To save space and make extra room in my freezer, I remove the supermarket packaging. I cut out the label, and place the product and label, into a clear "snap lock" type sealed bag. The label tells me the item and date. The bag replaced the packaging which I have found to take up about 30-40% of the space.
Also I separate bulk items into portion packs, each portion is separately bagged. By using the labeled bag last I always know content details of the separated bags.
By Krossova from Melbourne, Australia
Here are some great food tips for saving money on food by packaging and freezing it:
Here are some food freezing tips. Post your ideas below!
I found out that you can freeze chicken and dressing & the gravy in separate ziplock plastic bags. It's even better than when I first made it,good luck.
I always try to have frozen veggies on hand, and often use less than a full bag at a time. To keep from losing these partial bags, I keep a plastic crate in the freezer.
Ideas for organizing an upright freezer. Post your ideas.
It can be challenging to use all the space in an upright freezer. I use inexpensive rectangular plastic dishpans as bins in order to get more on each shelf. I label the dishpans vegetables, meats, etc. This also works well in refrigerator freezers. When I am looking for something, I can pull out the entire container and go through it without having bunches of frozen foods falling out and bouncing off my toes.
By Lynn
I use the shelf helpers and this allows me to more shelf space.
The chest freezers are sold with grilled open bins. They allow the cold air to move in and around and under the stored foods. In the frig the grills are mainly negative space , again for the same reason. In an upright the shelves are grilled. Its best to use baskets with a lot of spaces rather than dish pans or pasteboard boxes. It will cost you less to run the machine, its easier on it. My Dad was in refrigeration business.
To eliminate second guessing on how old food is in the freezer, just write with permanent marker on the bag or use a label and the date and year when you bought it, then when you buy new items put the old ones in the front and the new stuff in the back. This way you won't forget about those items and they will be used up and not forgotten. I do this in my pantry also.
By lizluvs2cook
I purchased plastic bins at the dollar store for keeping in different types of food (one for chicken, another for beef, and a third for "other"...since that is all that will fit on one shelf). I have a different shelf for different foods, which sometimes overlap a bit. (top for meats, second for veggies, third for fruits and desserts, and bottom for breads)
A variation is to use shaker-style (or other sturdy weave and design) baskets - I put fruit in these, and it adds a quaint, eye-pleasing touch to the inside of the fridge.
I find the best way to organize my upright freezer is using seal a meal and line them up like a bookshelf when it comes to leftovers. Labeling them on the side makes it easy to read..
I had a freezer with out the shelf inside. The food, all in different sizes and shapes, would pile up and slide everywhere. I put water in four bottles, found an old soda crate, and put it inside.
We hang a cork board by the freezer to organize the meat in our freezer. List each type of meat along one side of the board, such as Beef, Chicken, Pork.
When you freeze leftovers, keep a notepad by the freezer and write down what you have got in there. When you have a "don't know what to cook" moment, you will have inspiration.
I saw this tip on Thrifty Fun last year and it has really been a big help for me in keeping the food in my chest type freezer separated and organized. I purchased several cloth bags from the grocery store and use them for stacking the vegetables and fruits.
One great tip I've found very useful is to make a list of what I put in my freezer and place it on the front of my refrigerator with a magnet.
I got really tired of trying to find things in my freezer. I went to Big Lots and bought some plastic boxes. I stood my bags of meat on end like a file drawer.
I was rooting around in my freezer the other day and had to throw out some items due to their advanced age.
I've found a way to keep my freezer organized that saves me both time and money. I have plastic bins that fit on the shelves and are labeled as to contents: chicken, beef, fish.
