I know, I know. I’m ready for the barrage of comments on this one.

Freezer food storage is very controversial in the preparedness community. But I think using a freezer as part of your food storage/preparedness plans is something worth considering.

I like to stress over and over again that not every personal world-ending scenario plays out like a scene from Mad Max.

For some of us, it’s both parents losing their jobs and having no savings to live on. Others may lose the bread winner to a death or marital exit. Some may be impacted by a local weather disaster that leaves you with the inability to get anywhere for awhile.

Even experiencing something as our family is experiencing now – both parents being down with pneumonia. This means our kids are not eating home cooked meals right now. All of these things require different needs. So, the more you can prepare – especially when it comes to food – the better.

how to use your freezer in a food storage plan

  • Stock up on meat when prices are rock bottom.
  • Prepare meals ahead of time that can be stored. Stews, soups, lasagna, and meatloaf are all good examples. These are great during an illness, to welcome a new baby, or when a natural disaster strikes.
  • Store garden bounty when you can’t can it or dehydrate it quickly enough.
  • Store doughs, fruits, cheeses and other meal components in bulk. This can help you be prepared, and help you save money in the long run.

Tips for storing food in the freezer

  • Be sure to leave no space unfilled – while you do want to give liquids a little space to expand into, with most freezer products, air space is bad. Fill things to the top with the smallest amount of head space you can to help prevent freezer burn.
  • Cool things in the fridge completely before storing in freezer – any warmth in your food can cause bad bacteria. Don’t freeze warm foods as the time they are in the danger zone can be elongated. It also causes ice crystals to form which is another way to decrease your food’s longevity.
  • Wrap, double wrap, and even triple wrap if necessary.
  • If you have a Food Saver or other vacuum sealing device, make use of it in those foods that you plan on storing long term ( 3 months or more depending on the food). This storage method words better than double packing in freezer zip-top bags. The investment is worth keeping your food at it’s peak flavor.
  • Keep your freezer frost-free. It works more efficiently, keeping your food at its best.
  • Break down foods into smaller serving sizes, and out of cardboad packaging if you can. It is a more efficient storage system, and keeps your food longer if you can store it in the best containers possible.
  • Use baskets and markers to help organize and identify products so that they don’t get lost.
  • Fill unused space with jugs of water that will freeze and help your freezer work more efficiently, and serve as a way to keep the freezer going should the power go out.

What If the Power Goes Out?

  • Do not open the freezer if you can possibly help it.
  • Wrap your chest freezer in blankets to help sustain the freezing time if your situation looks to be short-term issue. It will help insulate the freezer to extend the safe time your food is available.
  • Hopefully you’ve followed the advice to fill extra space in the freezer with old water jugs full of water to create freezer packs that can help extend the cold capacity of your freezer until the power comes back on.
  • Use dry ice to help if you have access. A large block of dry ice can keep your food frozen for extra days. Be sure to follow all safety precautions when using it (gloves, don’t breath in the fumes).
  • Have a plan – know what you plan on doing with the food in your freezer if the power is not going to be back on in time to save your food. You don’t want to take the chance of eating food that has been in the danger zone for long. You can have a neighborhood grill-out, can or dehydrate food, cook what you can eat safely).
  • If you have a generator, make sure to plug your freezer in for a time period each day to keep the temp down. It does not have to run 24 hrs a day on the generator, you want to give it a power up each day. Depending on your wattage, you can get by with 2-4 hours per day for the freezer.
  • Foods that have been above 40F for more than two hours are considered unsafe to eat by most USDA/FDA government entities (have to throw that in there ;)  )

Canning and dehydration will always be the best long-term food storage option when you are without power. But, I like the convenience of making casseroles that I can pull out of the freezer the night before and have it be dethawed for next days dinner.

As I become more proficient with my dehydrating and canning, I will begin to store more meals that way. But I don’t want to give up my freezer for the awesome food storage it gives me on a day to day basis. I just know that I can never rely on it being my ONLY food storage option. You must have redundancies and backups!