As well as growing our own food there is always some foods that get bought from the shops, markets or supermarkets near us and I always try to make full use of everything I have to pay for as well as that which I grow.
Nothing should go to waste with foods, it's a crime to hand over your hard earned cash for anything and then not make the best use you can of it. So with this in mind whenever I shop, whether I pay full price for things or manage to snaffle some 'yellow stickered bargains', I always spring into action as soon as I get home .... well as soon as I've put other things away and enjoyed a reviving cup of coffee, ..... we have a good drive to all the nearest shops.
Meat is always packaged in serving size portions, always ones ... if Lovely Hubby is feeling extra hungry it's easy to take out two portions but sometimes not so easy to separate two chops that have frozen together. So meat in single pieces,
Bagels are cut in half and then put back into the packs they came in. That way the halves can be popped straight into the toaster without risking slicing off a finger whilst cutting in half a frozen or semi frozen bagel, and if I need just a half with a cup of coffee it's there for the toasting :-)
Sausages are taken out of their packets, cut into singles and then open frozen before being bagged up and labelled.
I always find it is easier to cut off the label from the pack of anything, as well as having the description of the product on it, it has the date you bought it ..... and to give you a smile in the case of bargain buys, the nice cheap price you paid for it in the first place.
I've done this for years now but I find I'm doing it more and more these days. It's very rare for anything to be bought and simply put in the freezer, even something that you would think would always be eaten as a whole, say a pizza is first unpacked cut into wedges and then frozen, that way it's available for us both to eat, one of us to eat or if we have a guest or two, we can simply take the lot out. But the main thing is that we have the option of any scenario with any of our foodstuffs, especially the bought ones which have cost us good money.
It just makes sense doesn't it :-)
Sue xx
When I was doing the pigs, everything was done in portions for two including sausages, bacon and burgers and any meat I buy in which is usually in bulk is portioned for two I often cook up two packs at a time and then some can go back in the freezer as ready meals for hubby to take back with him :-)
ReplyDeleteBrilliant idea! I do portion up sausages for OH as I don't eat meat but didn't think about portioning pizza and pre-slicing buns. Thank you for the tip :)
ReplyDeleteWe share the same name and the same shopping/freezing habits! Almost all the meat I buy is yellow sticker, portioned up and frozen. I'm eating less meat these days so if for example we buy a pack of 6 burgers, I use 5 for the family and freeze the other one which will do for son's lunch one day, or save up all the single frozen portions to make another meal another day.
ReplyDeleteWht a brilliant idea using the original label , I have been having problems with labels that i attach coming off in the freezer so for most things this will be an alternative xxx
ReplyDeleteI like your bagel tip :) Now I'm on my own, I have to think about portioning things up for the freezer too. It's a whole new world to what I did before!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post :)
x
I like the sausage tip - cutting them into singles and open freezing them before bagging. I usually cling-film them in pairs, but might do it your way in future.
ReplyDeleteGood sausage tip xxx I buy big packs and freeze them in portions of five, three for DB and two for me xx
ReplyDeleteThanks for providing some good tips. I already do this with packages of bacon etc. but never thought of cutting the bagels in half and then freeze. It makes sense and will give this a go.
ReplyDeleteI don't always feel like as you say 'springing in to action once home' - reading your blog has encouraged me.
I never used to do this until I started reading blogs - imagine the waste! I do it whenever I can now. I invested in some of the plastic sheets which you use from Lakeland and it makes the whole job much easier and a lot more economical - the easy-leave roll stuff.
ReplyDeleteVery good ideas thank you :)
ReplyDeleteYes very good idea, I must start doing this, when son is off at uni a packet of sausages is just too much.
ReplyDeleteI never used to do this, until we had to stay with my mother-in-law for a while when we were moving house. She only had a small freezer and always used to take everything out of the boxes and packets and bag them up like you do. It's surprising how much room it saves doesn't it, and I am now a convert!
ReplyDeleteGood ideas, I do pack down meat but I'd not thought of other things.
ReplyDeleteAlways love your tips on freezer prep. Will do that with pizzas now - should save me a fortune as my youngest can easily eat a whole pizza for lunch in school hols but will now get half at a time :)
ReplyDeleteSue I love this idea and it might be ideal for the hubbies bread rolls. A question for you though, do you think that the bread rolls will dry out if they are precut? thanks in advance MrsH
ReplyDeleteIf they are well wrapped they should be okay. Why not try it with just a couple and see if it works. :-)
DeleteThanks Sue, Went for it last night we shall wait and see after the BH to see if it has worked. Mrs H
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