How to Stock a Freezer
Freezers sit atop every modern refrigerator. For those of you who are even more modern... you may have one of those sexy stainless steel fridges with the freezer on the bottom.
It should be noted that there are two types of freezers. The one I described above as well as the deep freezer. This is a stand alone freezer. We will be taking about the first sort.
Maybe you’ve just moved into your new home or apartment and you are wondering where to start with freezer stocking and freezer meals. Perhaps you just did a cleaning purge for the new year or your new eating chapter and you are looking to invest in some quality bases for meals. Continue reading!
When choosing how to stock your freezer, you must take into consideration two important things.
Longevity
How LONG your food will last you once frozen is important. Most people store food in the bag or package it came in. If you buy in the same serving you cook. This works. If you are one who buys in bulk for yourself or for your family, often you will need to SPLIT the package into different servings before freezing. If you do this, I highly recommend using freezer safe containers. My personal preference is Tupperware freezer mates. These keep the freezer burn away and come in space saving rectangular shapes.
Freezer life of food can be anywhere from 3-5 months.
2. Taste
This may sound basic…but don’t freeze or buy things you don’t like! I once got frozen brussel sprouts because the were only 1.29 a pack. I LOVE shredded fresh brussels, so I figured the frozen ones were a steal. I was so sadly wrong. They were a soggy cold mess that I hated. The price was low and so was the taste quality!
Remember that you will lose a BIT of the natural flavor by freezing, however this is not overly noticeable. What is most important is that you choose items that are fitting for you and/or your family’s taste buds and that will keep in the freezer.
HOW TO STOCK A FREEZER
This is a list of my preferred foods. These may be helpful to you as you shop as they have high longevity and high taste quality. The items on this list also serve as bases or sides for all star meal prepping. Remember to leave room for your meal prep containers! This list is brief.
Mixed Vegetables
Stir fry Vegetables
Trader Joe’s Brown Rice (3 pack)
Bags/Boxes of : Spinach, Corn, peas, edamame
Halo Top! Or your ice cream of choice
Super quick go to meal: nuggets, fish sticks, meatballs, chicken strips, gardein strips…
Frozen cut bananas, blueberries, strawberries
Ground beef (in servings)
Chicken breast
That’s all you need to get started. These choices work great with coming up with something on a weeknight or using as a quick side. You will be thankful you have them on hand.
PACKING THE FREEZER
This part is the simple one. Never put plastic containers on the door…you are setting yourself up for failure if you open it quickly, it falls out and it cracks.
Bags and ice cream on the door. Boxes in the back. Meals on the bottom.
Do you have tips you use for yourself? Leave your freezer packing hacks in the comment section below.