What am I going to do with all this food?!

**MomToTwoBoys** · 07-27-2008, 05:48 PM

My basement chest freezer is full. It's so full that I can't conceivably put anything more into it without throwing stuff away. My upstairs freezer is so overfull. I haven't cleaned out my upstairs freezer yet because a) I'm not sure how long bread freezes for, b) I don't have a food processor to make bread crumbs and c) I haven't taken inventory of my freezers since, well, never. I have 25lbs worth of ground beef I bought today, sitting in my fridge waiting to be divided. I can't divide it until I have room in my freezers. That's where the problems are. Oh, I also have two large club packs of pork steaks, one of which needs to be frozen.

I'm stuck!

My main cupboard for stockpiling is full.

My cupboard for pasta is overfull.

I can't find any place to freeze the new loaves of bread I just got today, or the hot dogs and hamburger buns I got.

So my question is this:

How long is bread good for?

**MOMMYDEAREST** · 07-27-2008, 06:00 PM

Well I'm not exactly sure how long bread is good for, but I've had mine in my deep freezer for about 3-4mths & it was just fine

Wow sounds like you have a big stash going on...good for you

**Russ** · 07-27-2008, 06:02 PM

I think the first thing I would start doing is get cooking! Make a few meals ahead of time for dinners and lunches.

**knotme** · 07-27-2008, 06:08 PM

I make bread crumbs in my blender. Just make sure that your bread is very dry before you do it. (won't hurt the blender or bread if you don't, but it will go moldy if it is not totally dry. amhik, LOL) I usually keep the bread crumbs in a zip bag on my shelf in my pantry.

**EmilyD** · 07-27-2008, 06:18 PM

I am with rcannon, get to cooking girl! The stash is only good if it is not wasted.

**MomToTwoBoys** · 07-27-2008, 06:23 PM

Originally Posted by knotme

I make bread crumbs in my blender. Just make sure that your bread is very dry before you do it. (won't hurt the blender or bread if you don't, but it will go moldy if it is not totally dry. amhik, LOL) I usually keep the bread crumbs in a zip bag on my shelf in my pantry.

So I can take it out of my freezer, let it sit on the counter to dry out, then put it into the blender afterwards?

**Persimmon Lace** · 07-27-2008, 06:49 PM

I would take that 25 lbs of hamburger, cook it and package it in 2 cup ziplocs. The beginning of several meals and won't take up as much space in the freezer.

Don't buy another thing for the freezer until you've used up some of what you have!

**angelbumpkin** · 07-27-2008, 06:54 PM

Cook away my friend.

**dcompton** · 07-27-2008, 06:55 PM

I don't make bread crumbs - never use them - so I'm no expert, but the bread may be frosty if it's been in the freezer a while. It might be better to put it in a low oven for a bit to dry it out faster, because it may be holding quite a bit of moisture. But this is theoretical since it's not something I do. And it might make your bread crumbs too dry.

Obviously, I don't have a clue what I'm talking about, do I? I just know that I always have to toast long frozen bread.

**MomToTwoBoys** · 07-27-2008, 07:08 PM

Thanks.

The 25lbs of hamburger are actually earmarked for things like meatloaf, cheeseburgers, etc. I could make up some patties and freeze them using the Press and Freeze wrapping I have but I'm afraid I'll run out.

If the bread is frosty, I might put it in the oven to dry it out faster and then put it in the blender to chop up. I also read that I can take a piece of bread to the cheese grater and do that but it seemed messier to me than using the blender.

**peanut** · 07-27-2008, 07:24 PM

Do you have a microwave to thaw the bread? I've kept breadstuff for 6 months in my freezer. But i make sure I defrost my freezer every year. My guess is, if you've got such a full freezer, you haven't done that in awhile. I'd be cooking meals and freezing them in ziploc bags and other square containers to save space.

Jean

**hugxlaughxsmilexlove** · 07-27-2008, 07:51 PM

You can make lots of garlic bread too!! Thaw it out, slap on some butter and seasonings and you're set (after the oven of course)! Yumm!

**Rosebush3** · 07-27-2008, 07:58 PM

I would suggest going through your freezers and inventorying what you have and how old you suspect it might be. It would be a shame to lose a bunch of food you worked hard for to freezer burn because it's been buried for ages. Freezing doesn't keep everything indefinately, some things only freeze well for months.
I would also suggest downloading a chart of foods and how long they freeze for.
It would be too bad to have food spoiling on both ends for not getting it squared away, both the food you just bought with no room to freeze it, and the food in the freezer which may well be expired or expiring.
And congratulations on all the stockpiling too!

**cissylu** · 07-27-2008, 08:24 PM

yep stat cooking extra meal`s and freeze. I agree bil your hamburger meat and freeze. go thru the freezer and cook the older or toss. good luck

**DonnainME** · 07-27-2008, 08:28 PM

I was going say that cooking up hamburger meat and freezing it already cooked BUT you said you wanted it for meatloaf and hamburgers. Why not patty the burgers AND make up the meatloaf and freeze?

I just cleaned out our freezer. We then used most things up and let the freezer thaw out and cleaned it up. Now, we are re-filling it.