Organizing the freezer

Mom2Dogs · ‎03-09-2010

I have a chest type freezer in the garage, not enough room for an upright, which I would have preferred....is there a way to organize so that everthing is not just a big mess?

I label everything in either baggies, freezer paper for meat, or lock and locks. I also have a seal a meal...but how to organize all those things? I do have three wire baskets that run the depth (front to back) of the freezer, that helps but under that shelving..well I have to rummage thru a lot of stuff to get what I want...maybe there is not a good way to organize but thought I would ask.

thanks.

Laura14 · ‎06-09-2014

I place my vegatable bags on top off one another, frozen fruit bags in their own section, etc.

If you can make designated areas, I find that helps me keep track of where everything may be when I go back for it.

Meowingkitty · ‎06-19-2010

I just use wire baskets. One each for ground beef, veggies, cheese, chicken, misc. works for us.

lynnie61 · ‎04-28-2010

@Mom2Dogs I recently moved and have both. The upright actually takes up less floor space. The upright is currently packed, and we haven't used the chest freezer since we moved. I'll like to see the responses, too! I try plastic bins, but it's still a mess. Plus the upright is old, and needs defrosted soon! I buy some meat on sale, but keep saying I won't overload it but it doesn't seem to work, but I do rotate well with a date system with a sharpie at least!

Mom2Dogs · ‎03-09-2010

@lynnie61 The only way I could have opened an uprigh is if my husband's car is not in the garage!! That would not work out to well so we had to go with the chest type.

Kachina624 · ‎03-10-2010

@Mom2Dogs. Our poster @Sooner has the best ideas for organizing a freezer I ever heard. Maybe she'll chime in. She's written about it before. Maybe "search forums & blogs".

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment

Icegoddess · ‎03-19-2010

Upright freezers are so much more expensive than the chest-type. I have a chest-type freezer in the garage and it only came with one wire basket. It's quite old, older than my 1997 Jeep and older than my 1995 marriage.

I have plastic bins that I try to keep like foods in. However, the biggest problem is getting to the lower bins which isn't as simple as pulling a bin out since loose items will fall into the area unless you pull them out too.

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

@Kachina624 Who ME??? I don't remember but this is what we do. We use wire baskets and narrow boxes that fit the shelves. For frozen chickens, we stand them up in a narrow box--they don't slide and takes up less room.

We also use that method for boxed and bagged things like frozen veggies. Narrow containers that fit the product.

We keep all meats together so it's easy to see what we have and need to pick-up. Ice cream and frozen treats is in a wire basket.

The idea is that everything is contained and sorted and that makes life a whole lot easier. Things don't get tossed, lost and old!

Carmie · ‎10-25-2010

I have two chest freezers and one upright. I keep them all organized.

I try to freeze just about everything in freezer zip lock bags. I have gallon, 1/2 gallon and quart size.

I try to freeze everything flat. I lay the filled bags in the freezer on their sides. When frozen,I put them in a container upright like books.

I do this for both types of freezers. The chest freezer always has dollar store containers in the bottom. I keep bags of veggies and other items already bought in boxes and bags in the bottom sorted...veggies in one container, meat in another, etc.

I also stack the containers/ baskets with food in them. Sometimes I have to lift out a container to get to another one under it.

The secret is always putting things where they belong. My husband just tosses stuff in.

I keep items I use a lot and delicate items in the hanging baskets on top.

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