How to freeze food: you can put more in the freezer than you think

If you've been stocking up and are now figuring out how to freeze food then we have you covered. Plus, if you have run out of space, we show you where to buy a new freezer

how to freeze food: samsung smart fridge freezer
(Image credit: Samsung)

After all that stocking up you may be figuring out how to freeze food, rather than keeping it all in the fridge. So you'll be pleased to learn that you can in fact store more in the freezer than first thought (we were anyway!). Owning one of the best fridge freezers is essential in any household – especially when you can't make frequent trips to the shops for fresh ingredients.

By taking foods out of the fridge and putting them into the freezer, you can extend their use-by dates for literally months. Take a whole chicken, for example. This can be kept in the fridge for a day or two, yet in a freezer it will maintain its freshness for up to 12 months. And eggs, when cracked in to a container, can be safely stored in a freezer for up to 12 months too – who knew?!

So it really is essential that you have a freezer for, well, those essential food items at this time. Do bare in mind though that the fridge-freezers, chest freezers, upright freezers and American-style freezers (all the freezers!) are selling out super fast, so it's worth checking out with one sooner rather than later.

Keep scrolling to see a guide from Tap Warehouse on how to freeze food for the optimum length of time (you'll be surprised at some of them!)

How to freeze food, and for how long

Once opened, how long can you store meat and fish?

Swipe to scroll horizontally
ProduceFridgeFreezer
Bacon 7 days1 month
Chicken or turkey (pieces)1 day9 months
Chicken or turkey (whole)1 day12 months
Deli meats3 days1 months
Fish (raw)14 days2 months
Mince1 day3 months
Shrimp1 day3 months

Once opened, how long can you store dairy and eggs?

Swipe to scroll horizontally
ProduceFridgeFreezer
Butter90 days9 months
Cheese (hard)23 days6 months
Cheese (soft)7 days6 months
Eggs (cracked into containers)2 days12 months
Milk7 days3 months
Yoghurt14 days1 month

Once opened, how long can you store fruit and vegetables?

Swipe to scroll horizontally
ProduceShelfFridgeFreezer
Apples2 days21 days8 months
Bannas7 days-2 months
Berries-14 days4 months
Carrots-12 days12 months
Leeks14 days-12 months
Mushrooms-3 days12 months
Onions21 days60 days12 months
Peppers-5 days8 months
Potatoes28 days-12 months
Spinach-2 days12 months
Tomatoes-3 days2 months

More on frozen foods...

Jennifer Oksien
Large Appliances Editor

Jennifer (Jen) is our Large Appliances Editor on the Homes eCommerce team.  Jen is constantly on the look out for the latest tech which claims to revolutionise how we wash our clothes, rinse the dishes, keep our food chilled and our floors dust-free. When she's not doing this she can be found at home in her Victorian terrace which she has lovingly (patiently) been renovating with her husband over the past few years. Jen also likes tea and homemade cake, very much.