Have you invested in a freezer? I know that it is a significant investment, but it is incredible how much money you can save by using one. Buchheit carries chest type freezers in some of their stores, and they will be happy to special order one for you. I own three freezers, two chest types, and one upright unit. What can you do with a freezer that would make it such a fantastic investment? Here a few ideas.
1 Buy a half or a whole side of beef or pork. Using the vacuum food sealer that I purchased at Buchheit, it is an easy thing to process and freeze a quarter of beef or a whole pig. Our neighbors just butchered and my half a hog will mean considerable savings on quality pork. I know that the farmers from whom the hogs were purchased take excellent care of their stock, bringing peace of mind as I serve this meat to my friends and family.
2 Garden produce: here are some of the tomatoes I processed this summer. When I have bushels of tomatoes, I often process them up to the juice stage and freeze them in gallon containers. Now when it doesn’t matter how hot I get the kitchen, I will cook some down into tomato sauce and homemade ketchup and pressure can to my heart’s content. When I empty an ice cream container, I refill it and put it back into the freezer. I am then ready when I am blanching vegetables with sufficient ice, and it helps my freezers run more efficiently.
3 Milk is cheap. The current price of milk is so low it is unstable, so I am buying an extra gallon each week and freezing it before the price climbs back up. Just make sure to take out about a pint to allow for expansion. It also brings peace of mind when the winter storm warnings go out as I don’t have to rush to the store for milk or bread as I freeze bread too.
4 Make a meal: I use to do “Once a Month Cooking” where you spend one day, and you put up all the main meals for the month in the freezer. It worked great with a large family, but now that it is just Jim and me, I’ve modified it to what I call “making do by making two.” When I cook a casserole or a meatloaf, I make two as it is as easy to make two as it is to whip up one and I freeze the extra. That way I always have something on hand to pull out of my freezer on a busy day.
5 Pie crusts: I love making homemade pie crusts, but it sure makes a mess so when I am rolling out the shells, I make an extra batch for the freezer. I have lots of pie pans, so it’s another quick way to help save time. Nothing beats a delicious quiche for a quick breakfast or brunch.
6 Fruit: I love how much money I can save by buying fruit in season and freezing it for later. While I use my vacuum food sealer for most of my meats and some fruits, I prefer freezer bags that enable me to portion out just the amount I need for a smoothie or fruit salad. The green is shredded zucchini measured and ready to add to a bread recipe.
7 Desserts: I freeze cakes, especially my Chocolate Steamed Pound Cake (see posted blog for the recipe!), fruit pies, both cookie dough and cookies, and healthy “no fat, low fat and hard to chew” like the country western song, zucchini cakes. Jim loves this high fiber all natural cake made with succanet but it’s best when made in a 9 x 13 pan, so we cut the cake in pieces and freeze it for later.
I hope you will consider the investment of a freezer. I don’t know how I would manage my home without them. Have a great day and take a second just for you!
Be blessed! Anne May
