The proverb 冰冻三尺非一日之寒 (three feet of ice doesn't form in one cold day) is widely used to express that serious problems develop over a long time — similar to 'Rome wasn't built in a day.'
usage
冰冻 emphasizes being frozen solid like ice. For putting food in the freezer, you can say 冷冻 (lěngdòng, to deep-freeze) which is more common in food/industrial contexts.
