Organizing Your Freezer

Ok, I will admit it. I am a perfectionist, to a fault. Just the other day...on the list was to clean the bedroom. Well, I had a hundred other things I needed to do, including a quick run through of the freezer so I could write this post, so this was supposed to be a quick bedroom cleaning.

Next thing I knew it was dinner time. Time got away from me and I spent all day cleaning the bedroom and bathrooms. I took all of the drawers out and vacuumed them. I emptied my jewelry box and tediously cleaned it. Then I noticed I need to polish my silver jewelry. So you see...it can be a major fault because I lose sight of the big picture and get focused on stupid stuff. I had a list of things to do before vacation...and polishing jewelry wasn't anywhere on it.

Because I know how I am I have to take steps to keep myself on track! I do this by keeping things organized! If you have steps to keep organized you don't end up with a big mess...and a whole day project of cleaning/organizing the freezer. It will only take a little tidying up every now and then.

You don't have to a super organizer, just follow a few simple steps.

Has your freezer ever looked like this?

(This is not my freezer. I got this off of google.)

Well, the problem is that you can’t see what you have. You may be keeping a great inventory…but good luck finding that chicken you KNOW that you have…somewhere in that mess.

Here is my upright freezer…

Tips for keeping an organized freezer

1.Package things in freezer bags

When things are packaged in freezer bags they are easy to file away. It saves space and they are easy to see. When you fill a freezer bag with food, lie it flat until it freezes through so they are easy to stack!




2.Divide foods by group

In my refrigerator freezer I keep all of my frozen vegetables in the bottom pull out bin. They are all upstairs and they are in the same drawer. When I need a package of vegetables I don’t have to dig around…I know exactly where to go. I do the same with the cheese. I keep it all in a box in the upstairs freezer. Simple, but very important!





3. Storage Bins

Bins are your freezer’s best friend. I bought these a while back at Wal-Mart for about $5 each. I have four…chicken, roasts and steaks, ground beef, and pork. Ultimately these would be labeled, but I know what is in each one and I am the only one who gets in the freezer. So…it works for me until I get a labeler!




What tips do you have for keeping an organized freezer?

Freezer Inventory: Do You Know What is in THERE?

If you haven't figured it out by now, freezer cooking is without a doubt my favorite tip when it comes to my savings strategies. You can save a lot of time and money, but without proper measures you could also waste a lot of food!

Unlabeled and unaccounted for food tossed into the big black hole of the freezer is a recipe for disaster.

If you are going to spend time planning for and cooking on a freezer day, you want to take every measure to preserve your food. This is often one of the most neglected steps.


Steps to Keeping Track of WHAT is in Your Freezer!


1.Label

Once you have packaged your food for the freezer properly, don’t neglect to label it. Whether it is a freezer meal or frozen beef, make sure you write both WHAT it is and WHEN you purchased it. The contents may be obvious now, but come back in six months...you may not be able to tell!


2.Rotate

Same as with your pantry or stockpile, when you purchase more food…take the time to rotate the new to the back. This will ensure that older food is always used before newer food and consequently less waste when it comes to clean out the freezer day!


3.Keep a Freezer Inventory List

Good luck remembering everything you have in your freezer without a list. I have the memory of an elephant and I have tried my best…and I can’t remember it all. I need to have a list. I have made a Freezer Inventory List that you can print off and use. Make sure that you stay on it and keep it up. I keep my lists on the freezer so I can mark items off as I pull them out.

4.Keep a Freezer Meal Inventory List

I prefer to keep a Freezer Meal Inventory separate from my other freezer inventory. Maybe it is my simplistic mind, but it helps me to just look at that one sheet and know what meals I have available.


I have started to use a white board for my meal inventory rather than paper. I keep it on the freezer with a dry erase marker. When I take a meal I just mark it off.



5.Consult Your Inventory When You Menu Plan

Stay familiar with what is in your freezer. Consult your list so that you make sure you are not only inventorying, but using what you have in a timely manner!

If you are new here you may want to go back and read the prior posts in the How to Begin Freezer Cooking Series!

1. How to Begin Freezer Cooking
2. Freezer Cooking Questions and Misconceptions
3. What Can I Freeze and How Long?
4. How to Package Your Freezer Meals
5. Making a Freezer Cooking Plan
6. Freezer Cooking Day Planning Worksheets

I know I said this would be the last post of the series, but...I have at least one more. I planned to do Freezer Organization with this post and it was just too much. So, look for the next post soon!

Freezer Cooking Worksheets

Today I want to share some freezer cooking worksheets that I created.

When you are going to have a freezer cooking day, you need a plan of some sort. Going into the kitchen and cooking haphazardly can be a recipe for disaster.

A good plan ensures that you are going to have everything you need and your day will go a lot smoother.

If you are not a perfectionist, planner, or a list making fanatic like me you may think I am a little over the top by having worksheets. That's okay. This isn’t for everyone…the point is to make freezer cooking work for you, however that may be.

First I use a Master Planner. I write down what I am making, where the recipe is located, and a grocery list. From there I go to the Prep and Assembly Sheet. I use one column for Prep work. For me the prep side is usually what I will do the night before…cooking and shredding meat and chopping vegetables. Then in the Assembly column I write the tasks for the big cooking day!

Here are the lists...

Freezer Cooking Master Plan

Freezer Cooking Prep and Assembly List

How do you plan your freezer cooking days?


If you are new here, you may want to check out the previous posts:

How to Begin Freezer Cooking

Freezer Cooking Questions and Misconceptions

What Can I Freeze and How Long

How to Package Your Freezer Meals

Making a Freezer Cooking Plan

Next up is our last post in the series...A Freezer Inventory

Making a Freezer Cooking Plan

We have talked about all of the fundamental freezer cooking stuff, so I think we are ready to make a plan and get to work. I have put together six key steps to planning your freezer cooking day. I go through this list each time I am planning, and they really help me.

That said, what works best for me, may not be the best for you.

There are absolutely no rules, so find what works for you and roll with it!


1.Decide on your approach

•Are you going to cook a full months worth of meals?

•Are you sticking with one meat?

•Do you just plan to have a mini cooking spree?



2.Survey what you have on hand

•Look through your stockpile, pantry, and refrigerator and make a quick list of items that could possibly be used. You will be surprised at how many ideas you will come up with just by looking around.

•Save yourself some bucks! I try to be as creative as I can with what is on hand….this makes the grocery list shorter and consequently cheaper.

•Example: Let’s say I am planning for a chicken cooking day. With a quick survey of the stockpile and fridge, I will see that I have spaghetti noodles, cheese, and cream of celery soup. With just one or two items I can put together Tetrazzini…one of my favorite freezer meals!



3.Check the sale ads

•Write down anything that is a great deal that you could possibly use

•This is often how I decide what meat I am going to use. When chicken hits a rock bottom price I stock up and make time for some cooking. Remember, a sale runs all week. If you are busy the week of the sale, buy the meat toward the back end of the sale (Sat or Sun) and cook up the following week.



4.Gather helpful resources

•Print off recipes from your favorite blogs (ie. The Cutting Back Kitchen)

•Invest in a few freezer cooking cookbooks. If you are having trouble thinking of things to make, this will help you immeasurably. I would highly recommend getting the Don’t Panic cookbooks…they are some of my favorites.



5.Finalize your recipes and make a list

•Narrow your list down…you don’t want to kill yourself

•Make a detailed shopping list



6.Prep Work

•Make a list of everything that can be done ahead of time and DO IT.

•Meat- many freezer cooking meals call for precooked meat. If you need cooked chicken, bake up all of your chicken in the oven, shred it, and store in the refrigerator for your cooking day.

•Veggies and Cheese- chop and shred anything you can ahead of time.

•The idea is that on your freezer cooking day, all you are doing is assembling your meals. It will go so much smoother, believe me…it is worth it!


What is your #1 tip when it comes to planning a freezer cooking day?

Please share, we can all learn from each other!

If you are new to this series, here are the links to the previous posts...

#1. How to Begin Freezer Cooking

#2. Common Questions and Misconceptions: Answered

#3. What Can I Freeze and How Long?

#4. How to Package Freezer Food

This post is linked to Works for me Wednesday @ www.wearethatfamily.com

How to Package Your Freezer Meals

This is one of the most important steps. If you neglect to freeze things properly you will likely experience a freezer burnt meal. Nobody spends all day cooking to have meals that have to eventually be thrown away, so take the time and protect your food.

Packaging Methods:

1.Freezer Bags

•This is my preferred method
•It saves a lot of freezer space

Here are some ideas for this method:

•Soups
•Baked Goods
•Casseroles
•Cooked Meats (Plain or in Sauce)
•Marinated Meat
•Fruit and Veggies


2.Foil Containers

•Great for meals that need to hold their shape
•No dishes
•Easy to take a meal to a friend

Here are some ideas for this method:

•Lasagna
•Casseroles
•Enchiladas


3.Glass Dishes

Two different ways for this method:

1.Put meal in dish and freeze

2.Line dish with foil
Place meal in dish
Freeze until firm
Remove from pan, wrap in foil, freeze
To thaw, place meal back in dish

•Ties up dishes
•Takes up a lot of freezer space
Uses same ideas as foil containers


4.Flash Freezing

•Great for fruit
•Use for things that would freeze into a clump
•Place food on lined baking sheet and freeze until firm

Here are some ideas for this method:

•Hamburger Patties
•Fruit
•Cookie Dough
•Meatballs


5.Vacuum Sealer

•I use this method all of the time when it comes to freezing meat
•This method will increase the freezer life for months and months
•It is a little more costly than some methods…you have the initial investment and then the investment of bags.

Here are some ideas for this method:

•Meat
•Meat in marinade
•Fresh Vegetables that have been blanched
•Soups
•Really…I would say pretty much the same things as freezer bags…it will just extend the life!





How do you package your freezer meals?

This post is linked to WFMW at http://www.wearethatfamily.com/

What Can I Freeze and How Long?

While I was writing this post I started a list of everything that freezes well. The list quickly grew to be way too long. I figured a better place to start the conversation is to list things that don't freeze well.

If you are looking for meals to freeze...start here

1. Write down the meals that your family loves and regularly eats.

2.Make sure that none of the ingredients are on the list below, and they will probably freeze well.

3. Take a look at my freezer recipes...they have proven to be successful in the freezer for me.


What doesn’t freeze well:

Eggs in shell
Whipping Cream (won’t whip, but can be frozen for cooking)
Raw Potatoes (I freeze twice baked potatoes)
Sour Cream (I use in casseroles with success)
Cottage Cheese (I use in lasagna with success)
Lettuce, Celery, or Cucumbers (become limp and watery)
Raw Onion and Green Pepper (Great frozen is you intend to cook them)

(Now, these are just the things I could come up with on my own. If I missed something...by all means, let me know and I will add it to the list! )


Freezing Timeline:

Bacon/Sausage 1-2 months
Hot Dog and Lunchmeat 1-2 months
Beef, uncooked 4-12 months
Beef, ground uncooked 3-4 months
Beef, cooked 2-3 months
Poultry, whole uncooked 12 months
Poultry, part uncooked 9 months
Poultry, cooked 4 months
Baked Goods (muffins, cookies, breads) 2 months
Casseroles 3 months
Fruit 8-12 months
Soups 3 months

What is your favorite meal to freeze?

This post is linked to Works for me Wednesday @ www.wearethatfamily.com

Freezer Cooking Questions and Misconceptions: Answered

Many misconceptions are out there on the topic of freezer cooking. There also seems to be many questions afloat. While I don’t have all the answers, I want to share all of the knowledge I do have.

Let’s start with the common misconceptions…

Misconceptions:

1. Freezer cooking is expensive.

While anything can be expensive if you let it, it doesn’t have to be. I do my entire freezer cooking within my $40 weekly budget. I get $80 out bi-weekly, so sometimes when I am freezer cooking I will use a little more one week, and a little less the next. This is something that you have to make work for you and your situation.

While everyone should be on a budget, the amount of that budget will vary from family to family. Some find the rhythm of freezer cooking once a month works best for their budget and yet others find just doubling a few meals fits in their budget more easily.

It is important to remember that while you may spend a large portion of your grocery budget freezer cooking, you will enjoy a lot of meals in the future…so your spending will be less those weeks.

I find that I end up actually saving money by freezer cooking. I have less waste and meals are stretched further, which in turn equals more money in my pocket.

2. You need a big freezer to be successful at freezer cooking.

When I began freezer cooking, I bought into this misconception. We purchased a large stand up freezer (which we had wanted for a long time) so I could begin freezer cooking like crazy. While I have enjoyed it and it makes lilfe easier, it is not a necessity for freezer cooking. Now, if you want to purchase a quarter of a cow...you better get one.

I would recommend saving for one at some point, just because they allow you to store more and stock up on more deals.

Hint: If you don't have a large freezer package all you can in freezer bags to save space.

3. Casseroles, Casseroles, Casseroles!!!

Some people believe that all you can freeze are casseroles. This is entirely false. I do everything from marinating meat, to side dishes, to shredded BBQ chicken, to refried beans, to cookie dough, to muffins. The sky is the limit; it just takes proper planning and some creativity.

I do make some casseroles...sometimes you just crave a good old casserole!



Questions:

1. Does freezer cooking really save time?

YES! YES! YES!!!!

Let’s say that I am making Lasagna for dinner tonight. Let’s assume it is going to take me 45 minutes to put together (not including baking time). I have to brown the meat, make my filling, make my sauce, assemble etc.

If I make Lasagna once a week, I am spending 3 hours a month preparing it. That may not seem so bad, but look at it this way…

If it takes me 15 minutes to brown the pound of meat, how much longer would it take to brown 4 pounds of meat? Maybe an extra 5 minutes? If it takes 15 minutes to make the filling, how much longer would it takes to stir 4 meals worth? Maybe another extra 5 minutes?

So, those 3 hours of making up lasagna can dwindle down to just over an hour pretty quickly!

Combine that with several other meals and you are saving a substantial amount of time. Not to mention the dishes…you will get them all done on the prep day…which leaves you with 3 weeks of lasagna and no dishes!

2. Does the food taste funky?

Freezer cooking…it just sounds weird, doesn’t it?

I can assure you, the food will taste the same (if you are freezing the right kinds of things)! This is coming from one of the pickiest eaters…quality wise. I am not so picky when it comes to what I eat, but the pickiness arises when it comes to how it was prepared.

3. Do you make whole months worth of meals in one day?

There are many approaches to freezer cooking. Just about every person I have talked to has their own approach. I change it up from time to time.

It depends on how much time you have, how much you are planning on cooking, and so on. Sometimes I will just double or triple a meal. Sometimes I will plan a whole days worth…or more.

If you are just beginning, I would suggest starting small!


4. Do you stick with one type of meat each cooking day?

I try to freezer cook in conjunction with sales. I understand that everyone may not have the flexibility to do this, but it saves a lot of money. If I see that boneless chicken breasts are on sale for $1.79, I know that is a stock up price. Instead of enjoying two chicken meals for that low price I may buy enough for 25 meals and store them in the freezer.

Take advantage of the sales.

I do tend to stick with one meat at a time because of this. It is definitely not something you have to do, I just find it usually works best for me.




I will be back with the next freezer cooking post next week.

I hope you are enjoying them so far!

Do you have any freezer cooking questions that didn't get answered?

How to Begin Freezer Cooking

Does your schedule ever get so busy that you feel like you don't have time to cook dinner?

If the answer is yes...

Freezer cooking is something that can revolutionize the way you view dinner time!

Simply put, freezer cooking is an easy way to save time, money, and energy.

This was one of the first things that I ever talked about on this blog. It continues to be something I mention a lot, as I practice it quite frequently.

I have developed six strategies that I regularly use to save money on my grocery bill. I teach these strategies to women who are also looking to help their families by reducing the amount they spend at the grocery.

Of those strategies, freezer cooking always seems to dominate the conversation.

Why?

It appeals to the masses. Doesn’t everyone want to save time, money, and energy all the while enjoying delicious meals from their freezer?

I want to spend some time and go over everything freezer cooking-ish we can possibly think of. Many people I talk to want to do the whole thing, but feel they lack the know how. It seems overwhelming at first and that is what I want to help with. It is a really easy thing to do!.

I am not an expert by any means, but I have done this for a while. About two years ago I got it in my head that I wanted to do this. We went out and bought a big freezer. I bought lots of glass pans to freeze stuff in. I spent lots of money and jumped in head first with no knowledge of what I was doing. I made a list of 30 meals to make in a day and my mom and I about killed ourselves in the process.

I learned the hard way on a lot of things. I don't want you to do the same.

Young, old, single, newly married, homemaker, mother of twelve, empty nesters...

You may have to adapt the principles to work for your family situation, but I guarantee you will benefit!

I hope you are excited to go on this journey with me as we learn the blessing of feeding our freezers.

Next up: Freezer Cooking Misconceptions and Questions... Answered

If you have any questions about freezer cooking...leave a comment or shoot me an email!!