Just in case you missed this article on keeping a freezer inventory the first time we shared it a couple of years ago, we are republishing it. After I wrote this blog originally, we got an awesome response. This is one of the PYP Best Blogs!

Keeping a freezer inventory a vital step in getting the most out of your freezer cooking experience. It you don’t know what is in your freezer than you won’t be able to properly rotate.

You want to be sure you are getting a great value for all the hard work you go to in shopping, saving, and making your freezer meals.

I don’t like finding a chicken meal that I made a year ago or ground beef meal that has been there for 3 years. How do you keep track of what is in the freezer and how long it’s been there?

Creating a freezer inventory is a great way to ensure your food is still good quality when you eat, it should be a well organized, simple to follow and update. It’s a great way to remember what is in your freezer without even opening it.

My freezer inventory sheet is divided into 3 columns:

Item:
Your freezer inventory should include the item that was frozen and make sure you list how you did it. Did you freeze hamburger patties raw or cooked? Are they seasoned?

Quantity:
Not only do you need to know how much is in each package (like pounds or how many beef patties are in the package). You need to know how many like packages you have in your freezer. Don’t forget to include on your inventory the freezer meals, meats, vegetables, desserts and juices.

I my inventory form I put a little tick mark for each package and then when I use it I cross it out.

Date:
Make sure not only do you write the date on the inventory sheet but also on the package itself. I always try make sure I am using the oldest of the items first to insure great quality and to keep my frozen foods in proper rotation.

I like having the date on my inventory sheet so that when I am making a meal plan I can easily see what needs to be used first, without having to dig through the freezer to figure it out.

With keeping an inventory sheet you can also easily know what you are using the most and you can make an appropriate shopping list.

I have some freezer bins that I try to sort like items into. (Can you tell I hate digging in my freezer?)

Don’t forget to update!
After you go to the work of organizing your freezer and creating your inventory sheet, keep it up! Update your sheet eat time your go shopping. Mark off what you use each time you remove something. The initial task may seem overwhelming but once you have the basics down it is VERY easy to keep up with. The trick my be making sure that each of your family members remember to mark off what they take out.