25 Freezer Tricks I've Lived By That Supermarkets Don't Want You Knowing!

Key freezer & grocery-cost tricks (25 total)

• 25) Walk the markdown clock

  • Shop meat markdown windows: ~7:00 AM (first markdown) or last hour before closing (~6:00 PM).
  • Approximate reductions mentioned:
    • Within 3 days: ~1/3 off
    • Within 1 day: ~1/2 off
    • Sometimes 3/4 off if the cooler is very full.
  • Buy enough to cover the week during those windows.

• 24) Butcher’s primal cut (break down at home)

  • Order whole beef primals (e.g., chuck roll) by appointment; described as far cheaper than retail.
  • Example pricing mentioned: 40 lb chuck roll ~ $0.80/lb, under case price.
  • Break down at home into:
    • roasts
    • stew meat
    • ground beef
    • soup bones

• 23) Loss-leader whole chickens

  • Use whole chickens priced as weekly ad “loss leaders.”
  • Approach described: buy the chicken and go straight through the store with no detours.

• 22) Butter dated for 8 months

  • Butter goes on sale about twice yearly (week before Thanksgiving and Christmas).
  • Freeze butter in waxed paper inside a freezer bag:
    • keeps ~8 months at 0°F.
  • Cut into tablespoon portions with a cold knife so you can take only what you need.

• 21) Milk gallon split

  • To freeze milk safely and prevent jugs from cracking:
    • pour off one full coffee mug from each gallon before freezing.
  • For deals (e.g., buy one get one):
    • split into two half-gallons, freeze both.
  • Thaw overnight in the fridge; shake to recombine fat.
  • Use for cereal/cooking/baking; keeps about 3 months.

• 20) Block cheese beats shredded

  • Avoid pre-shredded cheese (higher markup + cellulose anti-caking coating).
  • Shred a block yourself.
  • Optional anti-clump tip: toss a teaspoon of cornstarch into each bag.
  • Freeze flat; hard cheeses keep about 6 months.

• 19) Ginger on the rock

  • Fresh ginger spoils in ~10 days (commonly used in tiny amounts).
  • Freeze: keep the whole unpeeled knob in a labeled freezer bag.
  • Grate directly from frozen using a microplane, then return to the freezer.
  • Reported benefit: ~4 months per $4 knob, compared with ~10 days fresh.

• 18) Lemon juice in shot-glass tray cubes

  • Juice lemons in bulk using “shot glass” portions:
    • cubes equal 2 tablespoons per shot glass.
  • Freeze juice cubes in trays, bag them; store zest separately.
  • Keeps ~9 months with fresh taste.

• 17) Whole bean pound bag (pre-portion)

  • Whole coffee beans keep longer than ground coffee because oils are protected until grinding.
  • Portion into half-cup freezer bags and pull one at a time.

• 16) Rice pre-cooked for the week

  • Cook bulk rice on Sunday:
    • cool on a sheet tray ~20 minutes
    • portion into flat bags.
  • Reported savings idea: homemade costs far less per pound than microwave pouches.
  • Similar approach mentioned for beans.

• 15) Over-wrap the Styrofoam tray

  • Store packaging is for shelves, not freezers; described as leading to freezer burn in ~6 weeks.
  • Over-wrap method:
    • tight plastic wrap layer pressed against meat, air pushed out
    • then place into a freezer bag and seal tightly.
  • Result mentioned: better quality longer (example: roast lasts ~6 months vs ~8 weeks).

• 14) Flat bag filing system (organize for efficiency)

  • Freeze liquids/soft foods in flat freezer bags laid on a sheet pan until solid.
  • Stack upright like file folders to prevent everything sinking and becoming an ice-covered mess.
  • Example capacity claim: organized flat bags allow more usable weight than tubs.

• 13) Flour in the deep freeze

  • Freeze flour to stop rancidity/insects:
    • whole grain flour rancids; freezing helps it last ~2 years.
  • Even white flour may get weevils:
    • freeze shortly after purchase (reported as killing weevil eggs).
  • Prevents pantry moth/insect contamination.

• 12) Nuts away from the pantry

  • Nuts go rancid from oil oxidation.
  • Buy nuts in-season (Oct–Dec) and freeze immediately.
  • Reported timeline:
    • freezer: flavor ~1 year
    • pantry: goes off ~3 months.

• 11) Tomato paste in teaspoon-perfect dots

  • Freeze tomato paste in measured portions to avoid wasting most of a can.
  • Method:
    • spoon paste into tablespoon dollops on wax paper
    • freeze solid, peel dots off, bag
  • Each dot = 1 tablespoon, lasts ~6 months.

• 10) Cream in sized cubes

  • Freeze heavy cream in an ice cube tray (2 tablespoons per cube).
  • Pour the remainder before it goes bad; freeze overnight; bag cubes.
  • Reported: heavy cream keeps ~6 months.
  • Note: half-and-half doesn’t freeze the same way (lower fat).

• 9) Herb puck in oil

  • Freeze herbs (parsley, basil, cilantro, oregano, thyme) as “pucks”:
    • chop, pack into ice cube tray
    • cover with olive oil
    • freeze overnight; bag pucks
  • Use: drop a puck straight into a hot pan at the start of sauté.
  • Also frames the ice cube tray as an all-purpose cheap portioning tool (2-tb portions), including for:
    • coffee creamer
    • lemon juice
    • tomato paste
    • herb oil
    • leftover wine
    • broth
    • egg yolks (with salt)

• 8) Marinating while frozen

  • Freeze raw meat already portioned and marinated.
  • Acid in marinade penetrates as meat fibers loosen from freezing.
  • Thaw in fridge the next afternoon; cook for dinner quickly.
  • Skips buying expensive pre-marinated meat.

• 7) Eggs cracked into cube trays

  • Freeze eggs without freezing in the shell:
    • crack into a bowl; avoid whipping too much air
    • pour into an ice cube tray
  • Measuring guide:
    • 3 tablespoons = 1 egg
  • Baking note:
    • add ½ tsp sugar per cup of mixture (prevents yolk gumming)
    • savory: add ¼ tsp salt
  • Keepability: ~12 months in freezer.

• 6) Double bag seal (anti-freezer-burn method)

  • Use two freezer bags (vacuum sealers assumed rare at the time).
  • Steps:
    • first bag: press out air, seal
    • second bag: seal again
  • Claimed result: ground beef kept ~12 months without freezer burn.

• 5) Wine from the open bottle

  • Avoid “cooking wine” and markup: use table wine opened the night before.
  • Method:
    • freeze remaining wine in an ice cube tray (~2 tablespoons per cube)
  • Use cubes for deglazing; “pure markup removed.”

• 4) The bone bag (free stock)

  • Collect freezer scraps:
    • chicken backs/wing tips, beef bones, ham shanks, fish heads, vegetable trim
  • When full:
    • simmer in a stock pot with cold water 6–8 hours
  • Reported outcome: about 1 gallon rich broth per batch.
  • Framed as replacing expensive bottled broth.

• 3) Sunday portion night (the core routine)

  • Weekly “portioning” ritual:
    • 2–3 hours at the kitchen table
    • grease pencil + flat bags + bulk haul
    • portion and label/dates/log everything
  • Examples given:
    • 10 lb pork shoulder → multiple portioned bags + bone for bone bag
    • 40 lb chuck → stew packs, roasts, and ground meat
    • 5 chickens → breast portions, thigh portions, drumsticks

• 2) The power out penny safety check

  • If power goes out while you’re away:
    • freeze a cup of water with a penny on top
  • Interpretation:
    • penny still on top = safe
    • penny in middle = partial thaw (use soon)
    • penny sunk = thaw/refreeze (discard)
  • Safety rule mentioned: food above 40°F for >2 hours shouldn’t be refrozen.
  • Cost of “insurance” = 1 cent.

• 1) The second freezer (final anti-supermarket move)

  • Put a second chest freezer in basement/garage/laundry room.
  • Claimed payoff:
    • stores can’t profit as much from shoppers who can buy markdowns and prime cuts in bulk.
  • Example energy cost stated (~215 kWh/year) and “paid for itself in four months,” with savings over years.

Notable locations, products, and people mentioned

• Buffalo, New York (Seneca Street; basement near a cinder block wall)
• Sears Coldspot chest freezer (22 cubic feet; bought in 1978)
• Bethlehem Steel and A&P on Seneca Street
• Tops on Delaware Avenue (butter sale example)
• Frank’s bowling league (shot glasses reference)
• Orchard Park roadside motel (aunt Ruth’s business)
• Mabel Koenig (neighbor on Seneca Street; multiple ice cube trays)
• Speaker/voice: narrator referencing “grandma” and “grandpa,” plus aunt Ruth and neighbor Mabel Koenig.