food

If you have bread in the freezer, there's one thing you should know.

I am shocked to discover I could suffer death by freezer.

Because I always though frozen food is fresh forever. It turns out I’m, very, VERY wrong.

Bread lasts only around two to three months in freezer-land. Bacon only lasts a month (which is a shame: I have some very vintage bacon in my freezer right now). Baked, iced cakes last up to a month (and there we were, hoping to eat the final slice of cake from our wedding, held back around the Renaissance).

This guide, produced by FreezerLabels.net, tells you everything you need to know about freezing your groceries. It’s eye-opening, to say the least.

Well, this is eye-opening.

To make it easy, label everything with the date it was purchased or opened, and store it either in freezer-safe bags or using a vacuum system. This will preserve your food and make it taste as fresh as possible when you use it.

Plus, there are certain foods you should never let take up residence in your freezer. These include eggs (both in their shell or hardboiled), uncooked pasta and rice, deli meats, coffee, mayonnaise, cream cheese, sour cream, apples, artichokes, eggplant, potatoes and salads — especially ones containing sprouts.

Some greens just do not stand up to sub-zero temperatures. (Post continues after gallery.)

However, items like butter and cheese freeze quite well, and can save you when you're halfway through a recipe and realise you've run out of the fresh stuff.

Did any of these recommendations surprise you?