21 Days To A Clean Organized Home: Day 3 – Organizing Freezer Meat
We all know that a great way to save money in our families food budget is to stock up on meat when on sale. A couple years back, my in-laws gave us a deep freezer for a Christmas present and I was so tickled! I couldn’t wait for the next great meat sale so I could fill that baby up.
But I soon learned there is a wise way to freeze your meat so that it’s not only organized, but you waste less and you can stretch it more.
I will show you my method with my recent purchase of (3) 3lb-packages of ground turkey I got on sale (of course).
I gathered my supplies: small sandwich Ziploc bags, gallon size freezer Ziploc bags and a pen.
First, I divide my meat into 1/2 lbs. Since this tray is 3lbs of ground turkey, I would divide it into 6 equal sections.
Then after I have the meat divided, I take each section and place inside a small sandwich Ziploc bag. I do all sections at once, then I go wash my hands.
I then take all the bags of meat, seal them and place them in the large gallon sized Ziploc freezer bag. Usually about 3 lbs or 6 bags will fit per gallon sized bag.
I make sure to label each bag- what it is, when I froze it, and how much is in each bag.
And when I am done I have organized portions of frozen meat.
The advantages to freezing meat this way is that you can easily pull out the exact amount you need. For example, when I am making tostadas, tacos, or burritos, I often only pull out half a pound and add beans to fill in the rest. No one misses it and your meals are healthier. Not to mention your wallet is fuller, too!
I also pack other meats the same way.
Ground Beef: 1/2 pound per sandwich bag (like the ground turkey above)
Chicken Tenders: 4 per sandwich bag
Chicken Breast: 1 per sandwich bag
Turkey Sausage: 7 links per sandwich bag
Oh…and you probably already know this…but don’t forget to sanitize your counter when you are done. I am the first to tell you, touching raw meat is kinda gross…but a girl’s got to eat. 🙂
I hope my freezer meat organizational tips help you save not only time but some hard earned dough! How do you freeze your meat? Got any tips to share?
That is an AWESOME idea! I have piles and piles of “chicken” and “pork” in the freezer, but no idea what cut they are. I shall go do this today, and continue on following the next 21 days! 🙂
Thanks LilBlossom! And welcome, glad to have you join us!! 🙂
I have never thought to store my meat like that! EXCELLENT idea, will definitly start it!
I always cook my hamburger meat and freeze it in plastic containers the size that I will need when I make spaghetti or tacos. That way it is already cooked and ready to go. It makes for a very quick meal too!
I have been using this method for ground meats for years. The only thing that I do differently is to flatten the meat so that it is very thin. This way, you can defrost it in a jiffy and they also stack well in the freezer. You have a fun blog. I love your humor and your organizing and cleaning tips. Aloha!
@Angela That’s a great suggestion! I may have to give that a try! 🙂
Great tips. I do something similar but I use a flavor saver. Vacuum sealer for my freezer items. In my chest freezer I have my proteins sorted in rubbermade totes so they are easier to find. But this tip is great.
Ah…you inspire me!
Here is the honest ugliness of how I do it:
http://handfulofellers.blogspot.com/2011/09/freezer-cooking-my-way.html