Essential Foods You Should Always Have in the Freezer

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Stock

Whether you make your own stock (veggie, chicken or beef) or have a leftover portion from the store-bought kind, you should definitely keep some in the freezer for your future cooking needs. Frozen stock comes in super handy for soups, casseroles, stews, gravies and sauces and eliminates the need to use high-sodium bouillon cubes.

Obviously, making your own stock will ensure the most flavor; plus, it's cheaper and provides a great way to use leftover meat bones or vegetable scraps. Regardless, we recommend freezing stock in common recipe-size portions: 4/6/8 cups or in ice cube trays for individual servings. Try freezing larger amounts in freezer bags or upright containers (leaving one inch of space from the top to allow the stock to expand as it freezes). Most stock will keep for up to four months before it can start to lose flavor. To use frozen stock, thaw it in the fridge for 24-48 hours, or defrost it in the microwave. Then you can toss it into whatever recipe you're making!