Organize a chest freezer once and for all!
Do you know what happens when something falls to the bottom of a freezer? It will never be seen again! This has happened to me so many times! Freezer burnt meat, unidentifiable soups without labels and frozen vegetables half open and full of ice. Organizing a freezer saves money and prevents food waste.
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The best ways to organize your freezer with dividers
When it comes to organizing your freezer, dividers are an absolute must! Freezer dividers come in all sorts of shapes and forms, and you can easily make your own DIY freezer dividers.
The idea of ​​using freezer dividers is to make sure you can SEE all of your food! I searched the internet for new ideas to keep it organized and I'm excited to see what I found. Now is the time to decide which method works for us!
When it comes to freezer storage, the most important thing is to create a plan for the best way to organize your freezer and stick to it. Don't start and don't continue or move forward, you'll always end up with a messy, unusable freezer and wasted food.
Before you actually organize your freezer, remove all current items from the freezer and clean up any spills or crumbs that may be in the freezer. Discard any expired or spoiled food and take an up-to-date inventory before organizing and putting it back in the freezer.
Now let's take a look at all the things you can use for freezer dividers.
Organize the freezer with dividers
I love the idea ofplastic milk cartonsto keep things organized. You can find different sizes or colors to keep your food separate. I'm in lovethis photo belowSince it goes perfectly with what's in my freezer, I just don't have as many meals ready! Doesn't it look great?
Another simple freezer, withonly two boxesThe interior can be seen here. This is great for grouping all your vegetables in one and cooking at home in the other.
Organize the freezer with bags
A cheap solution is availableShopping bagsto separate your food. I'm in lovethis idea,because you can grab the handle of one of the reusable bags and just pull everything out to grab the food you want to use. Helps keep similar foods together and makes it easy to move items in and out of the freezer.
Organize the freezer with labels
Tag or label your foodsThis is a great idea as you'd be surprised how quickly you forget what it is! It's also important to date things to use the oldest foods first.
Ziplocs and labels combine to make some of the cheapest and easiest DIY freezer dividers.
Organize the freezer with boxes
One Truly FREEorganizing idea, is to cut the lid off a multitude of boxes and separate your food that way.
This idea ofdouble the lotIt did just that and is a great way to keep your food upright and also separate from your other food (veggies vs meat etc) while still being easily accessible.
Organize the freezer with baskets
Functional and smart, withbaskets in your freezer,and even nested inside each other is amazing! draw onethe streetto reach the food below but be able to replace anything with ease.
You can use plastic baskets or wire baskets if you have any. If you need to save money, you can even use boxes from other grocery stores or packaging you have on hand instead of buying freezer boxes. Whatever works to use up all that extra space in the freezer.
Storing your frozen meals in baskets or plastic bags is a great way to turn a cluttered freezer into an organized one.
Organize the freezer with wooden dividers
I've seen quite a few plastic dividers, but I like these too.DIY version with wooden spacers!
More Great Tips for Organizing Your Freezer
- Most chest freezers have a tin exterior and you can write on them with a whiteboard marker. An easy way to keep track of your freezer inventory is to write down what you put in the freezer on a list at the top of the freezer, along with the expiration dates of the items. If you are afraid of writing yourself in the freezer, simply hold a white board with a marker in or near the freezer to write on. This is also a great idea, if you have a freezer you can write on the doors or the dash so you know exactly what is inside at all times. Remember that you must delete something from your list if you use it.
- When you put something in your freezer, use a permanent marker to write the expiration date on the box or container in large letters so it's easily visible and you know when to use it.
- It helps if you put your least-used items in the bottom of the freezer and your most frequently used items in the top of the freezer if freezer space allows. It's much easier to go to the freezer in the garage and thaw the ground beef for dinner when it's higher than having to move boxes, baskets, bags, and other things just to get it out once or twice a week.
- Vacuum pack when possible, this will help save space and prevent your items from getting freezer burn.
- You can set different sections for different types of food like meat, dairy, frozen food, etc. This can help you stay organized and ensure food is used in the correct rotation order to prevent spoilage.
- If you freeze home-cooked meals in zip-lock bags, lay them flat to freeze. For example, if we're making more homemade spaghetti sauce or soup, we let the leftovers cool completely before placing them in the freezer to freeze. This makes it easier to stack certain foods and helps save a lot of space.
- If you're storing food or leftovers in a container, try using something clear. If you can't use completely clear containers, make sure you get containers with clear lids so you can easily see what's inside. If none of this is possible, label and date the containers when placing them in the freezer, as this is the best practice for staying organized. When adding newer foods you already have in your freezer, place the newer ones at the bottom and move the older ones up or to the front of the area where they will be stored.
- Get in the habit of going out and checking your freezer stock every 4 to 6 months. You may have forgotten what's in the back of the freezer or on the bottom shelf, and this can help give you inspiration for which meals to add to your next meal-planning session.
- Always remember not to overload your freezer. You still need space for cold air to circulate around the food to keep everything cold. Take care not to overload it and that the freezer closes safely and easily each time you open the door. Nothing sucks like spoiled food, both physically and financially.
The good thing is that with these simple steps, you can organize your freezer too! These tips really can be applied to any type of freezer or food storage system.
So many ideas to organize your freezer or chest freezer! Who will you choose? Do you have other ideas?