https://stopfoodwaste.ie/resource/get-friendly-with-your-freezer/?fbclid=IwAR0d0sojKCswGEJpEModC5fRZzRUp_9bIZ6SPj05x08IPfNqz2DMUJafzbs

Get Friendly With Your Freezer

Freezers are a great friend to every kitchen but they can become a disorganised food black hole in no time. We put food in with the best intentions of future use, but it often comes out and goes straight into the bin because we can’t remember how long it’s been in there! So this week why not go to your freezer and make a list of what’s in there. Put the list on the side of your freezer. Then plan a series of meals around these items – this is food that will cost you nothing but if forgotten may be wasted. 

Try and keep your freezer organised – this will take a bit of regular maintenance but is always worth it. And remember to date and label what goes in otherwise it might never be re-discovered

Make a list of what’s inside your freezer (including the date the food went in). This can be updated regularly or if you are a techno-chef check out some of the freezer apps for smartphones.

Use freezer bags – they take up less space than containers and can store most foods. Lay partially filled bags flat in the freezer and once they’re frozen, stack them upright in rows, like books on a shelf!

Try and use the “first in first out” policy – this is what supermarkets do for stock control and is a good idea worth following

When cooking casseroles & stews, why not cook double & freeze in portions for convenient homemade ‘ready meals’.

Instead of wasting lemons by not using them all up, cut a lemon into slices and freeze on a tray – once they’re frozen you can store in a bag, that way when you’re fixing yourself a gin and tonic after all that cooking for your freezer, you have lemon slices and ice cubes all in one!

Make sure your fridge and freezer are maintained properly – this will ensure food is cooled properly and saves on electricity costs too.

While freezers run more efficiently when full, this is not a reason to keep them full all the time. A freezer clearout every 3 months will ensure you use the food you already have and not waste it.