Stuff you should keep in your freezer.

Obviously ice and pizza pops... but this entry is about the things you wouldn't necessarily think to keep in your freezer. 

1.  Yeast
The expiry date on yeast will give you a good indication of how long it will last on the shelf.  If you keep it in the fridge, you'll get another year or so out of it...  and I have never had yeast die on me if I kept it in the freezer.

2.  Breadcrumbs
Like I mentioned in my earlier post, I had breadcrumbs in my freezer for years and they were fine.  In the cupboard you need to watch that they don't go rancid, or get mouldy if it's humid out.

3.  Parsley
Most herbs can be stored in the freezer using an ice-cube method (grind up herbs, stick them in an ice cube tray, pour water over and freeze) but I've found that parsley is really great if you just take the leaves off the stems and freeze them in a freezer bag.  Then, if you ever need a handful for a recipe, you can grab some from the bag, and toss them in.  I do it mainly for spaghetti sauce, but it comes in really handy for soups too.

4.  Ginger
I never use the whole hunk of ginger when I buy it...  so I keep it in the freezer.  The bonus is that when you need some, you can grate it while frozen.  It actually grates much better that way.

5.  Nuts
This is a big one.  I often buy nuts for baking, or even for eating, and they don't last terribly long in the cupboard before the oils in one or two here and there start to go rancid.  I know it's never pleasant to get the rancid one. (Rancid is a really fun word...  rancid... rancid).    Keep them in the freezer and you won't have that problem.

6.  Spices
There is some controversy on this one, but I do it.  Granted, there are a lot of people who think their countertop spice rack is the right place to keep spices (NO NO NO!).  Heat and light take the flavour from dried herbs and spices, and even in a cool, dark place, they're only really good for 6 months.  Obviously I keep mine longer than that in the cupboard, but the ones I know I won't use often at all, (like turmeric), I keep in the freezer.  Be reminded that letting them freeze and thaw repeatedly isn't good either, so if you need it for a dish, keep it in the freezer until you're ready for it, and then stick it right back in.

7.  Flour
Until I started making all my own bread, I didn't use my "other" flours all that often (whole wheat, rye, multigrain etc), so I kept them in the freezer (This is best in a deep-freeze).  Flour does go rancid after a while, especially ones of the whole wheat variety.   If you live in a humid place, even more so.  They don't freeze solid, so you can go in there whenever you need a cupful.

8. Grated Parmesan
I had to come back to add this one after I saw it in the freezer.  I love parmesan on my pasta and I kept buying those containers for the grated stuff, only to have them go mouldy on me in the fridge.  If you keep it in the freezer, you can grab a spoonful whenever you need it.

What do you keep in the freezer?