Freezer Hacks – Tips and Ideas

With so much talk about food waste is in the media, one simple way to help prevent this in your home is to get better at freezing food and planning meals better. Here are some Freezer Hacks – Tips and Ideas to help you.

I don’t know about you but my freezer is always full to the brim. Although it is not a very big freezer,  it does have 3 drawers which enables me to freeze a fair amount of items really, and yet I am always struggling to close them!

It would be great to have access to my own cold rooms, so I could store more food and keep it preserved for longer. sadly though, I just do not think there is enough room in my house, let alone my kitchen!

However, I think that if I organised my freezer better I would actually have more space but in my usual Mummy Mishaps fashion, I tend to shove things inside and worry about it later! (A bit like some of my kitchen and bedroom drawers too!). With this in mind, I thought I would research some time , space and money saving tips when it comes to freezing and share them with you. It is important to ensure that you have the correct freezer for you, and one like the commercial freezers at Alexanders Direct in the right size and style for your home or business, can be a great investment.  

Freeze ready to cook ingredients for slow cooker/ crock pot meals

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An hour spent on a Sunday could save you hours during the week when it comes to preparing meals for your family. Simply bagging up the ingredients required to make meals ready to pop into your slow cooker/crock pot, which can be frozen on a Sunday, will give you a weeks worth of meals that will cook slowly while you are doing the jobs you need to get done each day. Plus these prepped bags will lay easily inside your freezer, saving space aswell as time.

DIY smoothie packs for quick breakfasts 

Bag up chunks of fruit to freeze, which can be used to make smoothies with in the mornings. Not only does this save time but it is a great way of using up fruit which might otherwise be thrown out. Many fruits freeze well, and bananas can also be used to make simple ice creams with.

Create flat packed food bags

By pouring sauces, meals, veggies and fruit into freezer bags and laying them flat into the freezer, you will create a ‘flat packed’ effect which will save a lot of space inside your freezer. 

Organising your freezer 

By sorting out your freezer and repackaging items you will save so much space. A lot of bought frozen products come in boxes, like fish fingers, but if you remove them and place into a bag (you can cut out the cooking instructions to stick inside the bag), this will be less bulky, and hence will save space. Careful management of your freezer will also prevent wastage too. Make a list of the contents in your freezer, then you know what you have when you meal plan for your family. 

Here are some FDA guidelines with regards to timings for fresh and frozen food. 

Storing your food and leftovers in a freezer not only prolongs the food, but it can of course save you money too. That is why you should take care when choosing your cold room doors, because you want the best you can afford so as to keep the food contents shut behind them as well insulated as possible. 

Things you can freeze that you might not have realised before

Eggs
Raw eggs can be frozen, just be sure to crack them into an ice cube tray first. If you freeze them in their shell, the liquid will expand causing the egg to crack open. If you use egg whites for meringues, you can freeze the yolks rather than wasting them and vice versa.

Cheese
All hard cheeses can be frozen. Simply grate the cheese and store it in a container or ziplock bag and you’ll have delicious cheese whenever you want, perfect for cheese sauces or toppings on pasta. However, do not freeze soft cheese!

Flour
Flour is great to keep in the freezer, however, make sure it is in an airtight container, so moisture doesn’t get in.

Nuts
If you like to buy your nuts and seeds in bulk, keep them in the freezer. This will keep them fresh and ready to eat.

Grains & Pasta
Keep cooked and portioned rice, pasta or quinoa in the freezer and you’ll always have a side ready to go.

Freezing leftovers and food which is almost past its sell by date is a great way to prevent food wastage, and will save you money.  You can get more tips here.  

What other tips do you have?