Labeling food you want to freeze

mollybird

This is something both me and my husband have had a prob with for a few years. We freeze left over dinners or gravy's etc and weeks later we have no idea what they are. when we try to use up some of the containers it is like a lucky dip and we have no idea what we are getting till it is defrosted and for me alot of the time it just hasn't been what i thought it was.

Has anyone got any good tips on how we can mark what is in the container in a way that can be taken off and something written for the next time when it's something different?

Many Thanks

siochain

Maybe I'm missing something,

Sticky labels, write the meal and date, cross off when used and write the new meal on the next line. Label is full wash it off or put a new label over it.

thegreatiam

http://www.amazon.com/Labeleze-2480-Freezer-Labels-Border/dp/B000MF8VPO
http://www.lakeland.co.uk/2844/Freezer-Fine-Tip-Permanent-Markers
http://www.amazon.com/Ziploc-Freezer-Gallon-Value-30-Count/dp/B003UEGZNE

seosamh1980

Put in plastic freezer bag, write on the label space provided specifically for this, put in freezer. I find it hard to believe two adults struggled with this for years tbh.

Alf Veedersane

Reminds me of this:

thegreatiam

I use this system:
Each month I freeze chicken breasts, beef mince, and steaks.
I select fresh fruit and veg and blanch and freeze them.

I lay all the packets in a set order, chicken, mince, steak, carrot, pea, bean, chicken, mince, steak, onion, cabbage, banana, berry, chicken.

I use a mnemonic to remember the order. chicken may stay, carrots peeled barely, captivate my sister on clever brigade badger china. Its tricky, but one you memorise it it works 100% of the time. You can make your own mnemonic if you want I spose that would work.

On the 1st of the month I lay all the packets in line with the shelves, then I turn them by 45 degrees each week. That way I can simply say the mnemonic and I know what is in each packet and what date it went into the freezer. If I need to freeze anything that is already pre packaged I simply take out all the frozen food and add the pre packed item to the mnemonic. SO if I bought some ice cream I would simply add it like this:
chicken, mince, steak, carrot, pea, bean, chicken, ICE CREAM, mince, steak, onion, cabbage, banana, berry, chicken.

I always know exactly what it is when I defrost it. Simples.

Alf Veedersane

I made it simpler by buying 7 mini freezers and labelling the freezers themselves. So I have a steak freezer, a chicken freezer and so on.

More hygienic too.

RacoonQueen

thegreatiam wrote: »

I use this system:
Each month I freeze chicken breasts, beef mince, and steaks.
I select fresh fruit and veg and blanch and freeze them.

I lay all the packets in a set order, chicken, mince, steak, carrot, pea, bean, chicken, mince, steak, onion, cabbage, banana, berry, chicken.

I use a mnemonic to remember the order. chicken may stay, carrots peeled barely, captivate my sister on clever brigade badger china. Its tricky, but one you memorise it it works 100% of the time. You can make your own mnemonic if you want I spose that would work.

On the 1st of the month I lay all the packets in line with the shelves, then I turn them by 45 degrees each week. That way I can simply say the mnemonic and I know what is in each packet and what date it went into the freezer. If I need to freeze anything that is already pre packaged I simply take out all the frozen food and add the pre packed item to the mnemonic. SO if I bought some ice cream I would simply add it like this:
chicken, mince, steak, carrot, pea, bean, chicken, ICE CREAM, mince, steak, onion, cabbage, banana, berry, chicken.

I always know exactly what it is when I defrost it. Simples.

Sounds a lot mroe complicated than a label

thegreatiam

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

I made it simpler by buying 7 mini freezers and labelling the freezers themselves. So I have a steak freezer, a chicken freezer and so on.

More hygienic too.

Save on airconditioning bills in the summer too by leaving the doors open

thegreatiam

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Sounds a lot mroe complicated than a label

Only at first, once you have the system down its pretty fool proof.

Alf Veedersane

thegreatiam wrote: »

I lay all the packets in a set order, chicken, mince, steak, carrot, pea, bean, chicken, mince, steak, onion, cabbage, banana, berry, chicken.

I use a mnemonic to remember the order. chicken may stay, carrots peeled barely, captivate my sister on clever brigade badger china. Its tricky, but one you memorise it it works 100% of the time. You can make your own mnemonic if you want I spose that would work.

I'd have gone with:

Chicken minces steak, carrots peel (pea-l) beans, chicken minces more steak and adds onions, cabbage, banana, some berries. Chicken eats food.

Way easier to remember because it's like a little story.

You can have that for free.

thegreatiam

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

I'd have gone with:

Chickens mince steak, carrots peel (pea-l) beans, chickens mince steak and add onions, cabbage, banana, some berries. Chickean eats food.

Way easier to remember because it's like a little story.

You can have that for free.

I dont see how that is easier to remember. Just looks complicated to me. Besides mines a story. about a badger. Yours seems to be some kind of weird trifle recipe. Im sticking with the original, basic and straightforward.

Alf Veedersane

thegreatiam wrote: »

I dont see how that is easier to remember. Just looks complicated to me. Besides mines a story. about a badger. Yours seems to be some kind of weird trifle recipe. Im sticking with the original, basic and straightforward.

Badgers don't freeze food though.

Your (ridiculous) story will confuse the OP.

Mine's simple. It's about a cooking chicken. It sounds like 'cooked chicken', which makes it even easier to reemember?


"How do I know which food is which?

Oh yeah...the cooking chicken story!

He'd cook in this order: chicken, mince, steak, carrot, pea, bean, chicken, mince, steak, onion, cabbage, banana, berry, chicken.

DISCO!"

thegreatiam

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Badgers don't freeze food though.

Your (ridiculous) story will confuse the OP.

Mine's simple. It's about a cooking chicken. It sounds like 'cooked chicken', which makes it even easier to reemember?


"How do I know which food is which?

Oh yeah...the cooking chicken story!

He'd cook in this order: chicken, mince, steak, carrot, pea, bean, chicken, mince, steak, onion, cabbage, banana, berry, chicken.

DISCO!"

and as usual you have left no room for ice cream.

Alf Veedersane

thegreatiam wrote: »

and as usual you have left no room for ice cream.

Fortunately, chickens are healthy eaters and leave room for ice cream. In which case the story becomes:

Chickens mince steak, carrots peel (pea-l) beans, chickens mince steak and add onions, cabbage, banana, some berries. Chickean eats food. Ice cream for dessert.

Not only does it mean I rememmbber the order oof the frozen food, I ghet nominated for an IMPAC Award.

WHAMMY!

thegreatiam

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Fortunately, chickens are healthy eaters and leave room for ice cream. In which case the story becomes:

Chickens mince steak, carrots peel (pea-l) beans, chickens mince steak and add onions, cabbage, banana, some berries. Chickean eats food. Ice cream for dessert.

Not only does it mean I rememmbber the order oof the frozen food, I ghet nominated for an IMPAC Award.

WHAMMY!

Ice cream for dessert? that means that the ice cream is at the end of your freezer rotation. That just doesnt make any sense.
If I thought that system would work then I would just freeze stuff in the order I use it for cooking.

Ice cream needs to after the second chicken in the rotation, or the whole thing become pointless. might as well throw it in willy nilly, what are we Dutch!?

You could have
chicken, mince, steak, carrot, pea, bean,, ICE CREAM, chicken, mince, steak, onion, cabbage, banana, berry, chicken.

But thats a bit more of a risk than I normally like to take, what are we Italians?!

No, the only real way to do it is
chicken may stay, carrots peeled barely, captivate my sister on clever brigade badger china.

That safely leave space for ice cream with no downsides.

Plus your mnemonic is really limited. Where would you even put the pizza?! lol amateur, go back to your 7 fridge castle.

Alf Veedersane

thegreatiam wrote: »

Ice cream for dessert? that means that the ice cream is at the end of your freezer rotation. That just doesnt make any sense.
If I thought that system would work then I would just freeze stuff in the order I use it for cooking.

Ice cream needs to after the second chicken in the rotation, or the whole thing become pointless. might as well throw it in willy nilly, what are we Dutch!?

You could have
chicken, mince, steak, carrot, pea, bean,, ICE CREAM, chicken, mince, steak, onion, cabbage, banana, berry, chicken.

But thats a bit more of a risk than I normally like to take, what are we Italians?!

No, the only real way to do it is
chicken may stay, carrots peeled barely, captivate my sister on clever brigade badger china.

That safely leave space for ice cream with no downsides.

Plus your mnemonic is really limited. Where would you even put the pizza?! lol amateur, go back to your 7 fridge castle.

The ice cream is at the side in the ice cream section. That's why it's last in the order.

Badgers don't even eat pizza. They don't have opposable thumbs to pick up the slices!

And you call me an amateur?!


Do you even wildlife, brah?!

thegreatiam

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

The ice cream is at the side in the ice cream section. That's why it's last in the order.

Badgers don't even eat pizza. They don't have opposable thumbs to pick up the slices!

And you call me an amateur?!


Do you even wildlife, brah?!

They new york fold obviously

Alf Veedersane

thegreatiam wrote: »

They new york fold obviously

Oh, so does folding it get around the fact that they are gluten intolerant as well.

And seriously, your sister is captivated by badgers? What's that about?

Worst. Story. Ever.

thegreatiam

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Oh, so does folding it get around the fact that they are gluten intolerant as well.

And seriously, your sister is captivated by badgers? What's that about?

Worst. Story. Ever.

a brigade of Chinese badgers, do you even mnemonic brah?

Alf Veedersane

thegreatiam wrote: »

a brigade of Chinese badgers, do you even mnemonic brah?

The mnemonic doesn't say anything about Chinese badgers.

It does refer to tableware that badgers apparently use.

Marvellous story. Your sister is captivated by badger tableware?

The excitement will be ramped up to 11 if she ever lays her eyes on a set of badger cutlery as well... :rolleyes:

Oryx

I used to worry I could be a bit ocd. thegreatiam has proved I have nothing to worry about!

Op a roll of white stickers would work. Date, food type. No mnemonics required. Put a new sticker on each time, voila.

Sam Kade

Do anyone put an inventory list on their freezer?

Oryx

Sam Kade wrote: »

Do anyone put an inventory list on their freezer?

My freezer is a lucky dip. It usually surprises me with things I never knew I bought in the first place.

Alf Veedersane

Sam Kade wrote: »

Do anyone put an inventory list on their freezer?

Yeah. thegreatiam does.

He puts a list of badgers on the outside or some such guff.

thegreatiam

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

The mnemonic doesn't say anything about Chinese badgers.

It does refer to tableware that badgers apparently use.

Marvellous story. Your sister is captivated by badger tableware?

The excitement will be ramped up to 11 if she ever lays her eyes on a set of badger cutlery as well... :rolleyes:

what tablewear? captivate my sister on clever brigade badger china.

Ah I see. I understand your confusion now.

It should read China. Maybe that's why you're not getting the mnemonic,

You're right "captivate my sister on clever brigade badger china" would be ridiculous.

El_Dangeroso

thegreatiam wrote: »

I use a mnemonic to remember the order. chicken may stay, carrots peeled barely, captivate my sister on clever brigade badger china. Its tricky, but one you memorise it it works 100% of the time. You can make your own mnemonic if you want I spose that would work.

Do you have any idea how difficult it is to look like you are doing work when guffaws of laughter are eminating from you office? Do you??

I have a much simpler system, cook food, freeze it, forget when you froze it and what it is, come back in 6 months and throw it out. Easy.

Cocolola

This is the strangest N&D thread ever. Janey mac that 45 degree, mnemonics idea is complicated! Seriously, just use stick on labels. I thought I was a bit OCD, but clearly I haven't been making enough of an effort
Also think the multiple freezer idea is mad, if you have your food packaged properly, how is it unhygienic to use one freezer?

thegreatiam

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

Do you have any idea how difficult it is to look like you are doing work when guffaws of laughter are eminating from you office? Do you??

I have a much simpler system, cook food, freeze it, forget when you froze it and what it is, come back in 6 months and throw it out. Easy.

I like this system, i may try it one day

whiteandlight

I don't normally comment but this is one of the oddest threads I've read in here.....

Alf Veedersane

thegreatiam wrote: »

what tablewear? captivate my sister on clever brigade badger china.

Ah I see. I understand your confusion now.

It should read China. Maybe that's why you're not getting the mnemonic,

You're right "captivate my sister on clever brigade badger china" would be ridiculous.

Oh right, yeah. That makes sense now.

Chinese badgers that eat pizza AND ice cream?

So now they can, despite not being the owners of opposable thumbs, they can fold a pizza and hold a spoon for eating ice cream?

Marvellous.

Can they juggle as well?