Raw Potatoes Turn Into Mushy Disasters
Your freezer might seem like the perfect place to store that bag of potatoes, but you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. Potatoes have a high water content, so after being stored in the freezer, you could be left with a mushy, soft potato. The texture change happens because freezing causes the starch to break down, creating an unpleasant, grainy consistency that’s nothing like the firm spud you started with.
Think of it like this: imagine trying to make crispy fries with a potato that feels like wet cardboard. Raw potatoes freeze very poorly; they shed a lot of moisture and develop an unpleasant texture. Even commercial frozen potato products undergo special processing that home cooks simply can’t replicate. Your best bet is storing potatoes in a cool, dark place where they’ll stay fresh for weeks without turning into a mushy mess.
Mayonnaise and Creamy Condiments Break Apart
When you freeze food like mayonnaise, ice crystals break up the emulsion and make it watery, split, and less tasty. The problem lies in mayo’s delicate structure—it’s essentially oil and water held together by egg proteins. When these proteins freeze, they lose their ability to keep everything nicely mixed together.
What you’ll end up with is a separated, unappetizing mess that looks more like curdled milk than the smooth condiment you started with. Frozen mayonnaise on a sandwich becomes extremely watery and loses its smooth and creamy consistency when you thaw it. The same goes for other creamy condiments like ranch dressing or aioli. Emulsions such as mayonnaise or cream will separate and appear curdled. Even store-bought versions with stabilizers can’t survive the freezing process intact.
Leafy Greens Transform Into Slimy Mush
Lettuce, spinach, and other leafy greens are basically water wrapped in thin cell walls. Any vegetable or fruit that has a high water concentration, like celery, cucumber, salad greens, and watermelon will not survive the freezer because the water inside quickly forms ice crystals. These ice crystals act like tiny knives, slicing through the delicate cell structure and destroying the crisp texture that makes these vegetables appealing.
If you attempt to freeze them, you’ll find yourself the proud owner of several freezer bags full of green, slimy compost. The only exception is if you plan to cook the greens afterward—blanched spinach or kale can handle freezing because you’re not expecting them to be crisp anymore. But that fresh, crunchy salad you were hoping to save? It’s going to be a soggy disappointment.
Soft Cheeses Separate and Become Watery
Cream cheese, ricotta, and other soft cheeses don’t handle the freezer well at all. Storing soft cheeses in the freezer will yield a similar result to storing milk there. When it comes time to eat them, you’ll be left with watery lumps, which often ruins the texture of foods like cream cheese, sour cream, and ricotta. The high water content in these cheeses creates the same ice crystal problem that destroys other foods.
Even harder cheeses suffer in the freezer. When the water in cheese freezes, it turns to ice crystals that can adversely impact the texture. Harder cheeses with less moisture will fare better, but they can still turn grainy or crumbly. If you must freeze cheese, grate it first and use it only for cooking—the texture changes won’t matter as much when it’s melted into a casserole or pasta dish.
Eggs in Shells Can Crack and Become Dangerous
Putting eggs that are still in the shell into the freezer is a big no-no. The water content inside the egg expands when frozen, which can cause the outer shell to crack and be vulnerable to bacteria. This isn’t just about texture—it’s about safety. A cracked shell creates pathways for harmful bacteria to enter what should be a sterile environment.
Even if the shell doesn’t crack, the egg inside changes dramatically. Freezing causes the yolk to become thick and syrupy so it will not flow like an unfrozen yolk or blend very well with the egg white or other ingredients. You can freeze eggs, but only after cracking them and whisking them together first. This way, you avoid the shell problem and the weird texture separation that happens when yolks freeze solid.
Canned Foods Can Burst and Become Contaminated
Here’s something that might surprise you: Some exceptions are canned food or eggs in shells. However, once the food (such as a ham) is out of the can, you may freeze it. The problem isn’t the food itself—it’s the container. When the liquid inside canned goods freezes, it expands and can cause the can to burst or the seams to break.
Cans frozen accidentally, such as those left in a car or basement in sub-zero temperatures, can present health problems. If the cans are merely swollen — and you are sure the swelling was caused by freezing — the cans may still be usable. However, if the seams have rusted or burst, throw the cans out immediately, wrapping the burst can in plastic and disposing the food where no one, including animals can get it. The risk of contamination isn’t worth taking.
Fresh Herbs Lose Their Vibrant Color and Texture
Fresh greens like spinach and kale, and tender herbs like parsley, cilantro, basil, mint, and dill shouldn’t be tossed into the icebox willy-nilly. “Once those cell walls are damaged, the thawed greens are limp and oxidize almost immediately,” Matijevich says. The delicate structure of fresh herbs makes them particularly vulnerable to freezer damage.
Think about the difference between fresh basil and dried basil—that’s essentially what happens when you freeze fresh herbs without proper preparation. Sticking those leftover sprigs in the freezer may make you feel frugal today, but you’ll change your mind when you try to use them. I like to puree my herbs in a bit of oil, which helps protect them from the freezer and preserve their flavors. The oil acts as a protective barrier, preventing the formation of damaging ice crystals.
Milk Separates Into Chunky, Unappetizing Portions
While you technically can freeze milk, the results aren’t pretty. Milk stored in the freezer can separate into chunks and watery parts when thawed—the higher the fat content, the more it separates. It will be safe to eat, but it’s not exactly the best consistency for adding to your morning cereal or coffee. The proteins and fats that normally stay nicely blended decide to go their separate ways after freezing.
Imagine pouring what looks like cottage cheese mixed with water into your coffee—that’s what thawed milk can look like. After freezing and thawing milk, it’s going to be really lumpy. This is not ideal for drinking. You can cook with it, however you should let it sit in the fridge to slow-thaw for a whole day before you use it. Even then, it’s best reserved for baking where the texture won’t matter as much.
Fried Foods Become Soggy and Lose Their Crunch
That leftover fried chicken or those crispy onion rings you were hoping to save? The freezer is their worst enemy. Foods that were fried will lose all their crunch if you put the leftovers into the freeze—and no one wants soft, mushy fried foods. The coating that makes fried foods so appealing absorbs moisture when frozen, turning crispy textures into soggy disappointments.
Two words: soggy mess. The crispy, crunchy fried bits will collect moisture when frozen and thawing this mess will only make the mushy matters worse. It’s like trying to eat a piece of cardboard that’s been left in the rain. Even reheating won’t bring back that satisfying crunch—once the moisture gets in, it’s game over for the texture that made the food worth eating in the first place.
Coffee Beans and Grounds Absorb Freezer Odors
Coffee lovers, listen up: your freezer is not a good storage solution for your precious beans. Don’t store coffee beans or grounds in the freezer: Taking it in and out every morning will freeze and thaw the coffee, which can cause condensation and essentially ruin it. Plus, it’ll absorb any funky freezer smells. Coffee is like a sponge for odors, and your freezer is full of them—from last night’s fish dinner to that forgotten bag of frozen broccoli.
The constant temperature changes from taking coffee in and out of the freezer create condensation, which damages the beans’ oils and flavors. That being said, feel free to store any unopened bags of coffee beans or grounds in the freezer for up to a month. But once you open that bag, keep it in a cool, dry pantry where it won’t pick up strange flavors or suffer from moisture damage. Your morning cup will thank you.
