture upon thawing but are great for pies, soups, and stews.
Whether boiled or roasted, potatoes and kumara can be frozen. Use them fresh to whip up a potato salad.
Freeze bread rolls even if they've gone stale; use them for garlic bread, breadcrumbs, or bread-and-butter pudding.
Freeze sauces such as gravy, cranberry, and apple sauce in ice cube trays for easy portioning.
Wrap tightly and store in a sealed container or freezer bag.
Sweets and treats
Christmas Cake and Pudding: Both can be frozen. Cut into small portions before freezing and enjoy them throughout the year, or use to flavour ice cream!
Mince Pies: Freeze mince pies to prevent staleness. They might be crumbly when thawed, so use them as a crumble topping or with ice cream.
Berries: Freeze berries to add to smoothies or make sauces.
Fruit Salad: Freeze and use it for jungle gelato or smoothies.
Christmas Treats: Panforte, stollen, and panettone can all be frozen. Portion before freezing.
Biscuits, Cookies, and Gingerbread: Fill your freezer with these to enjoy throughout the year.
Others
Egg Yolks: If making pavlova or meringues, freeze unused egg yolks by adding salt or sugar. Decide if they’ll be used for sweet or savoury dishes beforehand. For more on how to freeze eggs, click here.
Wine: Freeze leftover wine to use in cooking later.
Dips: Hummus and pesto can be frozen, but dairy-based dips may split upon thawing.
- Freeze Fresh: The fresher the food when frozen, the better it will taste when thawed.
- Portion Control: Freeze food in manageable portions to avoid waste and ensure easy thawing.
- Proper Wrapping: Wrap food well to avoid freezer burn. Use cling wrap and resealable bags or airtight containers.
- Label and Date: Avoid unidentified frozen objects (UFOs) by labelling and dating all items.
- Cool Before Freezing: Always cool food before freezing and stagger the addition of room-temperature items to avoid raising the freezer’s ambient temperature.
- Keep It Full: A full freezer works best, so keep it well-stocked.
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