When all issues development towards chaos, the freezer is not any exception. Here are tips about tips on how to set up your freezer and the very best equipment that will help you keep organized.
Moving into our new freezer
As we ready for our transfer right into a rental cottage, we tried to make use of up as a lot of our freezer meals as attainable. While our fridge stays pretty organized, our freezer storage stresses me out!
I believe as a result of the aim is at all times to open and shut it as quick as attainable to keep away from leaking any chilly out, we have a tendency to simply stuff meals again in with out a lot thought as to the place we’re tossing them.
Despite our greatest efforts, right here was our outdated fridge on shifting week:
See that crimson lid container on the fitting? That was Birch’s leftover birthday cake from October. We all loved it the night time earlier than we moved!
Drawer vs. Side by Side
The fridge at our cottage is a facet by facet French door fridge and freezer, and we’re form of liking it! I choose a “two doors on the top / freezer drawer on the bottom” total as a result of I believe the width is invaluable at instances for storing fridge meals (like make-ahead meatballs), nevertheless, we actually just like the side-by-side freezer. It’s simpler to see with out bending over.
Organizing your freezer can assist you maximize its advantages, ensure you’re utilizing meals up earlier than it’s previous its prime, and allow you to meal plan and meal prep extra successfully.
If you might be somebody with a really messy freezer (or perhaps you’ve got a second one in your basement or storage) you’ll profit from a freezer declutter and getting some group instruments!
Whether you’ve got a backside freezer, prime freezer, chest, or a facet by facet, listed here are sensible suggestions and organizing concepts that will help you hold your freezer(s) tidy on a regular basis.
How To Organize Your Freezer
Keep a listing
Keeping a listing record is a good way to pay attention to what’s within the freezer with out having to blast your face with chilly air! You could make your individual or obtain a printable one like this one from Etsy.
Include the date bought, the use by date, probably the date you opened the bag/field, and what number of you’ve got inside.
You’ll need the record to be simply accessible within the kitchen so you possibly can cross issues off as you employ them. Consider storing beneath a magnet on the facet of the fridge, in a close-by drawer, on a bulletin board, or in your cellphone or laptop.
Organize gadgets by expiration date
If you’ve heard of FIFO earlier than as an accounting precept, that idea applies to freezers! FIRST IN, FIRST OUT. It means use your oldest meals first! This is difficult to do in a freezer the place you’re dumping meals on prime and burying the oldest stuff, so once more, having an organizing system the place you rotate by can actually assist with this.
You can use bins or baggage to group like expiration dates with like, or use a vertical storage the place you might be shifting left to proper.
Use labels
Ever peeked right into a bag or container and don’t have any clue what was inside? Haven’t all of us! Obviously labels are the clear resolution for this.
There are a bunch of various labeling choices, from Sharpie on a disposable bag (much less environmentally pleasant!) to Scotch freezer tape to labels that dissolve off with water!
If you’re labeling ready meals, you possibly can embrace the substances and primary cooking directions that will help you keep in mind tips on how to cook dinner or reheat.
Have meals zones
When organizing your meals, I wish to group by class: breakfast (like waffles), smoothie substances or Daily Harvest smoothie cups, desserts (popsicles, ice cream), lunch meals (Daily Harvest bowls), dinner substances (frozen veggies, floor beef, rooster nuggets, or frozen pizzas), extras (like ice packs).
Freezer bins can assist you kind by class. Our backside freezer had a moveable divider that helped hold the sections separate, and our new fridge has pull out drawers which can be good!
Labeling can assist right here, too, so your loved ones members can inform what gadgets are speculated to go the place.
Put most-used gadgets on the highest or door
Do you already know what’s most used at our home? The ice cream! Second is probably going smoothie making provides like frozen bananas and berries.
When utilizing a backside freezer, we put the most-used provides on the highest the place they’re best to succeed in. If your freezer has a door, that’s the plain place for them. And since this stuff are most used, they’re in all probability additionally probably the most steadily changed, in order that they received’t be as impacted by the fixed opening of the door.
Decant
Just like when organizing a pantry, decanting can assist you save area in your freezer. I can consider a number of merchandise we purchase on the common which have an outer field however are nonetheless individually wrapped on the within (salmon patties, No Bull burgers, frozen waffles). I’ll typically take these out of the field to avoid wasting area. Just be aware that you just’ll have to recollect tips on how to cook dinner them and may need to label the expiration date on the surface.
I additionally at all times decant popsicles and ice cream sandwiches so you possibly can extra simply see the flavors of pops and know whenever you’re getting all the way down to the previous couple of – time to placed on the record!
Seal tightly
Freezer burn is the WORST, and air is frozen meals’ worst enemy. Be certain you’re resealing your packaging nicely to keep away from the dreaded process of tossing out freezer-burned veggies. If you’ve got the area for one, a vacuum sealer can assist you get all of the air out. Second most suitable choice – double wrap!
Practice minimalism
Needless to say, the less gadgets you retailer in your freezer the simpler it will likely be to wash. Connect this again to the stock record that will help you keep in mind to really eat what you’ve got inside! If you’ve got an excessive amount of further area you should use ice packs to assist your freezer hold within the chilly.
Do a quarterly clear out
A frequently scheduled clear out is at all times a good suggestion too. Put any misplaced gadgets again the place they belong, and toss out something expired.
If you’re feeling tremendous up to the mark, vacuum the crumbs from any bins or drawers and provides them a wipe down. I’m at all times amazed at what number of crumbs (and hairs – gasp!) find yourself within the backside of my freezer provided that it’s solely open for one minute at a time.
Freezer Organization Ideas
Use bins
Bins are nice for grouping baggage of frozen fruit or unfastened, decanted popsicles. You can put all the child meals in a single, all of the breakfast gadgets in a single, and so on.
The Container Store has a variety of nice choices like these baskets, together with this vertical stacking one, however it’s also possible to use journal holders or primary white bins such as you’d discover on the Dollar Store. Stackable bins are nice for chest freezer organizing.
Stasher baggage
We LOOOOOOVE Stasher baggage!!! Not solely are they washable and reusable, however they’re legit nice at sealing and simple to open. The solely draw back is they’re costly per bag, however they’re one thing you’ll hopefully use and reuse for years. We use the large Stashers for bagels and frozen bananas.
Tip: freeze berries on a sheet pan
If you’re freezing one thing recent, like hand-picked strawberries within the early summer season, you possibly can freeze them on a sheet pan and then put them in a Stasher bag – this manner they received’t stick collectively! Generally, the smaller the meals, the extra you’ll want to make use of this spreading out flash freezing methodology. Large banana halves don’t actually need a separate freezing course of to be plucked off each other to be used.
Leave area to develop
Frozen meals develop, so should you’re utilizing a glass container, jar, or popsicle mould, be sure you depart some area so that you don’t create a goopy overflow. These are my favourite silicone popsicle molds that we use to freeze further smoothies or make selfmade pops. They are nice as a result of they received’t drip, there aren’t sticks to make use of, and they’re dishwasher secure.