Food in freezer

[KnittyGritty]

Lots of great tips - thanks! So far, at least I DID label and date everything. I'll be keeping an eye out for boxes/cartons that will fit inside.

 

[Denim Deb]

And this is why I hate a chest freezer. I know they're supposed to be cheaper to run, but if you lose food to freezer burn, etc because you forget it's in there or can't find it, then in the long run, it may be more expensive. Plus, w/how long you have to have it opened to find stuff, it can negate at least some of the savings.

I'm hoping to get an upright this year. Hubby's been promising me one for years, so I hope I can finally get it.

 

[Wannabefree]

Actually you can keep a chest type open much longer without as much cooling loss as just opening and closing an upright for a few seconds. The reason for that is heat rises, opening a chest freezer, you barely lose any of the cold, because it won't rise up out of the freezer. When you open an upright, you loose the cool air immediately because it all just rolls right out the front :/ I do miss my upright, for convenience reasons, but I don't miss the cost of running the stupid thing!!

 

[cheepo]

i am blessed with having both...the upright i use for all the pull out stuff..and as an every day use freezer definately agree..and upright is better to keep track of what you have...and i have been putting a lot of stuff in there in quart jars...easy to see at a glance what is there...
I generally make things in lots..(eg cabbage rolls egg rolls ect).and then vacume package and put in mylar bags(can last 20 years this way in the freezer) then stack and label in medium boxes...i was able to purchase another freezer for $25 at a garage sale...and they even delivered it for me...that one is mainly for meat..

 

[KnittyGritty]

I shouldn't be losing anything to freezer burn; whatever goes into the freezer is vacuum-sealed. I'm a pretty list-oriented person, so hopefully I'll be able to keep track of what is stored in there. Time will tell!

 

[Denim Deb]

Actually you can keep a chest type open much longer without as much cooling loss as just opening and closing an upright for a few seconds. The reason for that is heat rises, opening a chest freezer, you barely lose any of the cold, because it won't rise up out of the freezer. When you open an upright, you loose the cool air immediately because it all just rolls right out the front :/ I do miss my upright, for convenience reasons, but I don't miss the cost of running the stupid thing!!

Well, when you have to practically empty it to get something out of the bottom...

 

[DianeS]

I love mine. I end up stockpiling food even when I don't intend to! But it let us eat for free (and save the grocery money) the last 3 weeks before we moved to Oregon, just eating the freezer empty so we could move it!

The milk crates is a great idea. I used cardboard boxes, which worked fine but needed replaced every so often.

 

[Cindlady2]

I am very short (under 5') so I have issues with chest freezers. :/ There was an incident many years ago involving a turkey in the bottom back corner that has me a bit paranoid with chest freezers. As a result. I lay down milk jugs 3/4 full of water on the bottom with a board over the top to raise things up. I also have all the food in milk crates or plastic tubs.This dose help allot, but yes, sometimes things get "lost" and if it's too freezer burned it's not a total loss because either the dogs, cats or chickens will eat it.