Frozen food has long been a staple of our lives in the kitchen. From the pioneering Clarence Birdseye in 1924 until now, there's been a whole lot of inventiveness in the freezer department. So much so that sales frozen food are outperforming fresh in UK supermarkets right now, according to research firm Kantar.
Some of the most popular foods in people's shopping trolleys are frozen chicken, ready meals, pizzas and chips, the research says.
All the major supermarkets have seen a rise in the popularity of frozen foods, and in our current age of food shortages and price rises, frozen foods often being cheaper and lasting longer is certainly playing a part.
Although we love a frozen ready meal as much as the next person (garlic bread is our saviour time and time again) there are loads of frozen bits you can pick up in your next big shop to make your life in the kitchen so much easier, and save some cash. So, keep reading to discover more about the hardest working freezer foods about.
Peas
When you think of frozen food, one of the first things on the list is probably the good old bag of frozen peas. It's there for you when you injure your ankle on an ill-advised run in bad weather, it chills down the bottle of white wine you picked up from the corner shop on the way home from work, and it finds its way into all sorts of fridge raid dinners. Peas add a much-needed injection of green into pretty much any meal, and green = health.
A handful of peas in a curry? Yes. Pasta sauce? Yes. Pie filling? Yes. Fried rice? Yes. Stew? Yes. Just make sure to add them in the last five minutes of cooking (unless it's a pie or something with a lid) to retain their bright green hue and fresh taste.
Fruit
Frozen fruit is every host's secret weapon. Need a quick pudding that looks impressive but is just *frozen fruit*? Cook down a handful in some water with a spoonful of sugar and serve with ice cream or yoghurt and a few crushed biscuits. It's also a game changer for healthy breakfasts. Make a big tub of fruity compote for the week and dollop on porridge, granola or even peanut butter toast. It's also mega easy to make a frozen fruit crumble or pie for a classic Sunday roast pud.
Spinach
Does anyone else do a little nod of acknowledgement to the bag of spinach they pick up in the weekly shop to recognise that half the bag will indeed go off before you've managed to use it? Just me? Well, frozen spinach is ACE for people who often find themselves just cooking for one or two people at a time. Chuck in a ball of the pre-wilted stuff into curries, sauces and stews, or leave in a sieve over a bowl to defrost overnight to use as green bulk in meatballs or falafels.
Hash browns
Some things in life are just better when other people make them. For me, the list includes sourdough bread (we all tried in lockdown but, honestly, it's just better when the experts do it) and hash browns. The times when you need a hash brown the most, you absolutely do not want to be grating potato and squeezing it through a tea towel to get that crispy goodness. This is why the one thing you'll always find in my freezer at home is what I lovingly coin an "emergency hash brown." They're a game changer when you're making brunch (one less thing to worry about in a multi-part meal) and can make brilliant toppers for a fish, shepherd's or cottage pie in a pinch.
Ginger and garlic
If you've got ginger and garlic, you've got a meal. The two work together in unison to create a lovely warming, fragrant effect that even when added to plain rice with frozen peas, an egg and soy sauce make the most pleasing of dinners. They form the base of so many meals that, while they're usually a fresh essential in our fridges, it's always worth having a backup stock in the freezer.
Ice cream
Yes, this one's obvious. What else would you be using precious freezer space for? There are SO many ways you can make ice cream fancy for a little evening treat, a fun pudding for kids or even a boozy grown-up pud for a dinner party. Add it to espresso for easy affogato, serve with crunchy granola and ripe stone fruits for a late-summer al freso pudding, or drizzle over caramel sauce and Lotus Biscoff biscuits for the ultimate treat. Also, next time you make a batch of cookies, sandwich a scoop between two of them for a gorgeous summer treat. It's also great for milkshakes - add a handful of frozen fruit to a blender with a scoop of ice cream and some milk (maybe a shot of bourbon for a hard shake twist) and you've got a gorgeously silky, creamy drink.
Fish fingers
OK, another one that might not seem super original, but there's actually loads you can do with a pack of humble fish fingers. There's the classic fish finger sarnie, of course, but you can also make fish finger tacos, Katsu fish fingers, and use them as soldiers for a kind of kedgeree-dippy-egg combo. Go for sustainably sourced ones if you can!
Louella is Delish UK's writer, and has years of experience writing about food and wine, but began her career working front of house at Salon restaurant in Brixton, London, where she developed a real passion for food, wine, and hospitality.
Outside of the office, you can usually find Louella in the kitchen cooking for friends, performing very badly in pub quizzes, or shaking up a margarita or two.
