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What to use instead of a carrier bag to store food in the freezer

(28 Posts)
MrsChips Tue 29-Jun-21 20:25:33

I tend to use a carrier bag to store groups of foods in the freezer. I have 1 for bread, 1 for soup, 1 for fish, 1 for fruit. Now we don’t have lots of carrier bags, I don’t have any to use to replace the ones I am currently using. I could buy a bag for life but I’m a miser and I don’t like paying for things if I can find a free alternative. What to others use instead of carrier bags?

GrannyGravy13 Tue 29-Jun-21 20:31:45

Freezer bags?

Jaxjacky Tue 29-Jun-21 20:37:54

I just label whatever I have in there if not ship bought, my own cooking is in freezer begs/reusable freezer boxes labelled.

Mattsmum2 Tue 29-Jun-21 20:42:55

I use labelled old clean takeaway boxes.

BlueBelle Tue 29-Jun-21 20:46:04

I ve never heard of anyone using carrier bags in a freezer
How can you put soup in a carrier bag ?

I use Freezer bags you get about 50 for 1.50 so not expensive

Sago Tue 29-Jun-21 20:48:58

If you buy IKEA freezer bags you can re use them many times.

kittylester Tue 29-Jun-21 21:35:11

I assume you mean using carriers as a sort of filing system I did that when I had a chest freezer which is, thankfully, long gone. If I was you, I would just buy a new carrier bag everytime I needed in. My current freezer gas drWers which I fing easy to organise.

kittylester Tue 29-Jun-21 21:37:34

Gawd!!

No in but one
Has nit gas
Drawers
Abd, find not fing!

Shouldn't be doing the crossword at the same time as reading gn!!

Theone Tue 29-Jun-21 21:38:25

I do the same - to separate different categories but I did buy strong Aldi bags to use solely for that purpose. Obviously I freeze food in smaller bags or containers but they are then placed in the appropriate Aldi bag. It's a great way to organise a chest freezer as it saves having to rummage about. I know cardboard boxes can be used too OP but I'm not sure how long they'd last!

CanadianGran Tue 29-Jun-21 23:12:11

We have boxes in our freezer for sorting. Just cardboard boxes that would have been recycled otherwise. One for red meat, chicken, fish, fruit.

Any leftovers we store in plastic freezer containers that can be stacked. I mark them with painters tape which is easily removed afterwards.

Whiff Wed 30-Jun-21 06:17:20

Personally I would never use carrier bags in my freezer. Hopefully you have them a thorough wash before putting them in your freezer.

I have a freezer with drawers. Everything is in proper freezer bags labelled. And each drawer has certain food groups in. Plus I keep a written list of what's in the freezer and mark off when I take anything out. With large bags of veg mark if it's open or full. That way always no what's in it. And then know when I need to re stock with certain items.

M0nica Wed 30-Jun-21 06:27:54

I just keep any poly bags that come into life and keep recycling them, clothes bags, the bag the microwave came in, any and every bit of poly than can be reused.

Otherwise, as others said, I re-use food containers. I am still using 1 gallon ice cream containers I bought 30 plus years ago. take away containers.

Franbern Wed 30-Jun-21 08:08:43

Good storage boxes in different sizes, clip ones, easily washed out for re=use.
The inner packaging in cereal bozes make a good strong, single use containers for food stuffs.
Would never have thought of carrier bags to be used in freezers.
I also keep a typed list of everying I have in myj freezer, and update this about twice a year.

nanna8 Wed 30-Jun-21 08:15:24

We use one of those machines that pumps the air out and seals plastic over the food. We got it a couple of years ago at Aldi and you can buy a refill roll of plastic from time to time. I put meat and fish in one part and bread, cakes, pastry etc in another. Veggies in the bottom drawer.

Lucca Wed 30-Jun-21 08:17:57

MrsChips

I tend to use a carrier bag to store groups of foods in the freezer. I have 1 for bread, 1 for soup, 1 for fish, 1 for fruit. Now we don’t have lots of carrier bags, I don’t have any to use to replace the ones I am currently using. I could buy a bag for life but I’m a miser and I don’t like paying for things if I can find a free alternative. What to others use instead of carrier bags?

There’s being a miser and then there is……. 10p for a new bag ??

H1954 Wed 30-Jun-21 08:29:56

I use the larger 'laundry wash bags' which are made of fabric rather like net curtaining. I acquired two with an order from Lakeland but they were too big for washing bras or small items in so I put them to an alternative use.

I've made several more, either with a zip fastener or a draw string and colour coded in some way; blue for fish, red for red meats, pink for chicken, green for veggies.

Each food item is packed individually, either in freezer bags or boxes and placed in the storage bags for easier identification.

I should add that I have a chest freezer which are not as easy to keep tidy as an upright are they.

MrsChips Wed 30-Jun-21 10:35:55

I should have made my post more detailed. I store soup portions in individual freezer bags. It’s these bags that I put into a carrier bag, so I can find them in the freezer. Mine’s a chest freezer so they get lost.

MrsChips Wed 30-Jun-21 10:44:24

Ah, thanks everyone. You’ve given me ideas. One is def to just spend 10p and get a new bag ?. Cheaper than a freezer with drawers anyhow. !!

Kamiso Wed 30-Jun-21 10:45:33

Just emptied the chest freezer that’s in the shed. I used to separate items by using three sturdy cardboard boxes. Worked fine.

Coolgran65 Wed 30-Jun-21 10:56:29

I have a chest freezer in the garage. I use the large supermarket white household bin liner bags with tie handles for my indoor bins and also to ‘file away’ smaller items in the chest freezer.
They are particularly cheap.

Pp. suggestion of net bags sounds good where you can clearly distinguish the contents.

M0nica Wed 30-Jun-21 11:02:14

I have a chest freezer and I bought metal wire baskets made for chest freezers and each product is in a different basket. they stack on top each other. I have had them for over 20 years.

Before that I bought a pack of multicoloured plastic bags the size of rubble bags so that contents were colour coded.

I buy meat, chicken and fish from a butcher/fish supplier or direct from farm and that comes vacuum packed with a label so no further wrapping is needed. Vegetables go in one gallon icecream containers I have had for decades and I use a range of recycled food containers for everything else.

Yammy Wed 30-Jun-21 11:11:31

I bought a batch of string bags years ago they wash and hold loads of boxes etc. You can see what's in them. Whenever I have loaned them I never get them back! Someone close as a freezer full as well.

Tizliz Wed 30-Jun-21 11:23:13

If I can freeze something in a stackable container that is best, other packs go in strong carrier bags. So much easier to lift out the carrier than rummage round the bottom of the freezer - especially as I am so little. Imagine head in freezer, legs sticking out, feet waving about.

Beckett Wed 30-Jun-21 11:23:38

Re-usable plastic boxes, all labelled. Stacked to make most of the room in the freezer, easy to find what I want.

JackyB Wed 30-Jun-21 13:39:27

I have a freezer with drawers but always sorted my mother's chest freezer when I visited, putting everything i to carrier bags (she had drawers full of the things.)

As for using cartons -, don't they go soggy?

To answer the OP's question : What about old pillow cases?