Freezer Cooking with Limited Space

Thank you so much to all those who commented here yesterday! If you have not yet, please do, I have LOVED meeting new readers, and receiving wonderful greetings from readers who have been with me for a while! It totally made my day!

One thing that came up in the comments that I have heard a few times is the sentiment that if you do not have a stand alone freezer you cannot do freezer cooking!

I confess that it is definitely harder, but is very doable! In fact, the friend who got me onto freezer cooking only had a very small fridge freezer (smaller than mine).

At first, I thought it was only because she was part of a freezer meal group where 8 women got together each month and then swapped meals, so you make 8 of the same thing and go home with 8 different meals (more on that in a later post in the series). However, I was staying with them for a couple days when she had to make her meal for the meeting, and I was surprised at the little things I picked up, things that I still use faithfully even though we have a stand up freezer, but also things that make freezer cooking with only a fridge freezer possible!

The first rule of thumb is to keep your freezer defrosted (if this is required in yours). Space is a premium, and you certainly don't want to give up your extremely valuable space to something like useless frost! To defrost quickly, put a large mixing bowl in your freezer and immediately pour hot/boiling water in it to help things along!

The second rule is to know exactly what is in your freezer (a list works good for this, I will post more about this in a later post), that way you are not allowing space to be used up by something that is past it's prime, or that you could have used, but you did not know it was there so you bought another!

The third rule is to not allow useless things to steal space! I have been so guilty of this! I kept the gourmet popcorn we were given but was horrible because it was a gift, and popcorn keeps best in the freezer, but had no intention of ever eating it! I hate to throw stuff out, but when space is at a premium, why keep what I am not going to use? I am also guilty of freezing leftovers from meals we did not really like, and then leaving them in the freezer until they were so old that they could be thrown out without guilt. So if you don't like it, and cannot thing of a way to salvage it, don't keep it! I say this last part mostly for me :-)

And the fourth rule is the most important, the one I remind myself of each and every time I prepare something for the freezer. If at all possible, if there is any possible way to make it work, use zip top bags instead of containers and casseroles! Even if it means using two bags when it is a casserole that requires layering. (In this case, tuck one bag in side the other).

When you use zip top bags I recommend that you cool the mixture so that you do not burn yourself, and so that you do not melt the bag! It does not have to be room temperature, just cool enough.

Then seal the bag, squeezing out as much air as possible (a picture tutorial to come on the best way to do this). Then freeze the bag flat. I like to use a cutting board or a cookie sheet to make sure that my bags are flat, and that way I don't have to dig to the very bottom of the freezer to find a flat place to freeze my meals! Once the bags are frozen I reclaim my cookie sheet or cutting board and then just stack them with the rest of my freezer meals. I "file" them so that I can flip through them like I would a filing cabinet to find the meal I am looking for.

And finally, it is ideal if, once your freezer is stocked to a reasonable level for your family, you are putting meals into your freezer at the same rate you are removing them, I have My Usual Method that works great for me, but chances are, you will need to tweak it to find what works for you.

Even though I do have a stand alone, upright freezer, I still try to stick to these principles!

I just wanted to encourage those of you who have just your fridge freezer to try it this, it can definitely work for you!

If you have any questions about this, please post them! I usually respond to comments through email, but for this one, I will answer right here.

And, of course, if there is a point of freezer cooking you would like me to talk about, or question for me, please post it in the comments or email me (in my profile).



Next up in the series, apparently in no particular order:
- Once a month cooking - at least it is my explanation of it!
- Planning your shopping, prep and cooking
- Storing your meals revisited and revised
- Keeping track of what is in your freezer and what is the oldest
- Freezer lunch stash complete with ideas
- Freezer breakfast stash complete with ideas
- Recipes I used in my marathon cook that have not yet been posted
- Tips for converting your favorite recipes to freezer recipes
- What little I know about having a group of friends who share freezer meals
- Books and resources I love
- Answers to questions you post for me or email to me (email button is in my profile).


Previously in the series:
Introduction to the series
Why Freezer Meals?
My Usual Method
Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Pesto Butter and Chicken Cordon Blue
Chicken Enchiladas
Kitchen Day - Tortilla Soup and Enchiladas (How To)
Blessing of Freezer Meals
Lazy Lasagna - A Freezer Meal
Sauce for Freezer Meatballs
Pineapple Tuna Cracker Snack