When cleaning out the freezer recently, I found a few bags of veggies, and a few bags of chicken and beef patties. Since none of them were mine, and they were waaay past their date for use, I wondered what might be the best thing to do with them.
As food, they are almost without worth, they have been freezer-burned to the point of being glorified icicles.
As pseudo-ice cubes, they seem to retain their properties as ice cubes, but in food form.
Right now, space is not an issue in the freezer. I can trash the food, or leave it there if it helps the freezer function better.
It should be noted, that this freezer has been known to fail at actually keeping things frozen in the past. This has not been the case as much since the bulk of the neglected frozen veggies have taken residence there.
So, if space isn’t an issue yet, should I leave the veggies frozen in carbonite?
If your freezer would be otherwise almost empty, it’s probably better to leave it in there, or else freeze some containers of water to leave in there. Without any frozen mass in there, the refrigerator’s compressor will tend to turn on and off more frequently, especially right after you open it.
especially for upright freezers you are better with full volume. containers of frozen water work well as mentioned. if you don’t do that containers of air give some benefit.
If you have a dog, you can make low-cost dog food from freezer-burned meat. Put the meat in a large pot with a little water. Season with garlic salt (lightly, as too much garlic or salt is bad for dogs, on the other hand they seem to appreciate a little bit of extra flavor). Simmer until the meat is falling-apart tender. Remove meat from pot, chop or shred meat, return to pot. Stir in enough cooked rice to absorb the broth and form a thick paste. Keep in refridgerator.
Dogs love it, and it’s way cheaper than buying canned food. I usually spoon it over a little dry food, to make sure they get all the necessary vitamins, minerals etc.
SS