Freezing food allows you to preserve food for a long time which can save you money. Having an organized freezer is key to avoid having the food go to waste. This is a guide about organizing your freezer.
Do you have stuff in your freezer that's taking up a lot of room, making you unable to get to the things that you need right away? Do you forget what you have in your freezer because you can't see it? If so, then it's time to organize!
When it comes to organizing your freezer, the first thing you need to do is clean it out. Go through the contents and throw away everything that is freezer burned or otherwise unusable. This goes for large bags of French fries that only have a handful left in the bag. (Might be a good time to make yourself a snack!)
Next, you need to come up with a plan to put the rest of the stuff back in. If you have some things that have been opened but are still good then try removing them from their boxes and placing them in freezer bags instead. This works particularly well for popsicles.
Now you can start organizing the stuff you have left. Think of your freezer in terms of planning a meal. Keep your meats, your sides, and your vegetables together. On one side of your freezer (or one shelf) try stacking your poultry, fish, beef, etc. On the other, stack your frozen peas, French fries, and broccoli. For the remainder of your space, put "fast" foods and snacks together such as pizzas, Hot Pockets, ice cream, etc.
If you're the type of person who buys in bulk and ends up getting a package of 20 chicken drumsticks even though you only have a family of 3, open the package when you get home and divide it. Place however many drumsticks your family will eat at once into separate freezer bags. The bags themselves are generally easier to store than the large packages. That way, you won't have to thaw the whole thing the next time you want to cook chicken, you'll just have to thaw the portion that you're actually going to cook.
Note: Remember that when you're thawing your meats it's always safer to thaw them in your refrigerator overnight or in a microwave than to place them on your kitchen counter and let them thaw at room temperature.
Here are some great food tips for saving money on food by packaging and freezing it:
I make large batches of soup, chili, casseroles, etc. and freeze them flat in ZipLock bags and then store them file-style in a box in the freezer. I make a batch of taco meat (inexpensive, lean roast like beef tri tip or rump or pork ball cooked for 8 hours with a jar of salsa and a diced onion) and freeze it flat in ZipLock sandwich bags for easy storing. Once they are frozen you can stand them up in a shoe box.
I also buy large cans at Smart and Final or Costco and divide them into ZipLock sandwich bags such as nacho cheese, cheddar cheese sauce, corn, olives, pineapple, applesauce, salsa, tomatoes, tomato sauce, green chilies and almost anything. Don't freeze potatoes or creamy dairy things. Cheese sauces or American cheese are OK.
I grate large amounts of cheese when it is on sale and freeze although it is usually cheaper to buy already grated cheese at warehouse stores.
JulieBeth
The main thing that I have done for my freezers is go to an office store or dollar store and get paper holders. Then I put each filled with separated plastic bags; hamburger, chicken, pork chops, etc. I have done this for many years.
By Ann in SunCityWest, AZ
I got really tired of trying to find things in my freezer. I went to Big Lots, sort of a dollar type store in Houston and bought some plastic boxes. I only needed one. I stood my bags of meat on end like a file drawer. They are labeled and dated. The pie crusts I stood up on end, storing vertically rather than having them lying in the way all the time. The large bag of corn with a clothespin has a large bag of peas behind it, also closed with a clothespin. Dear husband found ice cream on special so he bought some. We usually have only one box of ice cream. There is a shallow shelf at the top which I couldn't get in the photo which is now housing loaves of bread. The door is for very small items, mostly frozen orange juice.
By MartyD from Houston, TX
I was rooting around in my freezer the other day and had to throw out some items due to their advanced age.
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