Stop Putting These 8 Foods in the Freezer

A freezer can be your best friend when it comes to getting the most shelf life out of a particular food. Bulk buyers know the power of sub-zero temperatures to keep meat and produce in fighting shape for weeks or even months, but the freezer isn't a friend to all foods.

In fact, freezing some items can have the opposite effect, altering food's physical state or degrading to something no longer worth consuming even after it has thawed.

To prevent a mass clean-out of expensive groceries you'd be wise to learn which foods don't belong in the freezer in the first place. We've rounded up six common foods that should never, under any circumstance, be purchased in bulk and placed in the freezer. 

8 foods you should never freeze

Milk and cream

Most dairy products can't be frozen and will become inedible if they are. Milk, cream, yogurt and sour cream tend to separate when frozen. Once they do, there's no returning them to their former state and the thawed result will be grainy, watery or even curdled. Nut milks, on the other hand, can be frozen more successfully.

Ice cream is the exception, of course, due to its high sugar content that lowers the freezing point and keeps the product soft and palatable. 

Potatoes

America's favorite carb turns mushy and grainy when thawed, a physical state that is no bueno for use in anything from mashed potatoes to french fries. This is because the water separates from the tuber's starch, resulting in a gag-inducing texture that not even trash-foraging critters like raccoons can stomach. That said, freezing cooked or partially cooked potatoes (typically parboiled) is a-OK, as much of the water content is extracted during the cooking process. 

Cheese

Pesky ice crystals form in frozen cheese, which completely changes its flavor and texture profile. This primarily applies to soft and moldy cheeses, though some hard varieties such as cheddar and jack can withstand the consistent blast of cold air if grated first and laid flat in a plastic storage bag. 

Read more: Store Cheese Properly and You'll Extend Its Life by Days, Even Weeks. Here's How

Fried food

The best part of fried food is, of course, its crunchy breading. When placed in a freezer, this batter or crumb absorbs the appliance's moisture and makes the food become soggy. Additionally, fried food is chock-full of -- you guessed it -- oil, which doesn't freeze completely and can spoil before the meat or vegetable it has been cooked into. This can lead to foul-tasting meals but also an unfortunate and potentially dangerous bout of food poisoning. 

Eggs

If you enjoy your scrambled eggs rubbery, stick them in the freezer before preparation. This is due to a process called "gelation" where the yolk's protein molecules clump and make the liquid harder. Egg content also expands when frozen, which causes whole eggs to crack and leak. Of course, avoiding eggs in the freezer means you must also avoid egg-based condiments, as well, such as mayonnaise, which get lumpy and unspreadable.

Salad-friendly fruits and vegetables

If it's a fruit or vegetable and can go into a typical salad, it won't hold up in the freezer. This includes any produce with high water content such as lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and celery. The beloved avocado will also not fare well in extremely low temperatures. As it thaws, it will immediately begin to brown. And nobody wants to dip their way through brown guacamole.

Citrus 

Some dense fruits such as berries and mango do well in the freezer, but citrus won't hold form quite so well. Whole citrus fruit will become mealy after thawing it out. If you have an abundance of lemons, limes or oranges, your best bet is to juice them and freeze the juice for later. 

Cooked pasta and rice 

While you certainly *can* freeze cooked pasta and rice, it doesn't mean that you *should*. The water content causes the cells in noodles and grains to literally burst, resulting in a pasty, gloopy leftover that can't be salvaged with even the most delicious of sauces.  

Bottled or canned beverages

Who among us hasn't tried to cheat time by chilling a lukewarm beer can or bottle, forgot about it and returned to find a frozen, bubbling disaster. If you're going to use the freezer to chill canned or bottled beverages, you'd be wise to set a timer for 10 minutes so they don't freeze solid and explode.