Before I went shopping, though, I decided to go ahead and go through the freezer. I knew there were a lot of vegetables in there that we had put up out of the garden, but I got to thinking about it. John was hospitalized the first time in late January of 2021. That was two years ago (hard to believe!). With his illness and death, I have totally lost track of time. How long had some of those vegetables been in there? 😲
Fortunately none of the packages that were
currently in the freezer were this old!
There were a few bags of zucchini that I put up last summer (2022), but the majority of the vegetables in the freezer had been there since 2020. Since frozen vegetables are typically only good for one year, I decided that, after three years, it would be best to throw them away. I hated doing it, but I don't believe that eating them was even an option.
While I was at it I rearranged what was left. I stacked all the grains together...rolled oats, oat bran, wheat flour, pearled barley, and rice, and did the same with the fruits (blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries). These items will be used in making breads, muffins, and more.
I found that there is very little meat left and what there was of it is packaged in very small packages. There are single-serving sized packages of deli ham, deli turkey, and taco meat (one of each), a single pre-cooked turkey burger (am having that for lunch today), one salmon fillet, a package of turkey bacon, a small package of oven-roasted turkey breast, and two small packages of sliced oven-cooked ham. I gathered it all up and moved it to the refrigerator freezer. I will focus on using those items up first. There is also a small pork roast left. I will pop that in the crockpot sometime for a company meal.
Since I didn't have a single piece of chicken in the house, I bought two packages of organic chicken breasts that I was able to get on mark-down at the store yesterday. I don't plan on opening them, though, until all those little odd and end packages of meat have been used up and are gone.
In other areas, things are moving along nicely. I'm using up several canned and/or boxed goods each week and, although it is slow going, I can visibly see the stock in the cabinets and cupboards dwindling. I am determined to do this!
How about those of you who are following along or doing the same? I'd love to hear an update concerning your progress, as well!
Until next time...
~Rebecca
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Every time I read these posts, I think I should be clearing out our freezers better. It is so hard to throw away food, especially if it's food you grew yourself. Still I bet it feels amazing to actually know what is in your freezers and pantry.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to throw food away, Jean, and, yes, especially when you've grown and put it up yourself. And, yes, it does feel good to know what I've got on-hand and to be so focused and determined to use that up first before restocking. I do look forward to the day, though, that I can restock with fresh and more interesting foods. Have a great week ahead! <3
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