General Chat

It is the packaging that wastes space isn't it. I started removing the boxes when the pandemic started and cut the instructions from the box and put it in the bag with the food from the box. I put the small meat packs of things like chops in a small cardboard box. Less warming when the freezer door is open and you can stack things higher in a box, especially on the shelves with drop down fronts. In the winter I remove the icecube trays which we don't use then and put bacon packs or flat cheese packs in their place. I cut Pizzas in half too.

I freeze Toppers from loaves for making bread pudding, whole sliced loaves can go in the freezer, peel off 4 slices for sarnies...yeah putting mince meat and diced beef and the like in flat bags is good.
i might buy fresh veg and freeze that in smaller bags

Thanks for the tip about freezing things flat in bags.
Don't know why I'd never thought of that!

When you buy ice lollies, remove them from the box, and upend them individually around the edge of the freezer shelf.
If you buy ice cream cones, again remove them from the box and stack them top to bottom.
If this doesn't work - just eat them! :-D :-D :-D :-D

Fresh meat and fish should always be on a shelf lower than cooked items, including ham, because leakages can contaminate other foods.

I keep my fridge items stored in that way, ArgyllGran so I think I must have read that years ago. (Perhaps in Good Housekeeping which I used to buy regularly - a throwback from around sixty years ago when the branch union at my workplace provided a couple of monthly magazines, darts, dominos, cards and a table tennis table as we were fairly remote from shops, cafes etc.)

My current fridge has three drawers at the bottom; the top drawer has Fresh printed on and the other two have Vegetables on but I have always used the bottom for fresh meat products ie bacon, raw meat and fish as that was what was printed on the bottom drawer of my two previous fridge-freezers.

I have two freezers since one broke down on Xmas Day several years ago. I keep both packed to the gills as I read somewhere that it saves on energy bills to run freezers full.

I should add that the top shelf of both fridge and freezer is for gluten-free items only. I chose the top shelf as opposed to any other because by so doing, food cannot be contaminated from anything falling from upper shelves. (My OH needs a gluten-free diet.)

Well, tbh, Ive never realised that the shelves were of different temp in the fridge ArgyllGran!

Gosh, I must be the only person who doesn't.

I always take out my carrots, pots, mushrooms etc and they all go in the salad drawer at the bottom. I do put all cheeses in the one pile, just for ease really. Eggs stay in their box on middle shelf for convenience of height.
If I do have chicken or bacon, I do put that on the bottom so it couldn't drip onto

anything, but that's not often. Any yoghurts and other foods just get put tidily wherever.

I don't really keep a huge amount in the fridge as I either takeout food from frozen to cook or maybe use cans or dried food etc.My milk is always in the door as it needs to stand up else it would leak and cartons of fruit juice.

Thanks for tips though

Florence in the Hebrides

Strangely, for the first time ever, I put a loaf in the fridge the other day.
This was because, at the time, my freezer was full, and there wasn't much in the fridge.
It's slowly going stale - but not mouldy.
Going stale is no problem for me, as I usually toast bread. :-D

Moving from freezers to fridges -

do any of you arrange the contents of your fridges as is recommended by Good Housekeeping and other sites?

"Upper shelves
Foods that don’t need cooking, such as deli meats and leftovers.

Lower/middle shelves
Dairy such as milks, cheeses, yogurt and butter. [ And eggs, as recommended on another page on same site.]

Bottom shelf
This is the coldest part of your fridge, and where wrapped raw meat and fish should be kept. Placing raw food on the bottom shelf also minimises the risk of cross-contamination.

Drawers
Vegetables, salads and fruit should be stored in their original packaging in the salad drawer where they will be enclosed. This is also a good place to store herbs, as they can’t get frozen to the back of the fridge.

Door shelves
This is the warmest area of the fridge and most susceptible to temperature fluctuations. Store foods that have natural preservatives here, such as condiments, jams and juice. "
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/food/a552355/organising-your-fridge-right/


I tried it out yesterday, and now feel in a real muddle, especially with the dairy stuff!
But I have always kept eggs in their box on a shelf and not in the door.
Fruit/veg in the salad drawer, but also on the bottom shelf, as I have too much to fit into the drawer.
Maybe the bottom shelf isn't the right place - but it always keeps well there.

I suppose it's mainly the dairy items that I've relocated.

As it takes me (living alone) at least a couple of weeks to use a large sliced loaf, mostly as toast, I always keep it in the fridge, double wrapped in plastic bags (its own bag, plus another one), and it keeps very well. "Spare" loaves are in the freezer, also double wrapped.

Shirley, I also take 4 slices and freeze in a small bag to save throwing out unused bread. This way, I always have some spare in the freezer and 4 slices can slot in between things.

I buy the foil dishes with lids and when I make a curry or sweet & sour chicken, I make enough to have leftovers. Usually enough for 2 portions left which does dinner another time.

When I buy a large bag of frozen chicken breasts, I split the bag up and put 2 breasts in a small bag. They are a decent size so will do for 2 people. The large naan breads are really huge from a local butcher and actually cheaper than the supermarket. So, these I cut in in half or 4 quarters as if I freeze whole, they will take up far too much room.

I only have a fridge/freezer. The freezer below only has 4 drawers but with good organisation has plenty room for me.

Florence in the Hebrides

I can't remember where I saw it and have not tried it, but I saw that to freeze portions of mince, divide the whole amount up then flatten (maybe with a rolling pin) then freeze the flattened mince in small bags.
I do try and remember to write instructions on the bags I freeze but I have an annoying box of bags now which have no white label space on the bag.

As well as the small chest freezer we also have a fridge freezer. So much easier to cope with drawers . Shame that an upright freezer won’t be suitable.

I’ve seen it suggested that you can pack more into a small space by freezing casseroles etc in flat bags rather than boxes.

I’m not good with a freezer so don’t freeze a lot of meat.

However my freezer has 4freezer drawers and a compartment of equivalent size.

Any meats,soups,cakes and frozen herbs go in this compartment.

Then I have a pudding draw

A fish finger ,chips and vegetable burger draw.

A vegetable draw and finally a bread draw. Easy to find stuff that way :-D :-D :-D

When I make a casserole I have a portion for that day dinner and when it s cooled I put portions into small freezer boxes and freeze

Means to each box can be fitted into any cranny and is ready for one days dinner as needed


I buy a small loaf as it’s only me but often find it’s short shelf life so I take out and freeze in 4 slice portions in plastic bags

Means it’s not wasted and I can use later

We’ve just ordered a new small square freezer as our very old one is icing up. Amazing what you find at the bottom and we are eating our way through the contents.

I must work out a better way of sorting and storing the new contents when the time comes.

Ah..... you like the chips and pizza then Florence ;-) :-D

Memo to me. I must make a list of cooking times as it takes me forever to find them and they are often too small :-|

Ty Island for that reminder although the chips and pizzas etc, I know off by heart. Chips about 25 minutes and pizzas 15 or when they look done lol

Don't forget to make a note of cooking temps and times :-)

Thought I would pass on some of my own space saving tips for my freezer and maybe others can add any other tips too.

When I buy a large 1kg bag of frozen chips, I cut the bag open and fill small freezer bags with a handful of chips either for 1 or 2 persons. This way, I can fit the small bags into wee corners of the freezer rather than a huge bag and can then just take out 1 bag for the meal, a lot easier.

Boxed pizzas. I remove the cardboard wrapper and break the pizza into 4 quarters. Put 2 in a small freezer bag. Takes up less room.

Anything in a box, fish fingers, veggie grills etc, take them out of the boxes and split according to need into small bags.

The packaging is what takes up the space!

Any different tips?

Florence in the Hebrides