admin Do you organize your freezer or do you just put food in there in no specific order? Having an organized freezer can be somewhat tricky and is very easy to fall into the trap of shoving everything in, with the consequence of wasting food because you have no idea what is in your freezer.
Having only the freezer that comes with the fridge, I myself am guilty of shoving everything in at times because I feel that it is such a small space that it is useless to organize.
However, whatever kind of freezer you have with a bit of thought and organization you can make sure food is not wasted and you always see what you have.
If you do batch cooking, then having an organized freezer is essential.
Today I am sharing with you some ideas on how to keep an organized freezer:
- Label, Label, Label
I can never stress this enough, but labeling things can be a game changer. Labeling is even more important when you make freezer meals. Always write the recipe name and cooking method…..this will not only make it easier for you but also anyone else in your household, who is in charge of making dinner.
- Plastic containers
Plastic containers are very versatile, and would recommend using them for the freezer that comes with the refrigerator. In these plastic containers you can store similar items together, thus separating different types of food.
- Dispose of the original boxes
The packing of frozen food, like with other packing can be very bulky. Whenever possible, taking out food from it’s original packaging and putting it in the plastic containers can save up some space.
- Put opened vegetable bags into ziplock bags
More than once it happened, that I had a package of opened frozen peas and whilst taking it out, grabbed it upside down and peas went all over the freezer and kitchen floor.
Now, any opened bags, I put them into resealable ziplock bags so any spills remain in the bag.
- Freeze flat
When doing freezer meals, any meals that have liquid make sure to freeze them flat. This saves a lot of space and if you have a small freezer, this method gives you the possibility of enjoying freezer meals. Flat freezing will give you a form of filing system of your freezer meals.
If on the other hand, you have a deep freezer, place a deep plastic bin, and file your freezer meals upright, that way you can always see your stock level.
- Freeze individual portions
By freezing individual portions, there is no need to defrost an entire bag when you only need a small portion. Flash freezer individual portions and once done wrap individually and place into larger bags or plastic container.
- Keep an inventory
Make sure to keep an inventory of your frozen meals and other foods. As you go along, cross off items that have been used.
- Use reusable bags
If you have a deep freezer, place reusable bags (shopping bags) and place your meat, poultry and other items in each separate bag. Whenever you need something, you can just pull out your poultry bag, choose your item and put it back in.
I hope that this blog post gave you some ideas on how best to organize your freezer, and Happy Organizing.
Note: I am a Certified Organizational Specialist. Please feel free to contact me if you would like assistance in organizing an area of your home.
Love
Strugglingmum xxxx
