Store cupboard challenge

russetred

I find the best way to keep the chest freezer organised is to use bags for life. I have a huuuuge chest freezer and I keep all my different meats in different bags, my veg in another and an odds and sods bag near the top. That way I can quickly lift out bags to get to the right one.I always keep an up to date freezer inventory on the fridge door and I cross off items as they come out the freezer.It means I can menu plan for several days ahead. I have to be organised my SIL accidently defrosted her freezer and I inherited all the contents which would have been dumped otherwise.I cooked everything then froze it all, that was a month ago and I've only gone through about a tenth of it.

pink_numbers

misscousinitt, that's absolutely no problem Lucky you for having two freezers, I would love to have more freezer space, but I guess that's just asking for me to stuff more away.

russetred - That is just a great idea! I will definitely try that if I ever get a chest freezer. Our 2-bed mid terrace just hasn't got the space for a chest freezer, but you watch, one day I will get my big chest (freezer)

I think I'm going to make penne fritata tonight using a portion of cubed ham and my fritata mix (when I made this last time, I put away half the feta cubed and half the baby toms cut in half in a tupperware) so I can cross that off the list

CCP

I'm so glad my flat's too small for a chest freezer - I'm nowhere near organised enough to use it sensibly, and those yellow stickers are just too tempting...

I've just posted my meal plan for next week, which uses up:

• one small portion of meatball casserole
• one pack of two FR chicken legs
• half a tub of coconut milk
• one portion BBQ marinated pork slices

OK, it's not much, but it's a start!

pink_numbers - your frittata sounds yum, BTW. :drool:

JulieGeorgiana

It's not too hard keeping a chest freezer organised! I have one with 4 baskets, 1 compartments and a HUGE open space!!

Every month when I come home with the shopping I rotate the meat (the the compartment and the basket above) and another basket for bread products (pitta, pasta, garlic bread, pizza dough, bread dough), anouther with odds and ends (ice lollies and frubes!!) and a the last for vegetables!

Then the large compartment, to the left bread, right 'boxed' products in the middle at the back, piles up are large dishes of ready made food (lasagne, Sheppard's pie and chicken pies) and in frond all my small meal size frozen food!!!

Then I have a lit on the computer of the meat and the made meals... and every week when I meal plan I lookover it... and if I know something been in there a while... I get it out and eat it!

This year I have thrown away two kebabs leftover from my pre-wedding BBQ (I am allergic and my Husband doesn't like them)

This freezer is huge... takes organisation and you can keep on top of it!

Although my pen run out a few months ago... and at the weekend we had something I later lables 'pot luck' was yummy!

The other bag I didn;t label turned out to be stock and not spag bol!! That was a !!!!!!... stock and spagetti.... YUK!

Sarah_Joanne

I don't need to defrost my freezer but I do need to empty it a bit. It's jam packed withstuff, half cheap meat etc from whoopsies and half frozen batch cooking.

I have a question though, if some meat is freezer burned is it still ok to eat? It's in the original packaging from the supermarket.

Good luck with your mission

JulieGeorgiana

Sarah_Joanne wrote: »

I don't need to defrost my freezer but I do need to empty it a bit. It's jam packed withstuff, half cheap meat etc from whoopsies and half frozen batch cooking.

I have a question though, if some meat is freezer burned is it still ok to eat? It's in the original packaging from the supermarket.

Good luck with your mission

I find meat can looked freezer burnt... but if you defrost it and it smells okay... then it's not! Freezer burn is when it defrosts slightly and re-freezes... but the meat will go off during this process!

I found... might be wrong!

pink_numbers

yes Julie but you ARE the queen of organisation!! :P you'd make running the country look easy!

Sarah Joanne, I'm not sure about freezer burnt meat, and I wouldn't want to give you the wrong advice... but what Julie says make sense to me, that it's ok if it hasn't defrosted then froze again.

EDIT: I couldn't make fritata in the end as I was about to have a migraine and so went and laid down for a while instead... ah well, maybe tomorrow

CCP

Sarah_Joanne wrote: »

I have a question though, if some meat is freezer burned is it still ok to eat? It's in the original packaging from the supermarket.

I think of freezer burn as being where the meat hasn't been wrapped properly or has escaped from its packaging, and has come into contact with the the frozen air - is that what you mean? If so, it will be fine from a safety POV, but the texture might not be very good. I tried to cook some freezer-burnt steak last year and the burnt bit was quite hard and not very pleasant, so it might be best to cut off the damaged bit and cook the rest, if that's possible.

HTH.

kazmeister

this thread.

Quite appropriate that I have just resorted the freezers' contents so that I could get 2 joints and a whole chicken in that were bought as bargains this week.

There are 3 freezers -

A small one on the landing with 4 drawers
A half size one on top of the fridge
and a large one in the utility that has 5 drawers I think and I hate it compared to the old one that used to occupy the same space which I nicknamed the tardis after seeing this one that DH bought.

Ok contents - and I bet I run out of space on this post!

UTILITY ROOM FREEZER
Top & Bottom drawers together
2 tubs HG raspberries
2 tubs HG blackberries
1 tub mixed HG rasp/blackberries
5 tubs HG blackcurrants (approx lb)
4 tubs HG blackcurrants (approx 1/2 lb) With all this fruit I think I'll be jam/sorbet making again but Sorbet will need freezing again - doh!
4 packs blueberries
3 packs cherries
1/2 pack summer fruits
1/2 bag HG redcurrants
2 bags sliced apple
Drawer 2
8 Beefburgers
6 Pork/Black Pudding Sausages - save for when DH friend comes down and they have biggy fried breakfast
2 Tuna/Coriander Fishcakes
3 packs Bacon
2 x 2 loose beefburgers
1 pk 20 Meatballs
1 pk 8 sausages
1 chorizo sausage
2 x 2 GF sausages
3 sausages
1 pk 4 Beefburgers with Dijon mustard
1/3 bag curly fires
1 bag curly fries
1/2 bag roasties (it was an emergency)
1/4 bag yorkies (1 thing i cant make)
1 naan bread
Drawer 3
1 Rump Steak
3 pks x 2 Beef Medallions - Any ideas please, bought as they looked so nice but stuck in freezer ever since
2 pks Diced Chicken
1 piece Casserole Steak
1 pk Diced Pork Shoulder
1 pk Pork Mince
Pk Minced Beef sm
Pk Mini Chicken Fillets
2 Pork Steaks
Pk Mined Beef lg
1 Whole Pork Fillet
1 Goose Breast (dont ask) - been there a while but need ideas
1 Pk Pork Stuffing Balls
Drawer 4
2 Salmon Fillets
Pk Smoked Haddock
1 Whole Seabass
1 Whole Seabass with garlic
1 pk Langoustines
1 pk x 2 Lemon Sole
1/2 lg bag Raw King Prawns
1 bag White Fish Fillets
1 bag Prawns
1 bag (4) Tuna Steaks
Ice Tray
2 packs Shortcrust Pastry
3 Packs Puff Pastry
7 x 1oz blocks Yeast

SMALL ONE ABOVE FRIDGE
1/4 tub Mint Choc Ice cream
1/4 tub HM Redcurrant Sorbet
1/4 tub HM Kiwi Sorbet
1/2 tub HM Mango Sorbet
3/4 loaf Bread
1 pk 4 Bread rolls
3 pks grated Cheese (at least)
1 Mozzarella Ball
1 bag grated Mexican Cheese
xx bags of HG Runner Beans
xx bags of HG French Beans
xx bags of HG Sliced Green Peppers
1 bag whole HG Chillies

LANDING FREEZER (All leftover portions or ready meals for DH to take to work)
Drawer 1
2 Large tubs Veg Surprise
2 tubs Veg Soup
3 tubs Veg Mix from Garden
2 sm tubs VVVV Hot Chilli Mix
Drawer 2
1 Chicken/Bacon/Leek Dinner
1 Beef in Red WIne Sauce Dinner
1 HM Chicken Korma Sm
1 Cooked Rice portion Sm
1 HM Bolognese
1 HM Curry Surprise
1 Beef Stock
1 Passata SM
1pk Egg Noodles
Drawer 3
3 Lasagne Portions
3 portions Cooked Runner Beans
1 Portion Cooked French Beans
2 Ind Steak & Kidney Pies
1 HM Beef Madras
2 Chicken Pie portions
Drawer4
Rib of Beef Joint
Whole Chicken
Pork Joint

And that doesnt count what I threw away including approx 12 black Bananas that I was going to bake with at some point.

Oh and we're feeding me DH, DD (aged 11) and DS (who is going to uni on Sunday )

Wish me luck - TARGET - IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS :rotfl:

LondonDreamer

:hello: Joining in! Our freezer is pretty small compared to a lot of OSers (but big by London standards) so can't hoard too much, but we had a big power cut a few weeks ago. None of the food was spoiled thankfully, but it did cause quite a big ice build up that needs to be defrosted. I've been trying to use up the contents since then and here's what's left:

2 portions leftover veg chilli *
2 portions of leftover pasta sauce *
1 frozen pizza bought on offer *
1 chicken breast *
6 mini naan breads *
2 portions of oven chips *
Bag of chopped onion *
Bag of frozen raspberries *
Tub of mashed banana (about two bananas)
6 sausages left from a larger pack that DH wasn't keen on
Half a bag of frozen peas (again, DH not keen on them)
Block of cheese (YS)
Handful of ice lollies leftover from summer
Two batches of cookie dough
One lonely slice of chocolate cake!

Stuff with asterisks are already in next week's meal plan. Now I need to check out the sausage thread for a recipe, since DH won't eat these ones just with mash. Also need to find something for the cheese. I can't have dairy, so thinking some savoury treats for DH's snacks.

Writing the list down made me realise how close I am, I think I'll have it mostly clear by next weekend. Just before pay day to fill it back up! :rotfl: