Freezing odd items ?

Cheese, once defrosted, has a crumbly texture - similar to Cheshire. I prefer it, especially for dishes where it has to be crumbled (toppings, sauces etc.) and it saves time grating it. Not a great look on a cheeseboard though.

1) Freeze sliced bananas then pop them into a liquidizer & hey presto, ice cream.

2) If on a slimming diet freeze grapes and dried fruit, taste yummy, don't eat too many though because both are full of sugar.

3) Double thick cream freezes well if whipped until thick, separates though if not whipped.

4) When mushrooms are on special, I pop them into a plastic bag then add a tablespoon or so of flour, shake them up & pop them in the freezer.

I freeze cheese grated as if it is frozen in a block it is inclined to be very crumbly. Freeze fresh Parmesan grated. Do a large amount, it lasts for ages and just get the right amount out as and when needed.

Recently two people, who are good cooks, recommended freezing chip shop chips. When you use them reheat them in the oven. I have been assured that they actually taste better after the second cook than they did first time around.

Like many we have found that when we get fish and chips we always end up with far more chips than we can possibly eat. We haven't yet tried this technique, but next time we go the chip shop we certainly will.

Brilliant tips

I have used the freezer to kill woodworm in timber that I am going to use for woodturning. The microwave also works. The little blighters don't like it up them. I'm sure the microwave would work for any unwanted bugs, but make sure what you put in will take it.

If you put timber in the microwave you will split it - OH has the t-shirt!

I have used the microwave with timber many times, you don't leave it in very long, bugs will fry long before the wood gets hot. I also use the microwave to dry green wood quickly, this has too be done in short bursts so that it drives the moisture out without drying it too quickly, I weigh it frequently and when the weight reduction stops, it's dry. This is a well documented method.