I realize it is a luxury item to have a completely separate freezer to store food in and that not everyone has this item in their home but it is worth investing in one if you don’t have one especially if you have a family. Sometimes it’s not the huge volume of one item that you put in your freezer but its the little things that add up. I just opened up my freezer the other day and I was thinking “Wow this freezer is just packed” and my mind is already racing with meal plans this is why this is never a problem for me.
Here are my top 10 tips for filling up your freezer!
1. Always freeze leftovers whenever you have them on hand if you know you are not going to use them the next day.
2. When you get your hands on fresh/local produce always freeze some in freezer bags. I do this with lots of things its just nice to have as much fresh/local food as possible stocked in your freezer in its whole food state or as close to it as possible.
3. Freeze a portion of food you grow. This includes herbs, pestos and sauces as well.
4. Stock up on big meat sales this might mean that I buy 4 or 5 chicken roasters but no worries that will be chicken one night, chicken salad for lunch the next day and chicken broth for later. When you find this on sale this is a great deal! Another items is on mis-cut steak pieces they can be cooked and chopped up in the food processor for burrito fillings as one example.
5. Buy bulk items and freeze items that you don’t use to save money. For example I buy large cans of tomato sauce from Costco use what I need and freeze what I don’t use for later.
6. Freeze items such as coffee to help extend their shelf life.
7. Keep a few extra blocks of ice in the freezer ready for camping and or emergencies. This includes ice packs too for injuries and coolers.
8. Make breakfast sandwiches ahead for rushed mornings (this is another blog topic that is coming soon on how I make my Breakfast Quesadillas and Burritos)
9. I also freeze items such as cheese that I know we are not going to get to in time to preserve for eating a later date this requires you remembering the item to freeze of course and to pull it out later 😉
10. Always save some room in your freezer for little or big surprises such as a windfall of peaches from a friend, fish or wild game you might come by you never know when a surprise may be on the way to you!
Great tips, Karen Lynn! Thanks for linking up!
Thanks Amy! I love linking up with your site and always enjoy your posts!
Karen Lynn,
Thank you for making this thoughtful post. I have a small freezer in my garage and I sometimes feel overwhelmed when I look inside it. Reading your post made me realize that I just need to make a plan, get organized, and use it more efficiently. I love your top 10 tips for freezing and I am going to print them and hang them on my freezer as a guide to help me. Thanks! Thanks! Thanks!