5 Ways to Organize Your Freezer and Use It More Efficiently

If you’ve ever searched your freezer for that jumbo pack of chicken cutlets you were saving for a special family dinner, only to come up empty-handed (wait, it was right there!) or chucked out a pricey cowboy steak with a bad case of freezer burn, advice is on the way. With a bit of effort and foresight, you can up your freezer organization game, avoid mishaps—and make meal planning a cinch. We asked freezer experts to share some handy tips, including freezing techniques, freezer prep, and freezer-friendly foods, to help you make the most of your trusty appliance. 

Group and Separate

Logic plays a key role in freezer efficiency. In other words, think location, location, location when stowing away everything from muffins to ice cream to meal categories, like breakfast options. "It’s helpful to group similar items together, that way, you’ll know how many you have, and exactly where to find them," says Crystal Schmidt, author of Freeze Fresh: The Ultimate Guide to Preserving 55 Fruits and Vegetables for Maximum Flavor and Versatility, and creator of the blog Whole-Fed Homestead, which shares tips on growing, cooking, and preserving healthy foods.  

Freeze Smaller Portions

To create more space in your freezer, and get a jump on meal planning, Trent Jacobi, executive director of product management for refrigeration, GE Appliances, suggests separating oversized bags into smaller portioned or meal-size bags when storing food. "For sauces and liquids, allow the food to freeze flat in a plastic bag, then place it in a storage bin to prevent them from slipping out," he says.

Use a Box or Bin System

Schmidt also advocates for using a box or bin system. For a chest freezer, that means using open-top, easy-to-lift-out cardboard boxes with handles to organize foods. "For a stand-up freezer, clear bins, or even paper grocery bags help keep things wrangled," she says. "That way, nothing disappears in the bottom of the freezer, never to be seen again."

Containers Count

Whether freezing vegetarian chili or a motherlode of applesauce, make sure that the contents fit snugly into the container, And some containers edge out others in terms of utility. 

"Your choice of freezer container can make or break your frozen produce," says Schmidt. She deems glass a no-go since it’s prone to breakage in the cold, and suggests using a container that’s designed for the freezer so food retains its quality. The most obvious container for optimizing storage? "Vaccum-sealed bags are wonderful but not necessary. I use ordinary zip-top freezer bags," she says.

Put a Label on It

Unless excavating mystery food is your thing, don’t forget to label it, noting the contents and date with masking tape and a Sharpie marker. "You may think that you’ll remember ('I’ll use all of this before next season!') or that the contents will be obvious ('Clearly this is a bag of cherry tomatoes!'), but I promise you’ll never regret labeling your goods," says Schmidt.

Labels also ensure that your food doesn’t spend an eternity in the freezer. "I organize the fridge and freezer in more or less similar ways," says Cinzia Trenchi, food writer and author of Batch Cooking: Save Time! Save Money! "I use dates, and I never try to fill it too much to avoid wasting or forgetting food."

Combat Freezer Burn

When foods linger in the freezer, they lose moisture and become susceptible to freezer burn. If your steak or fish looks discolored and is covered in ice crystals, it’s probably succumbed to this chemical change. Bread, fruits and vegetables, and other foods, can look shrunken and lose their flavor. 

"To avoid freezer burn and frost, fill at least one half of your freezer," says Jacobi. He also suggests using your phone to keep a list of what’s in the freezer, and for how long, and referencing it when you buy groceries.

How to Defrost Food

How you thaw your foods can also affect taste and texture. "According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the best way to defrost anything is in the refrigerator overnight," he says. While a microwave can quickly thaw foods, you must monitor it to compensate for any minor cooking that takes place.

Keep Track of Dates

How long is too long for freezer time? According to FoodSaftey.gov, fresh poultry generally keeps in the freezer for up to nine months; steaks, chops, and roasts for four to twelve months; lean fin fish, like cod and flounder, for six to eight months; cooked meat and poultry for two to six months; and baked quiche for two to three months.