Things that I preserve in my ice cube trays

My ice cube trays used to sit at the back of the cupboard all winter until I discovered that I could use them to reduce waste. Using ice cube trays and then freezing is a great way to preserve lots of kinds of foods for convenience and to save money by reducing waste.  Once frozen they can be taken out of the trays and placed into a bag to use when needed.  .

You can get all different sized and shaped ice cube trays now.  I have large ones and small ones and I use the one that is the appropriate size for my needs.  One is just the right size for milk for a cup of tea, but would be too big for something like lemon juice.  People have bought me different shaped ones which make me smile. I  use the appropriate size for the portion that I will need for cooking or adding to something later.  I find it easier to use the silicone trays as the cubes come out more easily.

It is best not to fill the ice cube trays right to the top as they will probably expand as they freeze. Here are some of the things that I preserve this way.

Milk.  When I lived on my own, I often would not even use a pint of milk a week.  To stop it going off I would freeze milk in cubes and take some out the night before I needed some.  This way I did not have to buy milk each week.  Milk will be fine in the freezer for a couple of months.  I have also frozen butter milk, double cream, almond milk and coconut milk in this way.

Lemon Juice.  If I get a lot of lemons from the community fridge I will often juice them and save the juice before they go off.  I also do this if I just need the rind for a cake or something.  They freeze well as cubes.  I will then use them to make hot lemon water in the morning, or to make iced tea.

Pesto.  These are great for adding flavour to dishes or to throw into a pan of spaghetti. I rarely use a whole jar of homemade pesto, and it only keeps for a week once opened. and so this is a great way to prevent waste.

Wine.  There is often wine left when friends come around for a meal and so I freeze this in cubes and it is great to add to stews and sauces.

Stock or Broth.  When we have cooked meat I will sometimes store the stock in cubes.  This way it can be added to casseroles, stews, rice, cous cous or risotto.

Whole Eggs  My friend who has her own chickens, cracks the eggs and whisks them and preserves them in cubes.  She makes omelettes and scrambled eggs with them or puts them into egg fried rice once they have defrosted.

Egg whites. Spoon into the cube.  Once thawed these can be used for meringues, omelettes or other dishes requiring an egg white.

Baby Food.  When my grandson was young he only ate small amounts and so I would make him pureed vegetables when I was cooking and store them in the freezer as cubes to take out the night before I needed them. This way he could enjoy a variety of meals and tastes with no waste.

Herbs.  I finely chop herbs that I grow in my garden and preserve them in ice cubes in water. olive oil or melted butter.  These can then be used in cooking at a later date.

Ginger or garlic.  I mince the garlic or ginger and then spoon it into the trays and use these later for stir fry or chicken supreme etc.

Curry paste.  Mr S makes me a batch of curry paste for when I am making my lentil and sweet potato curry.  I spoon it into ice cube trays and preserve it so that I have it on hand when he is not around.

Fruit juices.  Any left over fruit juice is frozen to use later in smoothies.

Home made cordial.  Cordials, like Elderflower, that I do not want to add too much sugar to, or citric acid, I preserve in this way.  On a hot day I can then just throw an ice cube into a glass of water and it melts in a minute or two.

Tomato puree.  If I have used puree from a can and do not need the rest I will freeze it in ice cubes to use later in bolognaise, on pizza, in stews and in other dishes that need a tomato boost.

Yoghurt.  When I have yoghurt that needs eating up I sometimes freeze it in cubes to add to smoothies.

What do you freeze in ice cube trays?