Are you a FLOP? Who has the most organised freezer?

stilernin

OK, have just filled a new 4 compartment freezer from scratch.

Freezing something, even if it was a bargain, is no longer MS if electricity is used to keep it in the freezer for the next five years.

C'mon, we've all found something mysterious lurking in there at some time haven't we???? The dried out turkey slices from last Christmas, the frozen courgettes from the previous summer when we can't give away the glut from the garden this summer, etc etc

I am considering having a 'USE FIRST' drawer. This will have the last couple of slices of bread (I use bread slice by slice), the last fillet of fish in the bag, the cup of soup that was chucked in to tidy up, the odd reduced bargain and so on. Things will be put in there when new packs go into the other drawers.

If I am short of space, I will also repack things that came in a box into poly bags, including the relevant panel of the box with instructions

What system does everyone else have to manage their freezer? What do you pack things in? ...the slices of meat everyone is talking about on the 'ham' thread, ...portions of food etc What packaging do you keep for the job? ....cereal inners to divide meat etc?

Shout it from the rooftops.......

Let's be proud to be a FLOP ......

Frozen Left Over Prince(ss) :j :j :j

TKP_3

I pack all leftovers in freezer bags, and always label well. I always have done the labeling as I hate unidentified frozen objects :rotfl:

I have started doing a "storecupboard challenge" in my freezer. Everytime I plan my menu (I do a 2 week menu, as I only go to the supermarket every 2 weeks), I go through the freezers and use up older items and leftovers first before I chose new recipes. It seems to work, and helps me to remember what is in there!

edited to say : I also have upright freezers (I have 2), and different drawers for differrent stuff e.g. one for meat, one for veges etc. The freezer in the garage takes up all the bigger stuff (like roasts) and the excess when I buy in bulk.

Pooky

I've got a tall freezer with 5 draws, bottom one is anything fruity or dessert orientated, fruit is normally stored in storage boxes (margarine tubs) with something scrawled on it to keep you guessing at the contents.

Next draw up is cooked portions - anything that's been made and frozen so soups, sauces, cooked meats etc - again either in boxes or stocks and soups are stored in bags.

Next draw up is the veggie draw - frozen veg along with anything I've shoved in there rather than throwing it out - unopened packs to the back and always make sure that there's clips on the opened bags or I end up with peas and sweetcorn escaping.

Next draw up is uncooked meat, sausages, joints, mince etc - it gets rotated as I put more in so the newest goes to the back.

Top draw is a mixture - normally has a loaf of bread for emergancies - some rolls, wraps, my "stock pot box" which I load all the veggie trimmings and peelings into and then use up when I'm making a stock, normally a box of muffins or cakes, ice cube trays, ice packs and at the moment a couple of bags of fake snow (don't ask)

I really don't lable things as I should but I can normally tell by colour, smell,what something actually is. Sometimes I hanker for a bigger freezer but then I'd just have to buy more to fill it.:D

frugalfairy_3

I've got a tall freezer too, with 6 drawers (hate it, none of the drawers is very deep so I can't get things like a big chicken in it :mad: ).

Anyway last year I bought a pack of three A4 wipe off magnetic sheets from somewhere online (will have to Google to find a link for you) fairly cheaply. Defrosted and cleaned the freezer, then listed everything in the freezer, drawer by drawer on the sheets which are now stuck to the front of it. It's dead easy just to wipe off the entry when I take something out, and just add whatever I put in after I've been shopping. It's worked really well for me.

Have to say one of the drawers is reserved for bread and cake items and I don't bother listing those as they disappear almost as soon as I've frozen them once everyone else discovers they are there :rolleyes: .

I'll post a link when I find the place I bought the sheets from:o

FF

Found it!

http://www.magnetic-paper.com/shop.asp?ID=9

lizzyb1812

frugalfairy - are the drawers in your freezer on shelves or on runners at the side of the freezer - was just thinking that removing one drawer might give you a double drawer height space to put that big chicken in?

lizzyb

HopeElizzy

I'm reading all your good ideas and taking note.........my freezer gave up 2 weeks before christmas so I lost all the goodies I'd made for christmas as we didn't spot that it had stopped working until it had just about defrosted!:eek:

We managed to get it fixed and now I have an almost empty freezer apart from the turkey stock, turkey soup and turkey curry!!:rotfl: So, my freezer is probably the most organised and tidy it's been in a long time and I want to keep it that way whilst filling it up.

culpepper

I use the plastic containers you get chinese takeaway in. You can buy them in poundland . They are excellent for dividing up meat and fish into family portions and because they are rectangle they make good use of space too.
My freezer is the undercounter type so only has 3 compartments.

nearlyrich

I have a tall freezer with one large drawer, 5 normal height drawers and a couple of drop down flaps. It's sort of organised, meat in one, fish is another etc. I really should get organised and use the contents we buy chicken and chops in bulk and freeze in portions.

I don't like frozen joints or frozen whole chickens, not sure why ....

String

We have a big chest freezer in the garage and a fairly big fridge/freezer in the kitchen. In the large one I keep beef, pork, lamb,fish,fruit, bread,cakes etc in separate baskets. When I buy new and often discounted goods they go onto the bottom. All items are marked. I also have a printed list of all the food in the freezer and tick them off or on as I remove or add them to the freezer. When the freezer is defrosted I check the list against the contents, usually some discrepancies!!
The indoor one has 4 drawers and each is used for a different category eg bread and cakes, leftover food, icecream and vegetables.

It takes awhile to make up the freezer list but once done you can keep it on the computer and print out a new one every so often.

Sarahsaver

I have a chest freezer that I got nearly 10 years ago in anticipation of the arrivel of DD, as I made all her baby food, and the freezer was essential.
I have had an inventory for the past year but it is a bit chaotic as I got a large chicken and 5lb pork chops yesterday, and the ice cream maker bowl takes up a lot of space. ALso have a lot of individual mushroom soups as Im the only one who likes it

Norma_Desmond

You're all so organised!
I'm going to have a clearout of mine today and I just know that I'll find some loose frozen peas in it because I always do!