5 ice cube tray zero waste food tips

Ice, ice baby. 

It’s more than just keeping it cool this summer! Your ice cube tray is way more versatile than just freezing water. Freezing your ingredients or leftovers provide multiple zero-waste food hacks that can also save you money and time (pro-tip: it is recommended to use a silicone ice cube tray because it makes it easier to remove the frozen cubes). Once you start using your ice cube tray multi-purposely, you will soon realise how easy and accessible it is to have frozen flavour-packed ingredients in your kitchen. They are honestly such great additions to your meals or drinks, and we wish we knew about these hacks sooner.

Now that the ice has been broken, here are our top 5 tips.

Tomato paste, not tomato waste.

If you’re in a position where you can’t get through your tub of tomato paste, divide the leftover paste into your ice cube squares and freeze it for a later time. So whenever your next recipe calls for it, pop the amount you need et voilà! 

Iced cream, not ice cream.

Dairy products are known to not have the longest shelf-life, especially cream. And cream actually freezes very well. Freezing it into handy portions means you can avoid having to buy a whole carton of this ingredient when you next need it.

Keep your iced coffee strong.

If you end up with leftover coffee or you’re equally as passionate about iced coffee as we are, then consider freezing your caffeine fix to avoid diluting your iced beverage. You can also think about adding it to your next smoothie for a hint of coffee flavour. 

Stock your stock.

Why not freeze your homemade vegetable or chicken stock for future use into perfect little portions? Such a convenient hack that preserves the stock you spent so much time making.

Preserve the herb.

Fresh herbs are simply delicious. Whether it’s the extra fresh basil you add on your pizza or the thyme in your rotisserie chicken, they just add such a great layer of flavour. The only thing with herbs is they are perishable. So next time you buy a bunch of herbs, chop them up and freeze them in oil or melted butter. The fat will solidify and you can use the cubes in your soups, pasta sauces and even risotto.

For more recipes and ideas on ice cube tray hacks, check out this Tasty post.