Foods You Should Never Ever Freeze

Sure, the freezer helps you extend the life of foods and beverages, a bonus in these tough economic times. But there are a number of items that simply do not do well on ice because the process impacts their appearance, texture, or taste. Keep the following list in mind to avoid ending up disappointed — and with a lot of waste.

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So, you overbought ingredients for your tailgate party’s top recipes? Avoid freezing leftover mayo, as it will change the consistency. Mayonnaise separates when frozen, resulting in an unappetizing, grainy liquid.

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The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service notes that salad greens are one of the items that doesn’t fare well in the freezer. Defrosted lettuce is not only weird-looking but tastes just as unappealing.

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Unless it’s French fries or onion rings, which can both be successfully reheated, avoid freezing food that’s already been fried. These items lose their signature crispiness and become soggy. Not appetizing.

It’s tempting to think you can have the main ingredient for guacamole or avocado toast on hand at any time, but because avocados have a high water content, freezing them causes ice crystals to form, removing the fruit’s signature creamy texture. Worse, they often turn brown as they thaw.

There are those who swear by freezing milk, but there are numerous caveats. The thawing process can cause the milk to separate and turn grainy. To drink it, you should defrost in the fridge to prevent possible bacterial growth and then may need to put it in a blender to regain its original texture. Worth it?

Rice and pastas that are fully cooked may tend to feel mushy and taste overcooked once thawed and reheated. Avoid this scenario by undercooking your rices and pastas slightly before you toss them in the deep freeze.

It’s tempting to chop up a bunch of potatoes and throw them in the freezer for use in soups, stews, hashes, and the like, but raw potatoes simply do not freeze well and therefore should be cooked, or partially cooked, beforehand.

Making little egg “muffin” cups or freezing leftover frittatas in pieces for future meals can be a real time saver. But avoid putting whole eggs in the freezer, even if you score a dozen on sale. Once frozen, the insides expand and the shells often crack. 

As with many items, they can be frozen, but that process will curtail how it’s best used after defrosting. While you can freeze cream cheese, freezing will change its texture, making it grainy and possibly more crumbly once it’s thawed. If you’re not baking or cooking with it, simply avoid freezing it to use again as a spread.

Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. This is another example of that practice. Due to the varied ingredients, some dressings may never fully freeze, while others separate after thawing.

Despite the urge to slice up those extra cukes for future salads, avoid throwing this water-filled veggie into the freezer. As the National Center for Home Food Preservation notes, along with other veggies such as cabbage, celery or radishes, after thawing, the cucumber will appear limp and quickly develop an off color, aroma, and flavor.”

If you’re dreaming of a juicy orange after a stint in the freezer, dream again. Citrus becomes mushy after being frozen. Instead, preserve oranges and grapefruits by canning, while lemons are best preserved in salt and spices. All citrus can also be dehydrated.

Related: Thinking About Home Canning? Here’s Everything You Need to Get Started

You might be tempted to chop up your garlic in advance, throwing it in the freezer until it’s needed. Resist the urge. Along with other spices such as pepper, cloves, and some herbs, garlic tends to get strong and bitter after freezing. 

Whether it’s egg, chicken, tuna, ham, or macaroni salad, share the leftover wealth quickly, since these crowd-pleasing preparations simply do not freeze well, according to FoodSafety.gov.

FoodSafety.gov is blunt in its guidelines for unopened canned ham that’s labeled keep refrigerated: “Do not freeze.” Who are we to argue?

Heed this advice from FoodSafety.gov, especially around the holidays. It does not recommend freezing homemade eggnog at all, which is not surprising as we’ve already established eggs and dairy do not do well in the freezer.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service of the United States Department of Agriculture cautions against this in no uncertain terms: “You can freeze almost any food. Some exceptions are canned food or eggs in shells.” As it explains, even cans frozen accidentally (left in a car or cold basement, for example), can present health problems. 

Do not freeze a can of soda despite the appeal of a rapidly iced Coke. You know you’re going to forget to go back and drink it right away. It will pop, with Children’s Museum of Indianapolis offering details of why this happens.

This suggestion from FoodSafety.gov is broad, as it says it’s simply “not recommended” to freeze live shellfish, from crab or lobster to clams, mussels, oysters and scallops. If you’re lucky enough to score some live shellfish, wouldn’t you want to cook it immediately, anyway?