Have you ever had one of those moments when you’re digging through your freezer, looking for your kid’s favorite ice cream treat?
Trust me, I’ve been there and done that!
That’s when I decided enough was enough. I had to figure out an organization system for my chest freezer.
Now, I’m sharing the tips and tricks I used to take my freezer from a frozen pile of food into an organized chest freezer that helps me quickly put my meals together.
Key Takeaways
- Keeping your freezer organized not only saves space but also cuts down on food waste. Tidying up can prevent freezer burn or forgetting to use your frozen groceries!
- Try using dollar store bins, vacuum sealing, and labels to keep your storage space neat and tidy.
- With a well-organized freezer, meal planning becomes a breeze, and you’ll always know what’s on hand for dinner.
- Don’t have a chest freezer? You can use many of these organization tips in an upright freezer, too!
Organizing A Chest Freezer
Vacuum Sealing Bags
Vacuum-sealed bags are a total game-changer when you organize a chest freezer.
They work by removing all the air around your food. This creates a tight seal that helps stop freezer burn and keeps food fresher for longer.
Using them is also a breeze. Just put your food item into the bag, seal it up with a vacuum sealer, and you’re good to go.
You can even vacuum seal liquids. One way is to freeze the liquid first and then put it in a vacuum seal bag.
You can get vacuum seal bags and a machine to do it, and they aren’t as expensive as they used to be – especially since you can save money by not throwing out freezer-burn food.
But a more cost-effective option is using saran wrap on your food before putting it in bags, then using a straw to get all the air out of the bag before fully zipping it up.
Date The Food- Old Stuff On Top
When I first started using a chest freezer, I would just put the food in any open spot it would fit into. Veggies here, fruit there, ground beef wherever it fit.
One day, I found some badly freezer-burned food with so much ice on it I struggled to figure out what it was, and I had no idea when it was put in there.
That was it! I started labeling everything I put in the freezer with the contents and the expiration date. If there is room on the bag, I’ll even put the cooking instructions on it.
Then, if I add new stuff to the freezer, older meats go on top to get used up first. This way, my frozen food stash is rotated, and it is easy to find what I’m looking for in the deep freezer.
Now, when it’s time for my weekly meal preps, I can easily grab what I need out of the chest freezer and mark it off my freezer inventory printable.
Freezing Flat
Storing food flat in a chest freezer is a great way to use all the space in the chest freezer and keep things organized.
Freezing food flat was a simple trick that I used in our old refrigerator freezer, which was so small, and we needed to maximize space!
Here’s how I do it:
- Use a freezer bag to freeze items like frozen veggies, soups, and sauces.
- Label the Ziploc bags or stackable containers with the date and what is in them.
- Fill the freezer bag or container with your food, leaving some room for expansion, then lay them flat on a baking sheet or tray.
- Pop the tray into the freezer until the food is frozen solid.
- Once it is frozen, you can stack these flat packages like books in a library, making it easy to see what you have and grab what you need without digging through a mountain of frozen goods.
- Plus, because they’re flat, they thaw much more quickly when you’re ready to use them!!
Storing Food Upright
Storing frozen food upright in your chest freezer is another savvy freezer organization tip to get more to fit, and get things in and out quickly.
When you organize your chest freezer, instead of stacking them on top fi each other, try storing them upright, like files in a file cabinet.
This is really good if you have a small freezer or you spend a lot of time taking the stacks of food apart little by little.
By stacking items vertically in bins or baskets, you can make the most of every inch of the basket. It gives you more vertical space.
Separate Food By Categories
When you organize your freezer by category, you group similar items- like veggies, meats, and dessert- making it super easy to find what you need.
No more scavenger hunts for that bag of blueberries or digging through layers of frost to find your chicken breasts.
With everything neatly sorted, your freezer becomes as convenient as going down the aisles of your favorite store.
Plus, it’ll be easier to keep track of everything in freezer storage. And you’ll avoid buying duplicates or forgetting about items buried in the depths of your deep freezer.
Add Bins/Shelves For Levels
Adding bins or shelves to your freezer is totally worth it when you are organizing a chest freezer!
You want bins and shelves that are sturdy and can handle the cold temperatures without cracking under the pressure of a packed freezer.
With a chest freezer, bins that can stack neatly without taking up too much space is a plus.
Bins that are perfect for your freezer storage are:
- Clear plastic bins with lids: Dollar store bins with secure lids are great! You can easily see what’s inside. Look for plastic bins made from durable, freezer-safe plastic.
- Stackable plastic milk crates: The crates stack neatly on top of each other. Choose crates with handles for easy access, and make sure they’re sturdy enough to withstand the weight of frozen goods.
- Freezer-safe plastic containers: Storage containers for frozen soups, stews, and left over chili are my favorite. They sit on each other really well, and are better than putting liquids in bags!
- Wire freezer baskets: Most chest freezers have the sliding guide at the top of the freezer- wire freezer baskets can sit here or in the bottom for good air flow and easy food separation.
Label Bins
Labeling your freezer storage bins is the next step in organizing a chest freezer. With labels, you know what’s in each bin, making it easier to locate items and track frozen goods.
Some of my favorite ideas for labeling are:
- Label Maker Magic: Invest in a label maker for quick and easy labeling that looks super professional. With a label maker, you can print out clear, durable labels that stick to bins and bags.
- Color-Coded Fun: Add a pop of color to your freezer organization by using colored labels or markers- green for veggies, red for meats, blue for desserts, you get the idea.
- Good Old Sticky Notes: Sticky notes are an easy organization tool. They’re easy to remove and replace, so you can switch things up whenever your chest freezer inventory changes.
- Freezer Tape Trick: For a no-frills labeling solution, use freezer tape and a permanent marker. Write out your labels on the tape and stick them directly onto your bins.
I love having a label maker since I can use it to organize bins and label anything around the house, so that’s my go-to for my freezer.
My only tip is for making sure your labels dry when you use markers- they can smear when wet.
Defrost Routinely
Your freezer is packed with all your favorite frozen goodies, but over time, it starts to feel like there’s less and less room in there.
When ice builds up in your chest freezer, it takes up space and makes your freezer work harder to keep things cold.
By organizing a chest freezer and defrosting regularly, your freezer has a chance to breathe and operate more efficiently.
When you defrost your freezer, you’re clearing out all that excess frost buildup, making more room for your favorite frozen treats.
Oh, and here’s a bonus: regular defrosting can actually help extend the life of chest freezers. Less ice means less strain on the appliance, which means it’s less likely to stop working when you least expect it.
FAQs
Does organizing a chest freezer make it easier to get food in and out?
Absolutely! Organizing your chest freezer can make it much easier to get food in and out, and make sure you’re using older stuff up first.
Think of it like tidying up your closet- when everything has its own designated spot, you can quickly find what you need without rummaging around.
When you organize a chest freezer and create zones, you can find whatever you need and not spend money buying more if you don’t need to.
You can easily locate the bag of frozen peas or the tub of ice cream without having to dig through a mountain of frozen goods.
Plus, when your freezer is organized, you’re less likely to forget about items tucked away in the back. That means no more discovering a forgotten bag of veggies months past its use-by date!
How can I organize my chest freezer?
I tried several different ways for the organization system for my chest freezer. Nothing worked until I added a few steps to my routine to be thourough.
Here’s what I did to get rid of the jumbled mess and gain extra space.
- Clear out the freezer: Start by emptying your entire freezer completely. Yep, everything’s coming out – even that bag of mystery meat hiding in the very bottom.
- Sort and Group: Now, group similar items together. Veggies with veggies, meats with meats, you get the idea. It’s like organizing your pantry but colder.
- Grab some bins: Time to bring in the bins or baskets. Find ones that fit nicely in your freezer and are easy to grab. For my organization system, I bought different colors for different categories.
- Label the bins: Break out the labels (sticky notes work, too!). Label each bin or basket with a category – veggies, meats, desserts (whatever categories will help you).
- Put the food in the bins: Oldest food goes on the top layer in the bins! You can stand them or lay them flat. I like standing them that way I can recognize what they are by the color.
- Stack the bins: Stack your bins or baskets back into the freezer. Each crate has its own meat, veggies, fruit – you get the drill. Then stack them like building blocks.
- Keep it Tidy: When you put new food in your freezer, stick to the system. That’s the only way things will work long-term!
What stores best in a deep freezer?
A deep freezer, also known as a chest freezer, is excellent for storing a wide variety of frozen foods, especially those that you want to keep for a long time or buy in bulk.
Here are some foods that store particularly well in a deep freezer:
- Meats: Chicken, beef, pork, fish, and other meats store well in a deep freezer. They can be divided out and stored in freezer bags or airtight containers for long-term preservation.
- Vegetables: Frozen vegetables retain their nutrients and freshness for longer periods when stored in a deep freezer.
- Fruits: From berries and sliced bananas to mango chunks and pineapple tidbits, a deep freezer is perfect for storing a variety of fruits.
- Baked Goods: Items like bread, muffins, cookies, and pie crusts can be baked ahead and stored in the chest freezer for later enjoyment.
- Meal Prep Recipes: Save time on busy weeknights by batch cooking and freezing meals like casseroles, soups, stews, and pasta dishes.
Big, overstuffed bags can cause problems later on. I find portioning food out into individual servings or family-sized portions easiest.
Some pre-cooked foods or prepare recipes can cook or reheat straight from the freezer for a quick and convenient meal.
Just make sure to properly wrap and label any food you put in the freezer to prevent freezer burn and maintain quality.
What containers work best in a deep freezer?
When it comes to picking bins to organize a chest freezer, you want to look for something that will give you more space in the freeze.
Here are some options that work best to organize your chest freezer:
Plastic Storage Bins: Look for sturdy, food-safe plastic bins with tight-fitting lids. These bins are easy to clean and come in various sizes to fit your freezer’s dimensions.
Wire Baskets: Wire bins are a freezer-friendly option when organizing a chest freezer. They allow for good airflow, which helps maintain consistent temperatures throughout the freezer. They also easily lift out of the freezer.
Stackable Bins: Stackable baskets are perfect storage containers for making the most of the vertical space in your deep freezer. Choose bins with interlocking lids or handles for easy stacking and access to the contents below.
Canvas bags: Canvas bags are durable and reusable bags to organize a chest freezer. You can put freezer bags of frozen fruits, beef, pork, or even deer meat in each canvas bag.
Ziploc bags: Not reusable, but these bags are great for saving space and take up less room than bins.
Now, there is one thing I don’t recommend- cardboard boxes.
Cardboard boxes can be handy for organizing your freezer, but they aren’t exactly designed to withstand moisture, and freezers are cold and moist places.
Over time, the cardboard can get soggy and start to fall apart, making a mess of your carefully organized freezer.
What’s the best vacuum sealer?
If you’re in the market for a vacuum sealer, there are many options. But I suggest starting small to see if you like it, and if you’ll stick with it before dropping $80+ on a large sealer!
If you want to start for less than $30, the Bonsenkitchen Food Sealer Machine might be right up your alley.
It’s good for freezing things like meats and cheeses, and is very budget friendly.
As I’m writing this, it’s showing a 40% off coupon- and if you’re looking for savings, that’s the best option! If you don’t get that offer when it pops up, check out Honey for new coupons!
Final Thoughts
Organizing a chest freezer isn’t really hard, but it does take a little time to clear out and defrost it!
Freezer organization is all about making it easy to find the food in the freezer.
It only takes a few simple steps to change that pile of frozen food into an organized freezer of food that actually will be used.
So why not try putting similar foods together and using bins or baskets for freezer organization? Remember to label everything so it’s easy to find what you are looking for in the freezer.
Go ahead, mama! Give that chest freezer a makeover!
You’ll be happy you took the time when you can easily find what you need for dinner or grab a sweet treat without digging through a frozen mess.
