Reader Suzanne is quite the freezer diva, but she shares none of my problems with frozen foodstuffs taking up residence in her freezer. She described her system in a useful comment this week:
I label and rotate my stock. I have a top freezer with my refrigerator in the kitchen. This is where I keep items I will be likely to use within the next 2-3 weeks. I have a chest freezer that stores items bought in bulk and on sale at good prices. These are dated/labeled. This is where the stock for the kitchen freezer comes from. I have learned to only purchase the items we use on a regular basis so that I do not have “tenants.”
This is a great idea that I’d like to implement. But Suzanne, what do you do with leftovers? Do you immediately incorporate them into future meals or make yourself use them before you can replenish from your chest freezer? Do tell!
PS. This picture is not of Suzanne’s freezer, but I imagine hers is just as well organized!
June 26th, 2009 at 11:59 am
What I do with the leftovers really depends on how much there is. I package my quantities for freezing in packages with a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 4 servings. The extra servings tend to be lunches for my husband and me for the next day or two. When there is extra meat, we will use that in a salad for either a lunch or dinner within the next day or two.
When I make a really big batch of say lasagna, chili, or chicken soup, I will freeze at least half of the batch for use another time, or the big batch is for a family gathering (kids and grandkids) and there is nothing left over!
Thanks so much for choosing my comment for the week! I really enjoy your site!!
June 26th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
Whoever organized that freezer in the picture, please send them to my house!! I need them
June 26th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
Whomever owns the freezer in the picture must have a lot of free time!!!
I have the unorganized freezer we speak about, so I would like to know, what kind of labeling material do you use (mine falls off or bleeds off)? Something frugal, I hope…?
June 27th, 2009 at 9:28 am
Your blog on freezer diva made me think it must be genetic. Your grandmother had a refrigerator that looked like yours. She saved every bit and lived to 92 on leftovers.
June 27th, 2009 at 11:16 am
Aha! Grandma Jo lives on!!!
June 28th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
looks like sticky notes perhaps with tape across to hold it onto the container – am I right? if not that, what did they use for the labels?
June 29th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
I use masking tape and a Sharpie for labeling. If you put it on the container BEFORE it’s cold, it will stay on. (Tape on a cold container will fall off.) The only downside is that it leaves some tape residue on the container lids, but that doesn’t bother me.