When people come to my house and see my deep freezer they think one of two things. It’s awesome and they want one or they think I’m a little crazy.
Our last home had a tiny freezer, which is why we got the extra one to go out in our garage. We decided to go with the stand up freezer because we aren’t tall people over here, so trying to dig down into an ice chest sounds downright awful to me. Being able to open it up and see everything was our first priority.
Regardless of what kind you go for, the biggest thing is … You GOT to have some sort of system to go with it. You can’t just throw everything in and call it a day. I guess you could, but that pork butt you bought 3 months ago may end up sitting in the back for the next 3 years. You know what I’m saying?
The system you have has to work for you and it really comes down to your preference and how you flow. Here’s some things to think about while you are figuring out your own system.
1. How will you be organizing it? Putting your items into categories makes it so much easier for you to find what you are looking for. I like to use these BIG CLEAR BINS that I got from Amazon to seperate my items. They are sturdy and have held up really well in the freezer and large enough for those bigger cuts of meat. I chose to separate mine by Beef, Pork, Poultry, Seafood, Veggies, Fruits and Breads. Depending on what’s in your freezer will depend on your categories. The breads stay on the top shelf. I have my bins, the door is used for sausage, hot dogs and ground beef, butter etc. Pasta is another good category to use. Freezer Meals or Homemade leftovers if you make a lot of meals up front is also another way to seperate them.
2. Labeling – If you have a Cricuit you can make your own labels. You can also get them on Etsy for a pretty good price. The shop I went with is now closed, however you can do a quick search for vinyl decal and find some different options. I opted for the 2″ size, Black letters with a font that I liked.
3. Think about the rotation. Will you label and date it? I don’t think this needs to be a huge deal, just enough so you know what to eat first. I personally just grab from the bottom of the bin and restock on top. We eat through the freezer rather quickly so I’m not worried about a pork butt getting lost.
Pretty simple right? Getting organized doesn’t have to be this big ordeal. The hardest part is figuring out what products you need to keep it all organized.
Hope this was helpful! Happy Organizing!
