Three weeks ago we got a quarter of a beef cow from a local farmer. This was great, because we were just about out of steaks. This was not so great because it meant I needed to dig into the chest freezer, rotate the older beef to the top, and do a general re-organization. It turned out for the best, because now I know exactly what is in the freezer, and pretty much where it is. (I love me some organization!)
The left side of the freezer is ground beef, hamburger patties, roasts, and pork.
The right side of the freezer is brats, steaks, game meat (elk and deer), and miscellaneous meaty-things (like Cornish game hens).
The best thing about this freezer re-organization is that now I know I have space for a couple of turkeys as we get closer to the holidays!
This freezer project got me thinking… There’s a big upright freezer right next to the chest freezer. The chest freezer holds all our meaty goodness, and the upright freezer holds, well, pretty much everything else. In no particular order.
So I tackled that last weekend. Here’s the freezer before. Not too bad… Stacks of frozen corn, bags of blueberries all in a row… But I knew there was some stuff in there I had forgotten about, and that I frankly couldn’t find.
So, armed with a cooler and some gloves, I dug in. And this is the end result.
Top shelf – baked goods (cookies, zucchini bread, pancakes) and a couple of bonus things. And some free space!
Second shelf – mostly veggies. There’s some noodles back there, but at least I know where they are!
Third shelf (which is really a drawer) – mainly breads (who needs 3 packages of hot dog buns? I thought there was at least 1 loaf of bread in here, but I was wrong) and a few Smart Ones meals.
Fourth shelf – sweet corn frozen on the cob and fruit. Lots of blackberries. (And silly me, I thought we were about out!)
Bottom shelf (another drawer) – some more cantaloupe, frozen corn off the cob, two cabbage casseroles I made when we had a bumper crop last summer, and a package of cole slaw. (Not sure we’ll get around to those last two…)
On the door – strawberries and bell pepper strips…
…grated squash waiting for bread, some more veggies, a few seeds for next year’s garden, and one lonely strawberry jam (and some free space!)…
…lots of blueberries (love these on my cereal and oatmeal all year long!)…
…and some shredded cheese and more veggies.
All in all, a pretty successful project! Now I know what I have, where it is, and things are a bit more organized.
To finish my OCD project, I wrote out my freezer inventories, for both freezers. I got these great free printables from Life Your Way. Love them (the printables and the website)!
Up next… the freezer that’s actually attached to our refrigerator. Look at that empty space! Hey… is that steel cut oats hiding under the pile?
Hey, ravioli! I forgot those were in there! And, of course, the required mystery containers… (better in the freezer than the refrigerator!)
What’s in your freezer?
Lana Wallpe says
OK, let’s try this again! OMGOSH! You are way too organized for me! I do have two freezers, one for meat, and one for veggies, fruit, and misc. Both are up-rights because, as you know, I am short! I had fears that I would come home some day and find my 4′ 91/2″ mom frozen head first in our old chest freezer because she had to use a stool to reach the bottom of it! You, being tall and all, should not have such issues.
Hey! Congrats on being nominated for IFB’s Young Farmers of the Year! Good luck to you and Doc. Can’t wait until December to see how it all plays out!
Crystal says
is that a green bear i see in the freezer???
Marybeth @ Alarm Clock Wars says
We are blessed with the tall genes. 🙂 Though, occasionally, digging around at the bottom of the freezer I do get a little head rush!
Marybeth @ Alarm Clock Wars says
Crystal, that’s my boo-boo bear! It’s a great ice pack for Farmer Doc after I smash him on the head with a cast iron skillet! 😉