7 Things You Should Be Freezing in an Ice Cube Tray
Freezy-Good Tip! After freezing the items below, pop the cubes into a sealable bag or container to save space and prevent freezer burn. And don’t forget to label it!
Coffee
Have leftover coffee in the pot that you’re not planning to finish? Pour it into an ice cube tray! Those cold coffee cubes will be key to chilling your next cup of iced coffee without watering it down. (And if you’re the type who’s like “What’s leftover coffee?”, we see you—you can always make an extra potful just to freeze into cubes.) Click for a quick demo video!Tomato Sauce & Tomato Paste
We HATE letting food go to waste. If it looks like you’re not gonna use that open jar of marinara sauce before it goes bad, into the ice cube tray with it! The day will come when you’re trying to cobble together a meal out of whatever you have on hand, and you’ll be relieved to remember those frozen cubes of sauce. This trick is also great if you open up a can of tomato paste but only need a little bit of it—freeze the rest!Broth
A recipe calls for 1 cup of broth; you open a carton of broth and use a cup of it. Time passes, the rest of the broth goes bad. Another recipe calls for 1 cup of broth; you open a new carton of broth… and so on and so forth. Break the cycle! Don’t even put the open carton into the fridge—pour whatever broth is left straight into the ice cube tray. That way, the next time a recipe calls for a cup of broth, all you need are a handful of cubes.Fresh Herbs
There’s little more disappointing than pulling a nearly full bunch of herbs out of your crisper drawer, only to find it brown and wilted. Save those tender greens before they get to that point: Give the herbs a quick chop, and portion them into your ice cube tray. Add a little water (or some of that leftover broth) and freeze them up. The herbs will be ready to add to a sauce, a soup, a stir-fry, whatever you like—just toss in a cube, and let it thaw as it cooks.Wine
If you don’t drink much wine but have some left after an event or special dinner, this tip is key. Wine makes a great addition while cooking, and having frozen wine cubes at the ready is like pulling out a secret weapon. Cooking up a skillet of chicken cutlets? Grab a cube or two of frozen white wine, and you’re on your way to a tasty pan sauce. Have a pot of tomato sauce simmering? A cube of red wine will give the flavor some oomph.Buttermilk, Coconut Milk, Whatever Milk
Why can’t we find buttermilk in less than quart-sized cartons? We literally never need that much! We’ll buy it for some special recipe and tell ourselves we’ll make pancakes with the rest… and then we never do. And then there’s the coconut milk that comes in a can—no way to reseal it, and whatever we don’t use right away often goes bad in the back of the fridge. Specially purchased ingredients you won’t use quickly are prime examples of things to freeze for later: half & half, cream, etc.Anything That’s Good in a Smoothie
First and foremost, this section is about bananas: When you inevitably miss the brief window during which they’re good to eat raw, mash or chop them and freeze them into cubes. While you’re at it, add in anything else that might be good in a smoothie. The wilting spinach? The avocado that’s looking iffy? The yogurt you bought a ton of because it was on sale but it’s expiring soon? All prime candidates. Blend them now to freeze into cubes for a nutritious smoothie starter later.Chew on this:
It’s the final day of National Culinary Arts Month, aka July. You’ll feel like a culinary mastermind with a freezer full of ready-to-use ingredient cubes! Bins like this can help keep your freezer well organized too.
Help out your friends—send them this list of things to freeze in an ice cube tray now!
We may receive affiliate compensation from some of these links. Prices and availability are subject to change.
We may have received free samples of food, which in no way influences whether these products are reviewed favorably, unfavorably, mentioned with indifference, or mentioned at all. Click for more about our editorial and advertising policies.
*The WW Points® values for these products and/or recipes were calculated by Hungry Girl and are not an endorsement or approval of the product, recipe or its manufacturer or developer by WW International, Inc., the owner of the Points® trademark.
Questions on the WW Points® values listed? Click here.
Hungry Girl provides general information about food and lifestyle. This information and any linked materials are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is the information a substitute for professional medical expertise or treatment. Click here for more information.
