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Freezing leftovers ?


Iceni

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"You haven't labelled this"

"It's obvious what's in there - I don't need a ****** label on it".

Some months later

"What's this?"

"No idea - what's it say on the label?"

"There's no ****** label on it".

"Oh well, bung it in the soup anyway - hope it isn't rhubarb"

Luckily it wasn't rhubarb - just spaghetti and haricot beans.

Is this scenario familiar to any of you or are you better organised ?

John

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Me too John ....but recently trying to empty the freezer to clean it  have been eating a lot od strange things .. thaankfully mostly tomatoe sauce or vegtable curry ...and a couple of soups ....treet it as a lucky dip and you wont go wrong ....[blink]

 

 

 

 

[8-)]'w

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Labeling is fine when you can write on the bag/carton/container.... But how many times have you stuck a label on said container and gone back later to find all the labels stuck to the bottom of the freezer and not the container ..... Grrrr [:'(]
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[quote user="Clair"]
Any suggestion as to how to tackle it?

 

[/quote]

I get OH to do mine.

My excuse - the cold hurts my hands

I have to listen to "Tut Tut " and "What's this??" and "My God how long has this been in here??"

but switch of and give very vague answers and it's sorted in no time....[:D]

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John - that scenario is very familiar.

We have 2 and a half freezers. I clean them once a year - try to use up most of the contents of one, then put the remains in one of the others, then unplug the empty one. Ask a friend , Clair to store things, or wrap in newspaper and put in a cool place.

Then put a bowl of boiling water in to speed up the defrost. It doesn't take long.Then repeat with the next one.

 

 

 

 

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[quote user="Clair"][quote user="Pads"]... recently trying to empty the freezer to clean...[/quote]
I really must do mine this spring... [Www]
Any suggestion as to how to tackle it?

 

[/quote]

 

Start eating everything in it ......I havnt brought anything but milk and salad in the last 2 weeks as Im determine to empty it ....[blink]

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Somewhere in the depths on the chest freezer, I know there are...

  • a couple of chicken carcasses to make stock with
  • kidneys (for kate and sidney pie)
  • peach/nectarine halves
  • cooked meat dishes (thank you slow cooker)

  • various bits of fish (for a fish pie for me, as Mr Clair doesn't "do" fish unless it's battered)
  • packets of Knacki sausages (for potato or rice dishes)
  • home-made bread (for emergencies which never seem to occur)
  • ...
[blink][blink]

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Downstairs in the s/sol we have a large chest freezer (capable of holding several medium sized bodies) despite there being just 2 of us most of the time. The theory behind the purchase being that our veg garden produces plenty but in just a 3 month period and we still like to eat over the rest of the year. Also I tend to buy meat when I see it on special offer.

The raw food seems to be identifiable despite lack of labels, it's the leftovers that confuse.

I have to admit to a degree of schadenfreude (sp?) when I read that I am not the only one.

John

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I tend to think I will remember what this package is like you rather than religiously labeling everything. One time a friend was house sitting and he prepared a pie from the freezer for his dinner with pots and veg. Unfortunately when he cut into it - it was rhubarb! I can't remember if he had gravy with it.
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I have been known to put the "bought" package straight into the freezer (I use it more as an extra "store").  So when I get it out to defreeze before using, hubby sees the date on it and says, it's out of date.  No, it's not, it's been in the freezer ..... etc etc.  Must admit that after a few "interesting" packages I do try to label, but I am not too good at taking all the air out when I freeze fresh stuff ......  still I reckon, since it is only three drawers, it can't have been in there that long ..... can it????

Other problem I have with leftovers is that hubby is very happy with the stew that created the leftovers, but feeding him leftovers is a no-no.  On the other hand, I defreeze, add a bit more, make "one of funny soups" (hubby again), and I love them - he hates them!!!!

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On several occasions, "someone" [Www] has mistakenly frozen large promo packs of meat, be it sausages or pork chops, rather than wait for me to split the pack in manageable portions.

Rather annoying as there's only two of us and there are only so many times you want to eat sausages in a week...

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We have an upright fridge freeze & a very small chest freezer. The upright is full of Mr Cat's things (meat, fish, leftovers of home-made lamb curries etc.) & the chest freezer is mine, for all the veg, bread, home-made bean burgers & veggie curry. At least this way I know roughly which boxes of left overs are his or mine!!

My main problem is the bags of herbs from our garden.  Having added handfuls of corriander instead of parsley to our Italian one night I have colour coded the clothes pegs which keep the bags sealed!!

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Your household is like mine, Mrs Cat.  OH doesn't eat meat and only a small amount of fish (that musn't look fish-shaped!) and I eat practically everything.

So, I do have to be extra careful with labels but, one of the joys in life for me is finding stuff in the freezer that I didn't know I had and then I think.............whoopy.....................!!no cooking tonight!!!!!!!!!

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  • 4 weeks later...

What are leftovers? If our dog had to survive on leftovers she would not only be her normal always hungry, but she would be VERY thin too (labrador)

As far as eating is concerned I just eat what I'm told to eat and I enjoy it. Magret du cannard tonight [8-|]

A tip for anyone with a fussy partner/hubby/wife/etc. If you are serving leftovers then just say that it was cooked to put in the freezer because, espesially with stews and curry, it enhances the taste! Old R.A.F. expression "Bullsh!t baffles brains". Works every time!![:D]

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Don't talk to me about fussy eaters; at least, not today, puleeeeeeeeeeese!

For lunch (one stepson and 2 step grandchildren, or whatever their relationship to me is...)today:

One spiced curry chicken as it's stepson's favourite thing

One ordinary roast chicken for the kids as they don't like anything else

Cauliflower cheese because it's everyone's favourite

3 baked potatoes because that's what 3 of them wanted

Baked salmon in yoghurt because OH doesn't eat meat and I had some spiced yoghurt leftover from preparing the spicey chicken

Rice to go with spiced chicken

Baguette (at least NOT baked by me) for those who MUST have bread

Orange juice for kids

sparkling water for me

plain tap water for the other 2 adults

white wine for the 2 drinking adults (me, I'm still on the wagon)

And that's before afters (and after befores) and not including breakfast or this evening's supper.

But, I don't mind because, once they are all fed, they b****r off and do their own thing and I can come on the forum and try to enlist your sympathy![:)] 

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Oh my gosh, Sweet 17, I would be at screaming point by the end of the meal. We had ten visitors last August and I said if someone wanted something different then they would have to sort it out themselves. Fortunately, they were my kids and Grandchilren so no offence was taken. It did all go quite well as it was summertime so it was mailnly BBQ's and inveriably something for everyones palate. Go and have a nice lie down in a darkened room with a wet towel over your head  [:)] [:)] 
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"For lunch (one stepson and 2 step grandchildren, or whatever their relationship to me is...)today:"

Sweet 17

Did you eat them all at once???[:)]

Seriously, you do have my sympathy.

 In Super-U once I heard a mother saying to grown-up child "just find something you like and will eat and then you cook it". I think she had reached the end of her tether!

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Very good friend of ours have a son who will only eat chicken or well done steak (the best only will do) and chips or roast potatoes, anything green is a NO NO. They have been daft enough to cater for this. We were on holiday together in a gite with a small 3 burner hob and it really started to get hot when the hob had 2 burners dedicated to this child. Even the custard had to be done seperately?
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