Organizing your freezer can help you keep track of what you have and use it in a timely manner, avoiding waste.
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Having a deep freeze can be a great way to save time and money in the kitchen. Not only can you stock up on items on sale, but you can also practice freezer cooking where you store in the freezer a number of meals for later use.
Freezer meals have saved my bacon on any number of occasions.
Keeping your frozen assets organized can help you use them up before they go bad.
There are two types of freezer: upright and chest. There are pros and cons to both kinds of freezer.
We have had the same chest freezer for the last 12 years. While it is a little bit of a pain to defrost periodically, the Pantry Challenge helps me do that AND make the most of what we have.
It’s also been a little tough to keep organized. Until now.
Last weekend I strategized with hubs as to the best way to put some order in my freezer chaos. We agreed that bins would work. He preferred metal baskets — at twenty bucks a pop. I favored plastic — for well, cheaper.
An hour later I came home from Target with these babies:
The green plastic baskets are from the dollar section at Target, for, well, a dollar. The black stackable bins were $5. So, I spent $25 to get our freezer in shape. I suppose that sounds expensive, but not compared to the $100 I might have spent at Home Depot. And seeing as I spent $200 to buy this baby in 1999/2000, I think we’re good.
Now, since I’m in the middle of the Pantry Challenge, I did not empty and defrost the freezer. I didn’t wipe up the spill I found on the bottom of the freezer. But, I did put things in order.
Each basket contains a different kind of item: beef, pork, chicken, fish, bacon/sausage, baked goods, vegetables, sauces, etc. I just started filling the baskets and it was all categorized in a matter of minutes! I did leave “freezer meals” on the shelf of the freezer since those are fairly varied and stack well. Thankfully, they were labeled!
When I add items to the freezer, I just need to sort them into the appropriate bin or basket. Here’s the Beef Fin.
Hubs is not convinced that the plastic will hold up for very long in the freezer. I admit, I am taking a risk. But, I’m guessing that all 9 of them won’t break at the same time, so I will be able to repurpose the remaining baskets if one does prove that they aren’t freezer friendly.
In the meantime?
I’m good.
Pat
Our chest freezer came with the house we rented from my bill 43 years ago. I have no idea how old it is! I am using some plastic tubs and sturdy boxes to keep it organized. They hold ground beef, Zaycon chicken, frozen veggies from last year’s garden and baking supplies The roasts,hams and whole chickens are underneath the boxes and crates.
The upright needs some work. The door holds homemade broths, sauces and grated cheese. The top shelf holds bread, bagels and sandwich thins. The basket at the bottom holds home frozen veggies and the middle is a mess.
The freezer above the fridge has frozen veggies to use, some baking supplies and powdered milk. The top shelf has my husband’s lunch containers, leftovers and already cooked food. The bottom shelf is a mess?
I guess I’m semi organized!
Amanda
Hi Jessica,
So thrilled to have found your blog, and also your freezer cookbook. Expecting baby #2 soon, so very happy to have lots of amazing ideas for stocking our freezer.
Quick question– How have your plastic stacking bins held up in your freezer over time?
Thanks!!
amanda
Jessica Fisher
We actually have switched to using mostly reusable grocery bags to sort. You can see more of that here: http://www.thekitchn.com/ways-to-organize-your-chest-freezer-love-your-freezer-215976
Bob
I have an upright freeze and I’m using plastic baskets from walmart. They seem to be holding up well so far. As far as labeling them I have a small handheld label maker. I’m think of going one step further and putting magnetic chart on the front with labeled magnets and number to help keep track of what is in there. I also have to say I just found this site and going to try a lot of the things I’m reading.
annie
I’ve had both kinds. I wouldn’t describe myself as a scrapbookin’, Pinterest-lovin, kind of person. I don’t need to hear angelic music when I open the door. I do however enjoy a sense of orderliness. My chest freezer allows me to dump and go, and the built in compartments allow me to generally categorize the contents.
My experience with our Upright: Pre-Fishmama. It was free. It was ugly. It was very old. It had mold. It cost us $50 a month in electricity to use. We kept it in an unheated Minnesota garage. We mostly used it to store ice or flash freeze strawberries. Go figure. We didn’t have the heart to pass it on to someone else. Our energy company wanted us to pay $50 for them to remove it.
My experience with our Chest model: Pre-Fishmama, Post-DaveRamsey. Our grocery bill was astronomical. My incentive to learn how to lower that bill was to take the savings difference and save up for a chest freezer. It took me 2 months to do that. I learned how to cherry pick during my shopping trips, and also had a place to put everything. And it costs us about $50 a year to run instead of $50 a month. I defrost it about once every three months. A camping size cooler is nearby so whatever is left in the freezer at that point goes into the cooler for 12 hours. No big deal.
P.S. I love, love, love the cookbook’s techniques. That section alone is worth the price.
Jessica Fisher
Thanks for your kind words.
Faye
My freeze is 19cu feet. The freezer came with baskets on the top. The lower level has grid dividers . In those areas I have placed the re-cyclable bags from the grocery. The 99 cent ones. This allows me to bring the bags out easily …the bags are sturdy, take up minimal space and have nice handles for ease of use.
sandi
Label all containers and write date on them
Adrienne @ Whole New Mom
Love this…I was just out peering into my freezer the past week wondering how to best do it. I’ll give this a try. Thanks!!!
Terri
I just recently acquired a chest freezer. I already have an upright and an extra fridge with freezer. I have put stuff in it, but have not got it organized yet. I use collapsible plastic crates from the dollar store in the upright. If the plastic baskets break and you have to replace them, you would have to do it several times and it would still be cheaper than the metal baskets. Plus, while the plastic ones are doing the job, you might find some inexpensive metal ones to replace them if you look around. Just a thought.
Jessica
I think the trick is finding metal inexpensively. Hubs loves those for garage storage and they are tough to find at a good price.
annie
my hubs and your hubs definitely came from the same planet. 🙂 i heard my husband’s voice when i read your post. too funny.