The freezer is a cold and desolate place that’s home to forgotten, icy food. Our goal in this article is to show you how to declutter your freezer, remove all unusable food, and salvage the rest. Let’s get started!

Defrosting

Many modern freezer’s don’t require defrosting, but they use up to 35% more energy than the manual defrost models. The auto defrost cycle sucks all the moisture out of frozen food and can affect food quality. You need to defrost manual freezers when the ice reaches 1/4 – 1/2 inch thick.

Defrosting Do’s:

1) Unplug the Machine: Always turn off the power to the freezer before defrosting.

2) Empty the Freezer: Remove all food and store it in ice chests while you are defrosting the freezer.

3) Melt the Ice: You can leave the freezer door open and wait for the ice to melt, or add heat to speed up the process. First make sure you have an old towel on the floor to catch dripping water. Use pans filled with warm water to melt the ice, or use a blow dryer.

4) Clean Up: When you’ve removed the ice, scrub the freezer with a paste made out of baking soda and water. The baking soda will absorb any odors and remove food spills. Don’t forget to wash the shelves and freezer baskets in warm, soapy water. Make sure they’re completely dry before putting them back in your freezer.

5) Plug it Back In: Close the freezer door and plug it in. Let the freezer run for 15 minutes before putting the frozen food back in.

Defrosting Don’ts:

1) Be Gentle: Don’t use ice picks or knives to remove the ice. A slip can cause injuries to you and the freezer.

2) Safety: If you’re using a hair dryer to melt the ice, be cautious about electric shock. Don’t stand in puddled water or allow the water to drip onto the hair dryer.

3) No Suds: Don’t use soapy water to clean the freezer. Soap is hard to rinse, and a soapy residue can affect the taste of your food.

Organizing

1) Add Labels: Adding labels to your frozen food is key in keeping your freezer organized. Label each package with the food’s name, number of servings, and the date it was added to the freezer. Use a permanent marker to write the labels.

2) Date Everything: To manage your frozen food properly, you need to make sure they’re fresh. Always write a date on every package you add to the freezer. Rotate food so that new food is behind older packages.

3) Organize by Category: If you have a large freezer, you should organize it by category. Casseroles should be in one area of the freezer, beef steaks and roasts in another, and turkey and chicken at the bottom of the basket where they’re easy to grab.

4) Use Freezer Baskets: Baskets with a flat bottom can support floppy freezer bags and organize freezer contents. Put all vegetables in one basket, bread in the other, etc.

5) Square Containers: When freezing soup, use rectangular or square containers. They will fit together easier and take up less space than cylindrical shapes.

6) Rotate: Always use older products first, and keep newer food behind older ones.

Photos: The Happy Housewife, A Life Less Digital, The Glamourous Housewife, Say What You Need to Say Blog.

Watermelons are a vitamin-rich fruit that contain anti-inflammatory and antioxidant health benefits. They’re also great to keep you hydrated during the hot summer months, and are composed of 92% water. Making your own healthy watermelon slushies has got to be the easiest recipe we’ve posted! Whip up your own batch in a snap, kids and adults alike will love it!

Puree 6 cups of chopped and seedless watermelon in a blender until smooth. Pour into a container and freeze. When ready to serve, take it out of the freezer and allow it to thaw slightly. Mash it with a fork and serve into cups.

Photos: She Knows, Rachel Cooks, Lose Baby Weight.

As you already know, we’re big fans of frozen yogurt. It’s healthier for you than ice cream, and we think it tastes better, too! There are endless varieties you can make, but we’re sure you’ve never heard of using cantaloupe in your frozen yogurt! This recipe is so easy to make, you’ll never buy store-bought frozen yogurt again! For sweetener, you can always use raw sugar or honey instead of white sugar for an even healthier variety. If you like, you can pour the yogurt into popsicle moulds for frozen yogurt popsicles! Enjoy!

Sweet Cantaloupe Frozen Yogurt

A healthy summer treat, this cantaloupe frozen yogurt is delicious and refreshing. Try substituting white sugar for raw sugar or honey for an even more healthy dessert.

Ingredients

• 3 cups cubed cantaloupe
• 2/3 cup sweetener of your choice (white sugar, raw sugar, or honey)
• 2 cups plain low-fat yogurt

Instructions

1. Place cantaloupe in blender and blend until smooth. Combine with sweetener.
2. If you’re using white or raw sugar, add the mixture to a saucepan and cook over low-medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. If you’re using honey, skip this step. Allow the mixture to cool.
3. Add the cantaloupe and sugar mixture to the yogurt and stir until combined.
4. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions, or pour into popsicle moulds and freeze until firm.

Photos: Sugar Laws, Nest Full of Eggs, Net Places.

There’s nothing better than eating some sweet frozen yogurt after a delicious outdoor BBQ. This strawberry frozen yogurt is really easy to make, giving you plenty of time to prepare the rest of your BBQ meal. Simple ingredients like fresh strawberries, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and sugar are used in this delicious recipe. For a healthier alternative, try substituting the sugar for honey. Your guests are sure to enjoy it!

Home-made Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

Easy and quick frozen yogurt perfect as a dessert after a summer BBQ. You can substitute the sugar for honey for a healthy alternative.

Ingredients

• 1 pound strawberries, washed, hulled, and sliced
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 2/3 cup sugar (or honey)

Instructions

1. Stir strawberries and sugar in a bowl until the sugar begins to dissolve. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
2. Put the strawberries in a blender and add the yogurt and lemon juice. Blend until smooth.
3. Chill the mixture in the fridge for 1 hour, then place in freezer and freeze until firm.

Photos: Two Peas and Their Pod.