A Clean Freeze

What could a pair of gloves....

a shop vac.....

and chunks of ice possibly have in common?

A clean freezer.

We try to purchase meat from local ranchers. It has a flavor that the store stuff can't match. It is from hormone free and grass fed animals. Plus it is much less expensive!

This year was the first year we purchased a pig. I am already LOVING it.

When I got back from the butchers I had to spend some time cleaning and organizing the freezer.

Winter is a great time to do this. You may get cold- just keep that coat in place- but you don't have to worry about anything thawing while you arrange your goods. It is also a great time to clear any ice buildup. My freezer had quite a bit.

I took a chisel and gently knocked away at the ice along the edges. I just let it fall to the bottom of my near empty freezer. The trick then came to how to get all those ice shavings out.

Out came the shop vac. If it didn't fit it stuck to the hose allowing me to toss it to the side. I pulled most of the baskets out. It didn't take to long. Most of the ice fell off in chunks. The gloves kept my fingers warm.

Before I knew it the ice was gone and my baskets could once again slide along the guides.

I organized the pork on the left side, chicken on the right and our soon to be purchased beef in the middle.

 

Larger cuts of meat all went in the bottom.

Smaller cuts and packages of ground meat went on the next row in baskets.

Popsicles, gogurts and other quick snacks for the boys go on the top. They will help to hold in the cold for the meat down below.

Organizing my freezer this way helps with temperature control. During the summer my boys are constantly getting in the freezer for ice cream and other cold treats. I don't want meat at the top exposed to the heat. It also helps with rotation and what gets eaten fastest.

Now I just need to make a bunch of pumpkin treats to use that frozen pumpkin before I get a new crop going this summer.
Pumpkin cookies or pumpkin bread? Hmm, maybe some of both.

Go ahead and clean out your freezer BEFORE your spring cleaning starts. You will be thrilled with the results. It just makes ya feel good. I love to look in my organized, clean freezer!