Preserve with Ice Cube Trays
One of my favorite ways to preserve foods and beverages is with ice cube trays! This method of preservation is a great way to save money on groceries and reduce food waste. Here are some ideas for what you can freeze in your ice cube trays:
1. Pesto. This is my #1 suggestion because every year, my mom would harvest a TON of basil from her garden and make pesto! She would have so much pesto that even with a big Italian family, eating it all while it was still fresh was impossible. She started freezing the extra pesto in about 1 oz. ice cube trays. Anytime we craved pesto pasta, it was a super easy dinner to make with the preserved pesto cubes!
2. Fresh Herbs. Speaking of delicious basil pesto, another idea is to preserve any fresh herb from your garden or local farmers market in ice cube trays along with olive oil or melted butter. Simply cut the herbs down to your preferred size, add your oil/fat, and freeze for an easy and delicious herb-infused addition to your next recipe.
3. Tomato Paste/Puree. This wasn’t something my mom did much since she was always cooking for a large family, but it’s been very helpful for me. A lot of recipes call for small amounts of tomato paste (even smaller than the already small can they’re often sold in). So instead of letting that half-full can sit in your fridge until it goes bad, next time, try freezing it in your ice cube trays!
4. Ginger. I love fresh ginger! A little ginger goes a long way. If you can’t use it all quickly enough, you can puree it in a food processor or juice the ginger for your ice cube trays.
5. Broth and Meat Stock. If you have leftover broth or meat stock, freezing the extra is a great way to save it for future recipes such as soup, stew, chili, rice, etc. There are lots of possibilities here!
6. Juice and Milk. I know a larger family may not have issues getting through a carton of juice or milk while it’s fresh. However, if you live alone or have a smaller family, this is a great way to save your juice or milk while it’s still fresh to use later. This can honestly be any type of juice or dairy/non-dairy milk. A frozen cube of milk might just be the perfect amount for a hot beverage!
7. Baby Food. If you have little ones eating solids and you’ve decided to make your purees at home, freezing the extra is a great way to save yourself time and money! Babies don’t eat large amounts of purees, but it’s much easier to make a larger batch and defrost as needed to save time and avoid waste.
Other Helpful Tips:
– You may consider filling the ice cube trays just below the top as certain contents tend to expand during the freezing process.
– Silicone trays (https://amzn.to/4gkQZwS) tend to be easier to release and clean. However, any ice cube tray you have will work!
