Using Baskets in the Freezer

We have a freezer that is at the top of the refrigerator. This is all the freezer room that we have. Our freezer was one of those nightmares that every time you went into the freezer something would fall out. Or that the door to the freezer would not close or stay closed.

So, last week I found 3 freezer baskets (they are 7 ½ inches wide X 15 inches long X 5 ½ inches deep) that are plastic coated wire baskets. I took everything out of the freezer and started putting things into the baskets according to meats, veggies, fruits, etc. I now can close my freezer and nothing falls out when I open it. I did get one more basket and am looking for 2 more that are shorter (only 9 inches long) than the others because of the way the freezer is made. The freezer is still full, but because of the baskets the items don’t slip and slide anymore. And, I can get more in the freezer, and use the available space, than before without the door not closing.

And, if I want to see what type of meat I have I can pull the whole basket out and see just what I have. Because it is just the 2 of us, when we cut up onions or peppers, we put them in snack size plastic bags and place them into the freezer and that is just enough for a meal. We also package up hamburger meat in 1 pound sizes and place in sandwich size plastic bags and then each sandwich bag gets placed in a gallon size bag then place in the freezer. Also, when I put things like hamburger meat in plastic bags, I try to make them flat and freeze them this way. It takes up less space than just a round blob. Things like chicken or pork chops or steaks get put individually in a sandwich bag and then into a gallon size bag. When we get a roast we either get a smaller one or we will divide it up into portions for 1 or 2 meals and put it in a quart size plastic bag and then into a gallon size plastic bag. These gallon size bags are marked with what kind of meat is in the smaller bags. So when you pull out one of the gallon size bags out of the basket you have all of that kind of meat that is in the freezer. Personally, I don’t like to freeze meat in the container that I bought it in because of the extra room the packaging takes. So, that is why I place them in plastic bags when I get home from the store.

I have taken hamburger meat and browned it first and then package it up, that way when you fix a meal it is quicker than having to brown the meat first before you add it to whatever you are cooking. The same goes with onion you can brown a couple of onions first and then freeze them. You could even go ahead and brown your hamburger, onion and peppers together and then freeze. This way if you are behind getting dinner ready you will have more fast food at home in the freezer ready to go.

The baskets in the freezer sure have made my life easier. And because of this I am looking at other ways to use baskets or plastic containers for the refrigerator and cabinets.