Iceboxes have many uses. This time, we’ll share a trick that not only speeds up your cooking process but also instantly frees up space in your refrigerator.

Don’t underestimate the small size of an icebox; if used wisely, it can be a lifesaver for your cooking. Take advantage of its compartmentalized space and freezer storage capabilities to turn all of the following ingredients into ice cubes.

Sautéing Essential Ingredients: Onions, Scallions, Ginger, Garlic, etc.

Recommendations: Save prep time and make cooking easier

Every time you cook, preparing food can take up a significant amount of time, especially since sautéing ingredients is essential for every dish. Use an empty icebox to store your sautéed ingredients.

After buying your onions, garlic, and other ingredients, cut them into slices, shreds, or purees according to your cooking style. Fill an icebox and freeze them. Then, when you’re ready to cook, simply remove the amount you plan to use for the meal. It’s convenient for sautéing or adding to other dishes.

This method is perfect for those who want to shorten cooking time or who worry about spoiling ingredients and need to preserve them. Simply portion the container according to the amount you’ll use each time; there’s no need to completely fill the container. Those who enjoy spicy food at home can also pre-process the chilies and freeze them in the container, eliminating the need to reprocess them each time.

Soup Bases and Sauces: Broth, Meat Sauces, and Seasonings

Recommendations: Saves time preparing and seasoning ingredients, facilitates cooking, and saves space.

You may have heard of pouring broth into an ice cube tray to create broth cubes, and it’s truly useful. For dishes that require a small amount of broth to enhance the flavor, simply remove a few ice cubes and add them to the cooking process, eliminating the need to pull a whole pot of broth from the refrigerator each time.

If you have a regular braised meat, meat sauce, or other sauce at home, you can easily create ice cubes. If you need to store a large amount of sauce ice cubes at once, separate the ice cubes and freeze them in separate containers or bags. This method also reduces the number of pots of soup in your refrigerator, saving space.

Fruit Puree or Diced Fruit: Apples, Oranges, Bananas, Kiwis, etc.

Recommendation: Saves cooking time and enhances flavor.

Cut the fruit into small cubes and place them in an ice cube tray. Remove the ice cubes and add them to yogurt, yogurt, milk, or other drinks. This is a great way to enhance the flavor of your daily beverages. Once the ice cubes melt, the fruit will also have a nice texture. Pureed fruit can also be added to ice cubes to enhance the fruit flavor of drinks. This combination is both convenient and nutritious.

Fruit Peels: Oranges, Lemons, Tangerines, etc.

Recommendation: Eliminates odors and extends the shelf life of the peels.

Putting fruit peels in an ice cube tray isn’t about saving them for later consumption; rather, it’s about using the aromatic compounds in citrus peels to maintain a pleasant smell. Frozen fruit peels can be used in the refrigerator, in the kitchen waste area, or around the countertop. Cut the peels you want to preserve into small pieces and freeze them in the container. Remove and store them around the environment when needed.

If this is your first time trying to use an ice cube tray like this, it is recommended to make the spices into ice cubes so that you can immediately feel the effect when cooking next time.