Tip Tuesday – Frozen Food Finds

When was the last time you cleared out your freezer? In honor of March 2nd’s “National Old Stuff Day”, and March 6th’s “National Frozen Food Day”, I declare NOW is the time! We talked about clearing out your pantry last week, and this week’s focus is on your frozen foods.

As part of “Shop Free February” I made it a point to eat up the frozen foods in my freezer! There was easily half a month worth of food there, and I created some delicious crockpot meals. It was great not to let the food go to waste, and to have some warm, savory meals during a frigid February! Here’s how you can “shop” your own freezer section too:
-Pull EVERYTHING out and group like with like.
-Wipe down your freezer while it is empty.
-Store fish, meats, starches, and sweets in their own labeled bins for quick identification.
-In our side-by-side freezer, I use handled totes to pull each group off of their shelves. A client uses bargain bins to organize her bottom pull-out freezer drawer.  Whatever you use, it is always worthwhile to contain your food for easy access! Bonus: The Container Store has 25% off kitchen items NOW.
-Don’t forget to label as you go! When I freeze something I use a black sharpie to mark the tin foil. Always include the DATE the food was frozen. That way you are able to use up the oldest items first.
-Finally, I encourage you to make a list of all the food that you put back in your freezer. Post it nearby so you can refer to it and really try to use things up. And remember, things do NOT last forever in the freezer. Use the foodsafety.gov guideline to know when to toss mystery meat in the future.

Tell me what you find in YOUR freezer!