Following on from the post we published about organising and storing food in your fridge properly we thought we would take a similar approach with regards to the freezer. Even if you think you have a good handle on storing items in your freezer in an organised and efficient manner, it won’t hurt to check out our great tips.
Make Use of Labels
So many people leave things to chance or must guess what exactly they have stored in their freezer and when it needs to be eaten by. Although it can be quite a boring task, when you take the time to label up everything with clearly marked dates that they were stored and when they need to be used by, you can make more efficient use of your freezer.
Store Things Flat
Do you struggle to find places to fit everything you need to store into your freezer? One of the best ways to store things, when possible, is flat. So, if you make too much sauce or are planning on batch cooking, place these kinds of things into sip seal or vacuum-packed bags, remove as much air as you possibly can and then stack in the freezer
Make Use of Organisers
Further to storing flat and labelling, you should also consider investing in organisers for your freezer. By keeping everything in its own separate area of your freezer, it will reduce the amount of time you have to have the door open when you are taking something out.
Keep an Inventory
Rather than always opening your freezer, which can affect how hard your freezer must work to compensate for the warmer air of your kitchen or wherever your freezer is kept, you should consider writing up a detailed inventory. You could even place it using magnets, directly onto the freezer or the wall beside it. Be as detailed as possible and whenever you take anything out or do a shop and restock, be sure to make the relevant changes to your inventory.
When you can see clearly what you have in your freezer, you will spend less time with the door opened trying to look for something that may not even be in there.
Freeze in Portions
Rather than freezing larger amounts of food and ingredients, it makes more sense to portion things up. That way, if you make up separate containers of meals for the week ahead, you will only have to take what you need out to defrost, rather than potentially wasting perfectly good food that you will not be able to eat.
Defrost Your Freezer Regularly
It can be hard to store anything in your freezer if you have large ice masses building up around the edges and close to the ceiling at the top. Therefore, it is important to schedule a time regularly to defrost your freezer. If your freezer is a combination fridge freezer, you will need to take this into consideration, as it is best to switch off the appliance before you defrost it.
And… Never Store Your Ice Cream in The Door
If your freezer has door compartments, avoid storing items like ice cream and other food with high levels of fat as the door is the warmest part of the freezer. Storing them there could mean that they melt and refreeze, which can turn your delicious ice cream into a less appealing mixture. Save the door compartments for items like alcoholic drinks and nuts.
If you need any repairs carried out on your domestic freezer or would like some advice about getting the most out of it, don’t hesitate to get in contact with one of the team at ADK.co.uk. They are a highly reputable refrigeration & air-conditioning specialists that are based in Wembley and serve greater London and the surrounding areas.