Your ice cube tray can be used for so much more than water.

By freezing select ingredients and leftovers in convenient ice-cube-sized portions, you can cut down on food waste at home.

Not only that, but freezing flavour-packed ingredients into easily accessible cubes is an incredibly easy way to make sure you always have tasty meal additions at hand.

From coffee to tomato paste to herbs; here are 10 foods & drinks to freeze in your ice cube tray.

Coffee

Tired of regular ice cubes watering down your iced coffee? The solution is simple; freeze coffee or espresso in your ice cube trays! These caffeinated ice blocks can also be added to breakfast smoothies for an exciting coffee twist.

Tomato paste

If you've bought a tub of tomato paste and can't get through it all before the expiry date, divide the remaining paste into the squares of your ice cube tray and freeze for later. Then, simply pop a square or two into your next pasta dish or whatever else you're cooking up that calls for a little tomato.

Fresh herbs & olive oil

Herbs for cooking — such as basil, dill, parsley, sage, thyme or oregano — can be saved for later. All you have to do is chop them up, place in your ice cube tray, and cover with olive oil. The oil will solidify in the freezer, leaving you with convenient little blocks. Use in anything from risotto to soup to pasta sauces. (This also works with melted butter!)

Citrus juice

Whether your garden is overflowing with lemons or you bought too many limes for your mojito night, you can freeze citrus juice in ice cubes tray. Then, use the cubes to refresh and cool down your drinks! You can also defrost them and use in cooking.

Cream

Cream (unwhipped, that is) freezes well — and by freezing it into small cubes, you end up with handy portions to add to curries, pasta sauces or a nice, homemade stroganoff without having to buy a whole carton of the decadent dairy product.

Fruit & herbs in water

Perhaps the most well-known ice cube trick is to simply freeze pieces of fresh fruit, citrus, or mint covered in water. Use to spice up your next (otherwise boring) glass of water. Now THAT'S how to take hydration to the next level!

Yoghurt & berries

If you're after a healthy low-cal treat for a warm day, try freezing berries in yoghurt in your ice cube tray. You can use any yoghurt you prefer — the Dinner Twist team loves combining cherry yoghurt with pieces of blueberry and raspberry. Add a sprinkle of granola too for some extra crunch.

Fruit & vegetable purees

No matter if it's baby food, purees to use in cooked dinners for the whole family, or purees to add to wholesome smoothies, the ice cube tray is an excellent place to store your homemade veggie & fruit purees.

Pesto

Pesto can be sold in some pretty large tubs and jars — and if you're making a homemade version, it can also be easy to make a little too much. Thankfully, you can easily freeze leftover pesto in trays, making for convenient portions to defrost and add to pasta or sandwiches.

Wine

Frozen cubes of leftover red wine can be used to make sangria, or you can pop them into stews or pasta sauces when cooking. Similarly, frozen white wine cubes are a great addition to risotto! Or, use frozen white wine blocks to cool down a glass of white wine without watering it down.

So there you have it, our favourite clever ice cube hacks that help you spice up your cooking and cut down on waste! Which ones are you trying first?