Here’s a number that ought to make you mad: On average, a family of four in America loses $1,500 a year to food nobody eats, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
That’s about $125 a month. Close to $29 every single week, scraped into the trash or poured down the drain.
And it’s not just you. The USDA puts the country’s food waste at somewhere between 30% and 40% of the entire food supply.
We’ve built a system where grocery stores sell in bulk, packages come in sizes no small household can finish, and date labels leave people guessing about what’s still good.
You can’t fix the system. But you can fix your freezer.
Plenty of us freeze meat and maybe a bag of peas. The milk that’s about to turn, the half loaf of bread, the cheese going hard in the drawer? Those go in the garbage. They don’t have to.
Before we start, two ground rules from the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. Food that stays at a steady zero degrees Fahrenheit is always safe to eat. The storage times you’ll see below are about taste and texture, not safety.
Same with freezer burn. Those dry, discolored patches don’t make food dangerous — just less pleasant. So check your freezer’s temperature, squeeze the air out of every bag, and write the name and date on everything, as University of Illinois Extension recommends.
Now, here are seven everyday foods you’re probably throwing away that would freeze just fine.
1. Milk
Yes, you can freeze milk. University of Illinois Extension says to split it into smaller airtight containers, leave about an inch of room at the top because it expands, and use it up within three months for the best quality.
The catch: Milk separates as it thaws. According to Mississippi State University Extension, that’s because the fat and protein thaw ahead of the water. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, then shake it or whisk it back together.
It may also turn a little yellow. University of Missouri Extension says that’s harmless and doesn’t change the nutrition, though it can change the taste. If you don’t like it in a glass, use it for cooking and baking. That’s still milk you didn’t pay for twice.
2. Butter
When butter goes on sale, stock up. Mississippi State’s extension service says salted butter can keep up to nine months in the freezer, and unsalted up to five.
The catch: Butter soaks up odors. Keep it in its wrapper and put the whole thing inside an airtight container, or your toast may taste like last month’s fish sticks.
And if you’re choosing which to hoard, go salted. North Dakota State University Extension notes that unsalted butter loses its flavor faster, which is why its freezer life is shorter.
3. Hard cheese
That block of cheddar or Swiss you bought on sale? University of Illinois Extension gives hard cheeses four to six months in the freezer. It suggests shredding or cutting it into small pieces before you freeze it. North Dakota State says to keep chunks at a half pound or smaller.
The catch: Thawed cheese gets crumbly and a bit dry, and it won’t slice neatly. So don’t plan on pretty sandwich slices. Plan on mac and cheese, casseroles, quesadillas and pizza, where nobody will ever know.
Give it a day or two to thaw in the fridge, per Mississippi State. And skip the soft stuff. Illinois says cheeses like Brie and cottage cheese don’t freeze well.
4. Eggs — but not in the shell
Never put eggs in the shell in the freezer, University of Illinois Extension says.
Instead, crack them into a bowl and beat them just enough to blend the yolks and whites, then seal them in a container. Mississippi State says they’ll keep up to a year that way.
The catch: Plain frozen eggs can turn grainy. North Dakota State’s fix is to stir in a half teaspoon of salt or a tablespoon of sugar per cup of whole eggs, depending on whether you’ll use them in savory dishes or baking. Label which one you used.
North Dakota State also says to leave a half inch of headroom in the container.
Use thawed eggs only in food that gets fully cooked — scrambles, quiche, baked goods. And to be fair, North Dakota State points out that eggs last at least a month in the fridge, so this is for when you overbought or you’re leaving town.
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5. Bread
A half loaf of bread going stale on the counter is one of the easiest things to save. University of Illinois Extension says to zip it into a heavy-duty freezer bag, and it’ll hold top quality for up to three months.
The catch: Freezing won’t bring stale bread back to life. University of Illinois Extension says it only holds bread at whatever quality it had going in. So don’t wait until the loaf is turning. Freeze half the day you buy it.
Here’s what I’d do: slice it first. Then you can pull out two pieces for toast instead of thawing the whole loaf.
6. Cooked rice and pasta
Plenty of us cook too much rice and pasta, then let the leftovers die in the back of the fridge. Freeze the extra instead.
For rice, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension says to lay it out in a thin layer on a sheet pan or in shallow containers while it’s still hot, let it cool for about 20 minutes, then freeze. It’s best used within two months.
For pasta, cook it slightly underdone — al dente — toss it with a little oil so it won’t clump, and cool it before you bag it. Nebraska says it’s best within six months.
The catch: Rice dries out when you reheat it, so add 1 or 2 tablespoons of water, Nebraska says.
And Illinois Extension warns that cooked pasta frozen on its own loses texture, which is one more reason to undercook it. If you know you’ll freeze some, pull that portion out of the pot early.
If you’re tired of tossing food you paid good money for, you might also look at these 10 grocery staples you should stop buying and start making.
7. Fresh herbs
A bunch of parsley or cilantro costs real money and seems to turn to green slime in about five minutes. Freeze what you won’t use this week.
North Dakota State says to wash the herbs, drain them and pat them dry with paper towels before freezing. University of Illinois Extension says frozen herbs can hold their top quality for one to two years.
The catch: Herbs go limp when they thaw, so North Dakota State says they’re fine in cooked dishes but usually not for garnish. Soups, sauces and stews, yes. A sprig on top of the plate, no.
Bottom line
Freezing isn’t magic. North Dakota State says dairy and eggs should thaw in the refrigerator, get used soon after and not go back in the freezer. If you’re unsure about refreezing something else, here’s a guide to foods you can safely refreeze after thawing.
But the math is simple. If your family is anywhere near the USDA’s average, you’re throwing away about $125 a month. Freezing won’t rescue all of it. But if you could save even half, that’s $750 a year back in your pocket, without clipping a single coupon.
And while you’re rethinking what goes in the trash, check whether you’ve got any of these kitchen rules wrong, too.
If you want to see where the rest of your grocery money is going, it helps to track it. Here’s a place to find a budgeting tool that fits how you live.
Start tonight. Open the fridge, find the thing that’s about to go bad, and put it in the freezer instead of the garbage.
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