The freezer can be your best friend when it comes to keeping your food fresher, longer. Use these tips on how to freeze food the right way and have the peace of mind that your food will be good to thaw and eat when you're ready for it!

Supplies to freeze food on a counter, from Shelf Cooking

Food is just too darn expensive to let it go to waste because it's about to go bad and you don't have the time or desire to eat it before it goes out. It's time to stop throwing your money in the trash can!

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Freezing your food is a great way to cut down on waste, save your hard-earned money, and cut food prep time down! These tips on how to freeze food will not only have you feeling like a pro in the kitchen, but will also have you freezing your food the proper way. Say goodbye to freezer burn! (Adios, sucka!)

HOW TO FREEZE FOOD WITH THE PROPER TOOLS

Before you can freeze your food, you have to make sure you have everything you'll need to ensure you don't encounter any of that darn freezer burn. Not everything you can freeze uses the same type of freezer packaging. Therefore, it's best to have multiple types on hand so you never have to worry about not having what you need!

Don't worry, we're going into detail on what you should use each of those for and how to use them properly in just a few! You're going to be a food freezing master by the end of this. 😉

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN FREEZER MEALS

Casserole in an aluminum pan, from Shelf Cooking

There's nothing more convenient than making your own freezer meals to have for those busy nights, when someone is sick, or even when you have a new baby on the way! We always suggest that when you're making a fresh meal, whether it's tamale casserole or meatloaf and mashed potatoes, to double it and freeze half for later.

It's so easy to do, you won't believe there was ever a life before doing this! Make your food like normal. Then rather than putting it in a glass dish to bake, grab a disposable pan and fill that baby up. Triple wrap it in aluminum foil, as tightly as possible. Write the date, contents, and baking instructions on top.

If the contents are hot, stick it in the fridge for a few hours until it has cooled completely, then throw it in the freezer until you're ready to eat! If you want the quickest baking time, then thaw the tray in the refrigerator for a day before sticking it in the oven.

HOW TO FREEZE MEAT

Frozen meat in a freezer bag, from Shelf Cooking

Meat is so. darn. expensive. so you definitely want to make sure it doesn't go to waste! You can easily freeze it in a freezer bag, removing as much air as possible, and it'll last a good while in your freezer. Just remember to date it and put the contents on the bag.

An even better way to ensure that your meat says fresh is to use a vacuum sealer. Your meat will stay fresh 2-3 times longer when you vacuum seal it versus using a freezer bag! Talk about the savings. If you ever do a major stock-up on meat when it's on sale, then vacuum sealing it is the way to go.

Pro Tip: Cook a bunch of meat ahead of time and freeze it in meal-sized portions! Shredded chicken, ground beef, pulled pork, whatever your family eats a lot of. This will save you so much time when you need to make a quick, homemade meal for your family!

HOW TO MEAL PREP AND FREEZE FOOD

If you love to meal prep, or find that you often have leftovers you'd like to freeze, then these meal containers are the perfect way to do just that. Take a weekend and prep your meals for the next month so you have convenient grab-and-go meals for lunch.

Some leftovers also freeze really well! If you ever make a meatloaf and mashed potatoes and find that you only have one serving left, but won't be able to eat it before it goes bad, then freeze it in one of these containers. You basically have a convenient little freezer meal that you made for free-ninety-free rather than paying out the wazoo for one at the store. Winning!

KEEP THAT FREEZER ORGANIZED

Fruits and veggies are some more foods that are super easy to freeze, but can be a pain to keep track of in the freezer. We've got a solution for you! Freeze them as flat as possible in a freezer bag. Once they're fully frozen, move them to a Freezer Cube that keeps them all organized and stacked neatly for you.

KNOW WHAT'S IN YOUR FREEZER

Freezer inventory checklist on a clipboard, from Shelf Cooking

Our last tip will help you to know what you've got in your freezer and when you need to use it by so you're not wasteful. Ain't nobody got time to throw away perfectly good food because it went bad!

Keep a running inventory of your freezer, using our handy freezer inventory printable, so you always know what you have. (You can also do the same for the refrigerator and pantry!) Each time you take something out, or add something, mark it on your inventory sheet and notate how much is remaining in the freezer.

Write down the date it went into the freezer so you'll know when you need to use it by. This will be a game changer for you for sure! No more wasting food because it got lost in the back of your freezer underneath everything else, woot woot!

HOW TO THAW FOOD

Now that you're a food freezing master, make sure you also know how to thaw your food properly! Don't worry, we've got a whole post with all of those deets that you for sure don't want to miss out on, so be sure to check that out!

Whew, we did it! You now know all there is to know about how to freeze food the proper way. What's your favorite food to freeze? Let us know in the comments!

Image with text that reads "how to properly freeze food and keep it fresh" from Shelf Cooking

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Happy freezing!