5 tips for finding food in the freezer faster

How much time have you wasted digging around in your freezer looking for something, only to finally realize you must have used it a month ago? Here are a few ideas to make it easier to know what’s in the freezer and to find it faster.

1. Use rectangular containers instead of round ones, because they use space more efficiently. Freeze bags of liquid flat so they can be stacked.

2. Label each container with its contents and the date you put the item in the freezer. Place the label facing forward so it’s easy to see.

3. Organize foods by type—meats, vegetables, fruit, prepared meals and frozen treats—so you know where in the freezer to start looking.

4. When you stock the freezer with new items, move the older items to the front or top of the freezer so you use them first. This practice makes it less likely that food is frozen so long that it gets freezer burn or dries out.

5. Keep a list of what’s in the freezer and attach it to the outside. When you take something out, cross it off the list. As an added bonus, when you make your grocery shopping list, you’ll have a record of what you’ve used.