Fridge and freezer essentials

Easy spread butter is ideal for sandwiches and toast.

• Parmesan often goes rock hard or becomes horribly sweaty. Ideally, all cheese should be stored in a cool, airy place at a temperature of 46-50F/8-10C. However, most of us put it straight into the fridge. This is fine providing the cheese is kept loosely wrapped in its own airtight container so it isn’t tainted by other foods.
• Store it in the salad drawer, which is not quite as cold as the rest of the fridge and use a micro plane for grating.

• It can be used to lace soups, sauces and stews or it can be spooned over puddings and stirred into sweet dishes. Great for adding to leftovers, as it is quite rich and can withstand being heated.
• Plain full-fat yoghurt can be used instead of crème fraîche in cooking as long as you heat it gently – adding a little cornflour, which can help to prevent it from separating.
• The best crème fraîche comes from a strictly controlled area of Normandy called Isigny-sur-Mer and it’s sold in larger supermarkets in the UK.

• Keep eggs in the fridge in their box and never eat them after their use-by date.
• The Health Protection Agency recommends buying Lion branded eggs, which come from vaccinated hens and are therefore less likely to contain salmonella

They defrost quickly and most can be cooked from frozen.

Could be used for making instant chicken- base recipes like creamy herb chicken, spicy chicken burgers, sweet and sour chicken stir fry

Ideal for instant fresh vegetables accompaniments.

Unopened commercial mayonnaise can be stored on the shelf up to the use by date. Once opened, it must be refrigerated but will still last up to a year or six months from the date on the jar.

If milk turns sour (and this when it smells or tastes sour not when it has reached the best before date) it is excellent for making scones

See our Stir-Fried Seafood with Noodles

Ideal for quick pies

A handy standby to accompany meals.

Frozen in ice cubes for gravies, risotto and cooking rice. Once frozen, remove from the ice trays and pack into freezer bags. Use stock powder or cubes if you do not have any home made available.

Choose fruit yoghurts for quick puddings for the children.