Tips from the Freezer

The freezer is a food lover's hero because there's not much that can't be frozen until its needed: homemade ready meals (see Timesavers); veg and wonderful herbs; grated cheese for toppings and meat cut in strips for quick stir-frying. This section has a few surprises for us all. Visit the freezer often to keep tabs on what's inside.

• Frozen grapes

  Submitted by Martha, London

  If you buy a big bunch of grapes and find you can't eat them all, wash and freeze the leftovers. You can use the frozen grapes to decorate ice cream, blend them into smoothies or just eat them as they are. They taste like mini ice lollies!

• Toast from frozen

  Frozen sliced bread is always useful – simply pop a frozen slice directly into the toaster for a little longer than normal.

• Spare crusts?

  Submitted by Marie Johnstone, Aberdeenshire

  I use the crusts my daughter won't eat, fresh or from toast to make bread crumbs, then freeze them so I have some when I'm making fish cakes.

• Cheap veg

  Submitted by Linda Liversidge, Barnsley

  Buy veg from the reduced price counter in the supermarket, take it home, blanche it and freeze it. You can save a fortune on what can be really expensive things like fine beans. Not quite their best tomatoes can be chopped and kept in the freezer for adding to pasta sauces.

• Eat one, freeze one

  Submitted by Liz Peck, Aberdeenshire

  If you live alone cook double the amount of your favourite dish, freeze one portion for another day. Saves on fuel, time and food waste.

• Parsley

  Submitted by Liz Rowles, Bath

  If you buy a large bunch of parsley which often works out cheaper than small packets, you can wash it, chop it up finely and put it in small containers in the freezer. This is always ready to add to sauces and or a quick garnish.

• Freeze your cheese

  Submitted by Catherine Walsh, Sheffield

  Cheese seems to be cheaper in larger pieces and easily goes mouldy. I buy it in larger blocks then cut it into small blocks and freeze. I can then use what I want when I want it and it never goes to waste.

• Don't need a whole lemon?

  Submitted by Julie , Barnsley

  If I have used the juice of a lemon but not the zest, I freeze the shell until I have a recipe that needs the zest. It can be grated straight from the freezer. This also works the other way - freezing the juice for future use.

• Reduce waste before your holidays

  Submitted by Heather, Harlow Mill

  A couple of days before your holidays, stop buying groceries, so as to I try and empty out the fridge. Vegetables (tomatos, mushrooms, onions, peppers) that could otherwise go to waste can be chopped and cooked, then frozen ready for use in a pasta sauce on your return. Making some extra servings of whatever you are having for dinner and then freezing them, makes cooking easier the first couple of days your back -- just defrost! Leftover slices of bread can also be frozen, ready for making toast on your return.

• Freezing lemons - juice and zest

  Submitted by Gail, Manchester

  Juice lemons and freeze juice in an ice-cube tray then freeze the skins. They are much easier to zest with a grater when frozen.