20 strange things you never expected to be able to put in the freezer

If you opened your freezer right now, you'd probably find ice cream, some frozen pre-made meals and possibly a tray of ice cubes. But did you know you can also freeze these 20 things and doing so will save you a lot of time and money?

1. Mushrooms

If your mushrooms are going a little bad or you want to have some ready for the next time you want to make a sauce, cut them into slices and fry them with a little oil. Let them cool before freezing and then place them in the freezer compartment in some Tupperware. 

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2. Soft toys and pillows

To help get rid of dust mites in your stuffed animals or pillows, put them in the freezer. Then wash them as normal afterwards.

Pixabay/Alexas_Fotos

3. Envelopes

If you want to open a letter without tearing the paper, put it in the freezer and it will open by itself. Magic!

Pixabay/Gellinger

4.  Jeans

Repeated washing will shorten the wearable life of your jeans. As an alternative to washing them, you can put them in a plastic bag in the freezer for 24 hours instead. And voila!

5. Toys

You can prepare a fun game for your kids: freezing some of their toys in blocks of ice makes for extra fun at bath time, and they get the added joy of releasing their toys from the merciless cold.

Pixabay/ DariuszSankowski

6. Pesto and other sauces

If you're making your own pesto and end up with too much, don't throw it away and waste all that effort. Freeze the leftovers for the next meal.

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7. Eggs

Before your eggs go bad, you can freeze them, but not the whole egg! Crack them open, whisk the yolks and the whites together and then pour them into an ice cube tray, ready to be defrosted when you next want them. Freezing whites and yolks separately requires more preparation.

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8. Rice

Rice is one of those things where we always seem to make too much. To be able to use the leftovers another time, put the individual portions in resealable plastic bags.

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 9. Garlic and onion

Garlic and onions are often not sold in individual portions, so some will almost inevitably go bad before it can all be used. To avoid this, chop them up and put them in trays in the freezer. Then fetch out portions to use as and when you need them.

Pixabay/ MabelAmber

10. Mashed potatoes

If you have leftover mashed potato after a big meal, you can also freeze it for re-use at a later date. You can freeze it in portions or in one large resealable bag.

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11.  Candles

Even though they are made of wax, you can freeze candles. It will make them last longer. Whenever you want to use one, take it out of the freezer and light it as usual.

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12. Avocado

With a little preparation, this tasty favorite can also be frozen. Cut it in half, removed the skin and the stone and put in resealable plastic bag. Great! 

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13. Clothing

If something sticky has stuck to your clothes, like chewing gum, leave it for a while inside the freezer and you will be able to remove it very easily.

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14. Cheese

If your block of cheese is on the verge of going bad, grate it and store it in plastic freezer bags. This works particularly well for stilton.

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15. Bananas

You can freeze bananas, with or without their skins. The best time to do it is when they are already ripe (with brown spots). Once they've been frozen you can use them in many different dishes, such as cakes, smoothies or muffins.

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16. Potatoes

Potatoes can also be frozen, but first you have to peel them and boil them for five minutes. Then leave them in a bowl of iced water to sit for 10 minutes. Then you can freeze them in Tupperware or freezer bags.

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17. Milk

Did you know you can also freeze milk? The best way to do it is by pouring it into an ice cube tray. If you decide to freeze a carton of milk, pour some out from the top so it has room to expand. When you defrost it in the fridge, gently shake the carton from time to time to mix the water and the fat back together.

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18. Pancakes

Making pancakes can be labor-intensive, it takes time and you may not want to prepare them often. The solution? Make more of them and freeze the ones you don't eat! You can put them in the freezer once they've cooled down.

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19. Eyeliner pencil

Try keeping it in the freezer to help you get an eyeliner line that's clear and defined. Perfect for a cat-like look!

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20. Wine

And finally, how about a refreshing glass of wine? If you've opened the bottle and aren't going to finish it, you can stop it turning vinegary by freezing the rest in an ice cube tray, to be enjoyed another time.

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These tips can help you save money, because you can buy in bulk and freeze the extra amounts that you won't be able to use right away. You'll also save time when it comes to cooking — by freezing extra portions for those occasions when you don't have time to prepare something from scratch. And as a final tip, you can also freeze seasonal fruits and vegetables and then come back to them at any time of the year. Enjoy your meal!

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