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Welcome to Day #8 in our series on real food – we’re about food storage today.
If you’ve worked hard to purchase higher quality foods for your family, it would be terrible to lose it to freezer-burn, moisture, bugs, or molding, rotting, etc. Hopefully, storing items properly will help!
Freezer Storage Tips
You’ll find a few ideas on my planning a freezer cooking day post, so check there too.
I don’t use any special vacuum-seal products, but simply plastic storage bags – quart, gallon and 2 gallon. I also use quart-sized wide-mouth Mason jars for pasta sauce, cooked beans, freezer jam and plenty of other items (the plastic caps are great too).
For casseroles or larger meals, I often freeze in glass dishes. So far, no broken glass! 🙂
Extra bulk items such as flours, raw nuts, and rice are stored in my freezers to temper any bug growth, or to keep nuts from going bad. Our maple syrup is also stored in the freezer.
Here are a few other helps:
- a printable chart on how long food will last in the freezer
- tips on freezing & refreezing foods, and the effects of freezing on certain foods
- a whole website dedicated to freezer cooking with recipes and plenty of information on packaging & storage
- printable freezer inventory list
Pantry Storage Tips
I drool over plastic containers like Oxo brand, or glass ones like Weck jars – but, I don’t own them. Simple Mason jars and sturdy plastic ware are found on our shelves.
Don’t despair if your kitchen lacks multiple cabinets or a walk-in pantry! Think outside the box (or outside the kitchen in this case) for storing food items:
- a corner of your garage
- under a bed
- on top of kitchen cabinets
- an unused closet
- your basement
- or another space!
If you are purchasing food in bulk for long-term storage (months), or storing in a place like the basement or garage, you’ll want to read this post for step-by-step information. Keeping moisture out of your food is paramount to storing it well.
Check out Organized Home for an excellent article called Pantry Pride – many helps including a printable pantry inventory list and shopping list.
Finally, here’s a helpful article on deciding what to store (with a focus on emergency preparedness), which is a personal decision in many ways.
*Update: another detailed storage post! – Frugal Pantry Storage Tips
And now for the GIVEAWAY… {NOW CLOSED}
I’m thrilled to partner with these companies and authors to offer readers here a fabulous giveaway!
We personally use Real Salt, and I’ve either read or at least quickly reviewed these ebooks — great information coming someone’s way. More in-depth helps and tools!
THANK YOU to all of the authors, Redmond Trading and Plan to Eat for sponsoring this giveaway; let me tell you what’s in store —
ONE READER will receive:
One copy of each book –
Real Food on a Real Budget (retail: $18.97)
Real Food for the Real Homemaker ($12.95)
Easy. Homemade. – Homemade Pantry Staples for the Busy Modern Family ($3.99)
Stock the Real Food Pantry ($7.95)
PLUS…
One Redmond’s Organic Seasoning Gift Box (retail 19.99) – mailed to your home!
PLUS…
One-year membership to a meal planning website — Plan to Eat (retail $39)
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So, you want to enter to win over $100 worth of REAL FOOD goodies and information!?
*I received copies of all 4 eBooks and a seasoning gift set, and was not compensated in any other way. Giveaway open to continental US residents only, giveaway ends 10/29 at 8:00 a.m. ET. Winner has 48 hrs to respond or new winner will be chosen. Email subscribers, click over to the blog to enter.*
To ENTER the Giveaway — simply leave ONE comment sharing which prize you’re most excited about! {GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED…thanks for entering!}
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Be sure to check out posts in the 10 Day Series for more helpful tips on stocking your kitchen….
