Meet the woman who reckons she saves more than £1,000 a year - by freezing ingredients individually
- 11 months ago
Meet the woman who reckons she saves more than £1,000 a year - by freezing ingredients individually.
Kate Hall, 37, says realising you could freeze ingredients on their own was a "lightbulb moment".
She has previously been freezing entire meals which, when reheated, could only be used once.
But Kate, from Orpington, Kent, now has a constant "stash" of ingredients in her freezer - meaning she can always use the right amount and reduce waste.
This has also allowed her to limit her trips to the supermarket and save money as her frozen produce could be used time and time again, she says.
Kate's freezer trick has enabled her to start her own business where she shares her top tips with others.
Kate, a full-time business owner, said: "When you add it all together it's easily north of £1,000 saved a year - as things just aren't going in the bin.
"The way that I have freezer set up is to have a stash of ingredients. This reduces that temptation to buy things when you're in the shop.
"I always buy the multipack of vegetables or big pack of chicken so I can freeze those left over bits.
"The beauty of what I've developed is that you don't actually need to defrost everything as all of the veg I can cook straight from frozen."
If she's not using everything, Kate will spend a couple of minutes prepping the excess ingredients to go in the freezer.
She said: "One of the best things about this is the beauty of being able to stretch things out.
"Rather than thinking I have to use the whole pack of chicken, I can separate and freeze.
"I've had students on my course thinking they have to use that up and make a bigger portion but we teach them to be able organise and save food for future meals.
"It helps you to be able to pull a meal together based on various ingredients that you've got. You can be much more flexible about the things you use."
Kate says her method has reduced prep time as she can add things to the freezer as she's cooking.
She said: "I know if I put something in the fridge it's just going to end up in the bin.
"But I use the approach of going, 'Well I've made my meal and whilst that's cooking, I'm just going to chop up these peppers' - and get them in the freezer.
"If you haven't got that time to chop up food, why do you buy it?
"I've got no judgment of people being busy, I am too, but it's very much about stealing a minute here a minute there to think about things going in the freezer rather than the bin."
Kate began sharing her freezer and food waste tips during Covid as a means of showing people how to get the best out of food.
Kate says her business is about "reassuring and feeling confident".
Kate Hall, 37, says realising you could freeze ingredients on their own was a "lightbulb moment".
She has previously been freezing entire meals which, when reheated, could only be used once.
But Kate, from Orpington, Kent, now has a constant "stash" of ingredients in her freezer - meaning she can always use the right amount and reduce waste.
This has also allowed her to limit her trips to the supermarket and save money as her frozen produce could be used time and time again, she says.
Kate's freezer trick has enabled her to start her own business where she shares her top tips with others.
Kate, a full-time business owner, said: "When you add it all together it's easily north of £1,000 saved a year - as things just aren't going in the bin.
"The way that I have freezer set up is to have a stash of ingredients. This reduces that temptation to buy things when you're in the shop.
"I always buy the multipack of vegetables or big pack of chicken so I can freeze those left over bits.
"The beauty of what I've developed is that you don't actually need to defrost everything as all of the veg I can cook straight from frozen."
If she's not using everything, Kate will spend a couple of minutes prepping the excess ingredients to go in the freezer.
She said: "One of the best things about this is the beauty of being able to stretch things out.
"Rather than thinking I have to use the whole pack of chicken, I can separate and freeze.
"I've had students on my course thinking they have to use that up and make a bigger portion but we teach them to be able organise and save food for future meals.
"It helps you to be able to pull a meal together based on various ingredients that you've got. You can be much more flexible about the things you use."
Kate says her method has reduced prep time as she can add things to the freezer as she's cooking.
She said: "I know if I put something in the fridge it's just going to end up in the bin.
"But I use the approach of going, 'Well I've made my meal and whilst that's cooking, I'm just going to chop up these peppers' - and get them in the freezer.
"If you haven't got that time to chop up food, why do you buy it?
"I've got no judgment of people being busy, I am too, but it's very much about stealing a minute here a minute there to think about things going in the freezer rather than the bin."
Kate began sharing her freezer and food waste tips during Covid as a means of showing people how to get the best out of food.
Kate says her business is about "reassuring and feeling confident".