Putting By in the Freezer

With winter approaching, I am preparing and putting by. Today I took advantage of what is known as the 10 lb meet sale at my local supermarket. The sale works based on quantity. If you buy 10 lb packages of meet, you get a steep discount. This go round I bought ten pound packages of Chuck Steaks, Chuck Roast, and Ground Beef.

When I got home from the market I divided the ground beef into 1lb sections, bagged, and vacuum sealed them. I then cut the roasts into roasts that will fit in my crockpot, bagged, and vacuum sealed them as well. Finally, I put each chuck steak in its own bag and vacuum sealed them as well. Owning a vacuum sealer is very important to preserve the quality of the meat and help prevent freezer burn.  I buy my vacuum sealer bags on Amazon because I can buy them in bulk cheaper.



Before putting each in the freezer, used a rolling pin to roll out the ground beef into smooth, flat packages. I made sure the steaks were flat and the roasts were stacked together. By doing this I was able to fit 30 lbs of meat in my tiny freezer! It is my plan to purchase a chest freezer soon to put by more meat when the sale price is good, but for now I am making due with what I have.

Here in my part of Oklahoma power outages happen during poor weather. Thankfully, most of the outages only happen for short periods of time. Keeping a freezer full will help prevent your frozen goods from defrosting should the power go out.

This winter is predicted to be very cold. I don't have any clue how much snow we may get, but I know when it does fall I will be snug and warm with a full belly.

How are you preparing for the winter? Share you tips and tricks with us in the comments below.