Everyone buying cheese issued ‘you didn’t know’ advice by Tesco

With household budgets stretched and the cost of food in supermarkets higher than ever, it’s so important to avoid wasting food. It’s estimated that around 40% of food prepared for human consumption is simply thrown away, a staggering waste that is bad for both our bank accounts and the planet.

So any tips on how to reduce food waste, make your money go further and better protect the environment are very welcome. And this is where this savvy advice from Tesco comes in.

The retailer’s website offers a treasure trove of advice, including a nifty trick for cheese. As we all know, it’s not that easy to get through a block of cheese in one sitting and the rest of the pack will often languish in an open packet for ages after being opened, eventually turning hard or mouldy.

But Tesco says: “Hard cheeses like Cheddar, Red Leicester or Comté all freeze well if you are clearing out the fridge. Our tip: freeze grated cheese in airtight Tupperware. This will make it easier to use handfuls as you need it, ready for adding to indulgent macaroni cheese or melting into an indulgent cheesy dip.”

But the freezer hack doesn’t stop at cheese. Tesco advises: “Freezers are the most efficient when they are full, so make the most of the space to prevent food waste and have ingredients ready to go. From milk and cheese to veg and rice, your freezer can do it all!”

Here are other everyday foods you can freeze — you’ll cut down so much on your food waste!

Wine

Opened a bottle of wine but know you won’t finish it? Pour the rest into ice cube trays (or a freezer bag if you have a larger amount), then add a cube to recipes as needed. Give an extra boost to gravy, or use white in risottos.

Eggs

You can freeze eggs. Crack into a small bowl and whisk together, then freeze in a freezer bag or individual ice cube trays defrost for omelettes and baking whenever you need. You can also freeze just the whites ready for meringues.

Potatoes

If you’ve got too many to use before they start to sprout, peel, roughly chop and blanch until just cooked, then spread out on a tray so they’re not touching. Freeze until solid, then tip into a freezer bag roasties ready to go!

Yoghurt

You can easily freeze your spare yoghurt at home. If you’ve got kids, pop a lolly stick in mini yogurts ready for summer snacks at a later date.

Herbs

For a quick and easy flavour boost, roughly chop soft herbs, pop them into ice cube trays, fill with water and freeze. When you’re ready to use them, simply defrost or drop whole cubes into pasta dishes and curries.

Bananas

Peel ripe bananas and freeze either whole or in slices. These can be used straight from the freezer, ideal for creating cold, thick smoothies or snacking on with these straightforward 3-ingredient fruit and nut bananas. Plus, frozen bananas are the only ingredient you need to whip up this super simple banana ice cream.