We love a well stocked freezer. We have a upright freezer out in the garage. Buying it was probably one of the best decisions we've made. When we moved into our house we got it. At the time we didn't even have any kids yet and I didn't think we'd ever fill it up. But now, with four kids we have no problem.
Some of the stuff we keep in the freezer:
Wild Game - Elk burger, deer and elk steaks, elk roasts
Pork - We get a whole pig cut and wrapped at our local slaughter house. This includes pork chops, ham, roasts, ribs, bacon, and sausage.
Fruit - We freeze the strawberries, raspberries and peaches from our garden and use them in smoothies or in baked goods. Also I dry apples and keep the in zip bags in the freezer until we're ready to eat them.
Strawberry Freezer Jam - I seriously do 4-5 batches a year, so it takes up a bit of room
Veggies - Shredded zucchini, peas, carrots and broccoli - from our garden.
Juices - in the door I keep orange juice and apple juice concentrates.
Butter/Margarine - I usually buy 6 at a time and they keep well in the freezer.
Chicken - I try to keep 3-4 whole chickens in the freezer to have for Sunday dinners. We only use one a month, but I just like having a few extra. I also buy whatever type of chicken we're going to eat that month and freeze it. ex. tenderloins, drumsticks, breasts...
Bread - I buy several loaves of bread at a time. I also freeze hamburger or hot dog buns.
Misc. - Frozen pizza, hot dogs, etc.
Most of of freezer items, are not bought with our regular monthly shopping list. The wild game, of course, gets refilled once a year, during hunting season. The pork we usually buy every 12 to 15 months. We just call them up when we're out. It takes a bit of planning with your budgeting, because it's usually around $350 for a whole pig. The fruit and veggies get refilled each summer and don't cost us anything but time and water. I try to buy the juice 10 at a time when I find them on sale. The rest of the things on my list are usually bought on a monthly basis.
I love that I can plan my menu from my freezer. I love the peace of mind that comes with having meat, fruit and veggies on hand for my family.
Other Tips on Running a Household:
Menu Planning
Well-Stocked Pantry
Food Storage
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