A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Banter Hall You just can't leave it alone, can ya?

Most of everybody I know has a deep freeze, and once a year or so, you wind up having to clean it out and defrost it. So, why is it that you can't just unload it, turn it off, run the hose to a drain or out the door, set a fan in front of it and leave it alone???? but nooooo, you gotta just go in there with some tool and pick pick pick at that frost. chip chip chip, mop mop mop. it doesn't really make it go that much faster, but i for one just can't leave it alone! whassup with that?

LOL, I used to do the same thing too... and I lived where it was hot most of the time- my freezer was in the garage and on wheels so all I had to do was empty it ... roll it out to the driveway and let it all melt- open the drain too helped... I never had to chip at it but I did it anyway....! now I have a frost free upright in the basement and thank goodness it takes care of itself...I just have to keep it full and it never frosts up ..
nana

I think my next one is going to be a frost free upright too. It will be easier for me to 'get into' so to speak.--and with it being kept in my garage frost free would be a plus.

I was thinking, we've had ours for 5 years and I've never done that or had to do that.....it's a huge freezer too...one of the long ones, we bought it off the owners of the house for extra $$. Guess it's a frost free....I never even thought about that as it's usually empty! Except in hunting season.

yep Loz, it must be frost free--for sure by now you would know if it were not.

I open it so rarely that I didn't even think of that. It's in the laundry room and it's useful for stacking clothes on top of!

Loz, I always think most of the stuff in my apartment is useful for stacking ANYTHING on!!!

And Petunia, I agree...you just can't leave it alone!

It's like a scab!!! You just keep pickin' at it!!!

I have 2 fridges in the house and a good sized deep freeze out on the patio. I use all of the space available. The deep freeze is about the only flat surface around my house without stuff stacked on it. My deep freeze is frost free if everyone remembers to close it tightly. Which doesn't always happen. I prefer an upright because it is easier to get at whatever you are looking for. My next purchase will be an energy star upright freezer.

We have one in the garage that someone gave us. I have yet to even plug it in. Stephen is re-wiring the garage, so as soon as he is done with that I'll be able to stock up. It is not an upright, but I plan on putting plastic bins in it....a bin or two for chicken, beef, deer, moose, salmon, pre-made meals, and veggies.

Wow! You sound very organized!! That sounds great!

It is more of a necessity from having the kids!

My treadmill is a great place to hang my clothes!

I think that when we bought the freezer we figured we'd use it more...but realistically with just the 2 of us the stuff would be freezerburned before we'd get a chance to cook it......

Loz , there is just the 3 of us and I use my freezer a lot- invest in a food saver-- and no freezer burn- you can cook ahead- bake ahead ... or buy bakery stuff and freeze it if you aren't a baker--- makes life so much easier... I make homemade tv dinners from leftovers and have them for my Mom in her much smaller than we eat portions... saves a bunch of money for sure.... I have about 6 divided plates I use for them and seal them with the food saver-- I hate wasting food and that helps me in that regard...'
Nana

I'm just a single person. But I have a half freezer chest in the shed. I can freeze stuff for up to one year without getting freezer burn if I work with larger cuts of meat. Turkey breasts, roast, whole chickens and ham freeze well for longer periods. I have usually run the freezer from fall when I buy my turkeys through the end of spring when I finish off the last of the food in it and then I unplug it for the summer when all the electricity I use is going for A/C. I don't do heat at all well.

Mine is frost free.

I agree.
Foodsaver, or any other vaccumm machine, is a great help preserving food longterm in a freezer. We have kept food fresh and frost free for as long as two years. Most foods can be kept longer but why keep it all if you aren't going to eat it for such a long time?
With Foodsaver you can reheat right in the bag so no cleanup mess!