Ever forgotten an ingredient, only to find it once it was past usefulness? Into the trash it goes! Or opened a can and only used a very small portion of what was inside? Again, waste…not only the ingredient but the hard-earned money you spent on it. Ever thought about freezing food in ice cube trays?
I bought a bag of limes because they were cheaper per piece, and then of course, I forgot about ‘em. Freezing their juice is a great way to keep that cost from going in the trash. I simply wouldn’t be able to use them if I had to keep them whole any longer. So, I’ll start this list of things you can cube with their juice.
Lime juice
Often, I use recipes that call for the juice of half a lime. So, I juiced my 7 limes one half at a time, reaming each half, measuring the juice and then averaging it…one half of a standard lime (NOT the little key lime ones) is a little over 1 Tablespoon. (haha the things I do for fun!)
The other measurement I usually see on this juice is a teaspoon or two. So I thought I would save this lime juice in these 2 increments. Because lime juice is a liquid with oil in it already, I didn’t grease my cube trays. (My trays are old-fashioned plastic ones I got for a buck at the dollar store several years back. Silicone ones might be easier to pop them out of now.)
I did one tray of each, let them freeze hard, then popped them out of the trays and into freezer baggies so they’re easy to grab. I marked the baggies with the amount in each cube so I would remember later. I even put myself a note, if I need a Tablespoon, I can also use 3 of teaspoon-sized cubes.
Tomato paste
Even though tomato paste is sold in a small 6-ounce can, I almost never use the whole thing. In fact, one recipe literally calls for 1 Tablespoon of the stuff. So, I got smart and started freezing this in Tablespoon increments. But this is harder to get out of my cube trays so now I rub in the inside of each cube indentation with a little olive oil to make removal easier.
Broth
A lot of times I freeze this in freezer bags in 2 or 3 cup measures for use in soups, etc. But what about when you need just a little extra? Freezing these in the bigger ice cube trays makes the perfect size to add just a little more moisture to a casserole when you need it! Again, I oiled my trays.
Mojo gravy
I can’t speak to other gravies because I haven’t tried them, but this gravy from Mojo Pork, works GREAT! Even if you aren’t having the pork, you could pull one of these out and have a killer baked potato for your lunch! Yes, I oiled for this one, too.
Spinach Artichoke Dip
I stick pretty close to the Whole30 diet a good bit of the time, but I know at group events, there are others who really love this dip (including my family, who don’t often get it at home). But I simply can’t have any leftovers tempting me to indulge in the dairy that tears my lower GI to bits. (That recipe lives here!) Again, I’m not sure what other dips this method would work for.
Now, I oil my traditional sized cube trays and make cubes. These are great to microwave for a quick snack. I did this for my daughter when she arrived home on a red-eye flight…hungry, but too late to cook anything or eat very much. She was thrilled!
(Yes, some of the cubes pictured have a little crystalization on them, BUT that hasn’t hurt the taste at all…in fact, I used the Mojo pork gravy tonight for supper!)
Want even more food to freeze in ice cube trays?
If you just can’t get enough, and wanna basically cube the world now, check out the links below. And if you’ve had success with something not in these posts, PLEASE share in the comments. I always love new ideas!
