I recently wrote a post about how to store food in your freezer for optimal results, but in light of recent experiences, I felt the need to revisit the issue to discuss how to deal with your freezer when it isn’t functioning as you’d planned when you lovingly put your food in there. Last week I had the distinct privilege of discovering that my spare freezer was defrosted 20
minutes before I was scheduled to leave for a highly-anticipated vacation. Suffice it to say, the shock of finding tens of pounds of meat, chicken and frozen vegetables completely defrosted and ready to cook was extremely overwhelming. The expense of having to throw away prepared foods was distressing, and the mess caused by the various leaks and juices was rather revolting. Still, once the panic subsided, I realized that there are several lessons that can be learned from this experience so that you’re not wasting too much money in the face of disaster. Read on so that you’ll know what to do when disaster strikes:
- Freeze meat raw instead of cooked (whenever possible). When raw meat is defrosted it may still be able to be cooked and then refrozen for the future. When cooked meat is defrosted it must be eaten immediately. In addition, raw meat can last longer in the freezer than cooked meat can, which can be significantly advantageous.
- Frozen veggies can be refrozen. While you may not want to refreeze frozen vegetables if they’ve reached a significantly warm temperature, if you catch the problem while the veggies are still cool, you should have no trouble refreezing them without compromising too much of the vegetables’ quality or taste. If you’ve caught the damage early enough, refreeze your vegetables but try to use them in dishes like casseroles where the diminished color or flavor of the vegetables won’t be noticed. If your frozen veggies have defrosted entirely, try cooking them to eat immediately.
- Use items from your freezer regularly. While there’s a certain comfort in knowing that you have a month of meals in your freezer, these meals are worthless if they remain in your freezer long enough to get frostbite. Make sure to keep a current list of what’s in your freezer so that you’ll be able to reach for it when the need arises.
- Check the temperature of your freezer regularly. If you have a spare freezer that isn’t opened as frequently as it should be, make sure to check it every few days to make sure that the temperature remains constant and that things aren’t getting damaged. Not only will this quick check ensure that your items remain in peak condition, but it’ll help you remember what’s in your freezer that you may have forgotten about.
- Make sure to save for unexpected expenses. While you may be saving up for your children’s braces, a new car or a trip to Italy (in addition to your retirement, I hope!), it’s important to also put money aside for unexpected expenses, such as the cost of appliance repairs or replacements. While these expenses may be infrequent, they can be truly painful if you’re not properly prepared. I like to call this type of saving my ‘cookie jar’ savings technique, because you don’t necessarily need to wrap the money up in a pension plan, CD or interest-bearing account. Instead, it’s a good idea to keep this money liquid and available in case of emergency. If you haven’t started a cookie jar savings account yet, you can get started by putting in $100 as seed money (in case the emergency comes tomorrow), and adding a set amount to the pot each month (I recommend $20-$25). When you’ve reached $1000 you can probably reduce your input to $10/month, though there’s no harm in keeping up your higher payments just in case the unthinkable occurs (like if you need a new central air conditioning system or a new roof).
Have you had a financially or physically burdensome disaster in your home? Please share your experiences below so that others can benefit from your knowledge and experience.