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Day 24: Freezer Clean Out
Oh the challenge of cleaning out the freezer! We have 3 freezers – the one attached to our refrigerator in the kitchen, a 15 cubic foot upright a 7 cubic foot chest freezer both in the basement. This may sound a bit crazy, but we purchase our beef by the side once a year, and that takes up most of the 15 cubic foot freezer, so we need additional freezer space for poultry, bread, and all of the fruits and vegetables from the garden that we do not can.
So now that we have established the size of this task in our household, I want to share with you how I tackle it.
The trick is to never let it get bad in the first place. Ok, easier said then done, but if you label everything as it goes into your freezer, you will have a much easier time maintaining everything.
But in reality, we are all starting with our freezers in various stages of disarray. Here’s how to get back on track.
- If the items is not labeled currently, its time to do so. You can get inexpensive labels through Amazon. However a Sharpie works wonders on zip top bags, foil, and freezer paper.
- If the food item can no longer be identified, its time to toss it.
- If the food has been in the freezer longer than a year – toss it. For store bought meats it is fairly easy to tell as you can check the dates. For other packaged foods, it may be more of a challenge, but they still have dates on them. For food you made and then froze, all bets are off on knowing how long its been in there.
- Stack like items together – all of the frozen veggies, meats, ice cream, etc.
- Use bins when necessary to keep things organized.
With a little time before you put things into the freezer, and some time cleaning out what you already have, you will have a perfectly decluttered freezer in no time!
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