A common complaint about the frugal minded person interested in freezer cooking, often seems to be “My freezer is too small”. And that can be quite a problem if you plan to cook an entire month at one time. However, it can be done, and I will explain that in just a minute.
You can do your cooking in mini-sessions instead if you store other items in your freezer (Popsicles, ice cream, sale items). Cooking enough for one week can still be a huge time saver and money saver!
In order to save more room in your freezer, whichever method you choose, storing your meals in freezer bags is the best option. You can squeeze out the access air, allowing for better stacking and less freezer burn. In addition, you can create sauces for pasta, and store them in the freezer, and not make the pasta noodles until the night you plan to use them. Pasta is of course much fresher when prepared the night of the meal, so this isn’t just a space saver, it’s also a taste saver!
If you do decide to cook an entire month of meals and store them in your small freezer, there are several things you will have to do to make it work.
First, use freezer bags only for storage, and squeeze them as flat as you can, removing as much air as possible.
Second, prepare items like rice, noodles, Ramen and other items you might use for your meals, the night of actually eating the meal. You can also add canned vegetables to your meals requiring vegetables, the night you are preparing the meal.
Third, you will need to keep your freezer free and clear of non-freezer cooking items, unless you can figure out how to make them fit in there too.
Are you a freezer cooking gal that uses a small freezer for storage of your families meals? If so, do you have any tips to share?
You might decide to purchase a new freezer, which is a perfect solution, but please see Freezer Cooking – Choosing the Right Freezer for some tips to make your decision easier.