Home cooks often grapple with the dilemma of leftover food and the prospect of waste. Suzanne, the brains behind Nom Nom Kids, has offered a nifty solution to cut down on food waste, particularly when it comes to double cream.
On TikTok, she revealed a clever hack for preserving surplus double cream that might otherwise be discarded. Business Waste Management reported that the UK bins about 9.5 million tonnes of food annually, despite 8.4 million Brits living in food poverty, reports the Mirror.
The UK also tops the charts for food waste in Europe. Dairy products don’t have to contribute to this waste; there’s a way to extend their shelf life beyond the bin. To save your double cream, an ice cube tray is your best friend.
After being frozen, Suzanne warned that cream may separate or become grainy, but it will work perfectly fine for cooking.
In a video posted by Nom Nom Kids, Suzanne advises: “Are you fed up of throwing away cream after using a bit and then leaving the rest to be forgotten about in the fridge? Next time try popping the leftovers into an ice cube tray and freezing them until solid.
“After five or six hours, you can pop the cubes out of the tray and add them to a suitable freezer bag. We often use our reusable sandwich bags for bits like this as they take up less room, and can be used over and over again. You can then use them to pop in sauces and curries, and save food waste, money and plastics all at the same time.”
Suzanne showcased her savvy kitchen tip in a social media video, remarking in the caption: “Currently six cubes in my freezer ready to use in cooking rather than the leftovers sitting in my fridge going rancid! Some creams may separate or go grainy so not good for serving on its own, but it works fine for cooking where it gets heated up and stirred in.”
While the trick has been lauded by fellow home cooks, not all are convinced. Chris noted, “As a single person who lives alone. Thank you,” while another added, “Aww mate, this!! this literally isn’t a problem I’ve ever had to deal with.”
Suggestion came from Sadie as well: “I do the same with green and red pesto jars… on the jar it wants you to use within 2 days… I get an ice cube tray freeze then use as and when needed.”
But Caroline was sceptical: “Freezing milk works but actually freezing cream doesn’t really work as the fats tend to split when adding back into whatever you’re cooking. Nice idea though.”
Culinary queen Nigella Lawson advises that whipping double cream before freezing can help prevent a grainy texture due to fat molecules clumping together in the freezing process.
Stirring the cream thoroughly after thawing is essential, although some graininess might persist. Yet, it should be perfectly suitable for cooking, as heat typically helps dissolve those fat molecules.
According to Lifehacker, double cream can be frozen for up to two months. However, similar to milk, it should be thawed in the fridge and used within a few days of thawing.