Initial start up of food freezer

Lay them out in a single layer in a pan and freeze until they are solid and then transfer to a labelled freezer bag. I freeze fruits and veggies in my chest freezer because it is so much colder than the little freezer in the house. Speed is the key- the faster you can freeze them the less damage there will be.

When I garden I freeze a lot of peppers and okra that last for years without losing (too much) quality.

Root vegetables I don't bother to freeze unless they are cooked into something. Potatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, etc. are so cheap and last so long not frozen that I don't bother.

Raw potatoes in particular are a nightmare when frozen. Gray and rubbery. Avoid at all costs. shudder

Leafy vegetables like lettuces will not be recognizable when frozen. Spinach is the only one that would be reasonable as it is so meaty- but, I'm sure you've seen frozen spinach, it isn't pretty.

Freezer burn occurs when water molecules in food gather in a colder location in your freezer—whether that be the sides of your freezer or even other foods.

Tips to prevent freezer burn:

• Don't put hot food directly into your freezer, let it cool first
• Put your food in air-tight containers
• The longer food is in the freezer the greater your chance of freezer burn

I'm going to go out on a limb though and guess that—at least with your ice cubes may just be acquiring a "freezer smell" from the other foods in your freezer. If I don't use the cubes in my freezer fast enough they end up tasting really unpleasant. Give your freezer a good cleaning and cover your ice cubes with saran wrap and this should help stop the funny smells/tastes.