Prepper freezer foods are emergency food reserves that are useful to help you weather out a natural disaster or any other emergency situation that disrupts your normal way of life.
For the past two years we have all watched as situations play out that are disrupting everyones normal way of life.
In some areas, food has become very scarce.
It may be that you have never had to deal with this situation because the area you live in is fully stocked or maybe you were already prepared.
However that doesn't mean that food can't run out in your area.
You need to prepare in advance for this kind of problem.
A Lack Of Food At The Grocery Store
Preparing ultimately means when there is a limited supply, or maybe a complete lack of supply, of meat on your grocery store shelves and other foods are difficult go get, you and your family can still eat.
When the pandemic hit, food was already in short supply in many grocery stores.
When supplies started to return to normal, many people tried to hoard food which lead to limitations on what each person was able to buy.
Now two years later there are major supply chain disruptions.
The fact is there might not be enough meat at the grocery store for people to eat like they normally would.
There are even rumors of shortages of holiday meats such as turkey and ham.
While the shortages certainly won't affect everyone, they are going to have a huge impact on some people.
You don't want to be one of those people impacted by the shortages, so find a deep freeze, stock up and prepare a plan for what to do with all that food in the event the grid goes down.
The Best Prepper Freezer Food To Store
There are many types of foods that you can keep in a deep freezer.
Meat and vegetables are the most popular items most people stock up on, but do not forget fruit freezes well too.
You can survive and live healthy consuming these food groups.
It is not difficult to start stocking up nor does it have to be expensive.
You can buy extra portions that are specifically for storage or even cook extra portions of items that freeze well.
Batch cooking is quite popular and a great way to store items you normally eat for later use.
You will need to get into the habit of eating the food according to date it was first stored in order to keep your supply up to date.
Not all foods remain good for a year, so you need to mark the "eat by" date on the package as well as the name of the food and the date you put it into the freezer.
As you use items from your freezer, make sure you restock what you have taken out.
By keeping food in your deep freezer, you can keep food for longer periods of time.
Freezing also keeps the food in its best nutritional state.
Finding Meat To Freeze
If you don't want to prepare food to freeze yourself, or you don't have time, then it is easy to stock up using frozen food from the grocery store.
Freeze the meats that you either buy or obtain from homesteading or hunting.
If you don't hunt or raise your own animals, you can buy from those who do.
The goal is to get a supply of meat ready to use in the event of a survival situation.
By freezing it, you can add months to the potential use date.
Then you can use the food as you see fit once you're ready to do so.
Stock Up On Vegetables As Well
Vegetables can be stored in your deep freezer, too.
But you will have to keep in mind that the higher the water content in the vegetable, the more likely it is to get watery once it is thawed.
So you will need a plan on how you are going to use the vegetables you freeze.
One option is to prepare the vegetables in advance by turning them into a cooked meal before you freeze them.
There are a lot of vegetables that you can freeze.
Many will maintain their original taste and texture when used later.
Some of the best vegetables to use for freezing are things like green beans and corn.
You can also freeze peas, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and squash.
You can also freeze some leafy greens like spinach or kale.
But keep in mind that some vegetables such as cabbage will need to be prepped before freezing.
If you are planning to store the cabbage for awhile, it should be blanched before freezing.
But if you plan to use the cabbage within a couple of months, then you don't have to blanch it.
Vegetables such as celery and onions will also freeze well.
Many people don't realize it, but you can also freeze fruit such as watermelon, strawberries, grapes, blueberries and more.
I highly recommend freezing a small amount of anything you are not sure about, such as watermelon, and taste testing it.
It would be a real shame to take up a lot of freezer room then end up tossing whatever you froze out because you don't like the way it tastes thawed.
Shop Smart To Make The Most Of Your Prepper Freezer Foods
When it comes to getting your freezer full, you need to shop smart so you can fill it up on a budget.
This way you end up with more food that will last for a longer period of time.
Meat is one of the most expensive food items and most people automatically buy it from the grocery store.
While that may be the most convenient way, it is certainly not the cheapest method.
Buy meat from your local farmers.
Buying in bulk this way is cheaper because you can pay less per pound.
Plus, the meat tastes better because it is generally grass-fed or free-range.
You can buy different meats all at once.
If you don't have access to meat from a farm, then look for a butcher shop or what is known as a retail meat shop.
At places like these, you can usually get a better cut of meat for less than what you would end up paying at the grocery store.
For people who have to buy their meat solely from a grocery store, there are still plenty of ways that you can pay less.
If you are going to be putting the meat into something like a casserole or a soup, then buy the meat that is lower in quality because you won't be able to taste the difference when it is in a dish like that.
Look for the meats that are on sale.
Sometimes meat will be labeled cheaper because the expiration date is coming up quickly and the store just wants to cut its losses.
Meat on the day of or close to the expiration date is still good to freeze.
Stock Up Using Coupons And Watch For Sales
Shop using the store fliers and coupons so you can prep on a budget.
This applies to all the foods that you can freeze - and not just meats.
You can also buy in bulk.
If you think you can't possibly freeze the entire amount, then sell the food or split the cost with family or friends.
Buy your fruits and vegetables for freezing from farmer's markets, a food co-op, roadside stands or directly from growers.
You can find these places by doing a search for 'vegetable growers' or 'produce companies' or search 'your state + vegetable grower.'
You can save money by picking up bargain buys on dairy products and then adding those to your prepper freezer food supply.
You can find these bargain buys by also looking for buy one get one free promotions, just be sure the price you pay isn't over inflated.
Another great promotion to watch for is the buy ten get one free.
Most people can't use eleven of the same item before it goes bad, and while you can mix and match, simply buy eleven of the same item and add eight of them to your prepper freezer food supply.
You can also buy many of your pantry staples on sale and freeze them, too.
That means you can safely freeze things like flour, sugar and seeds.
Freezing products with grains or sugars in them helps keep bugs away from the products and also helps prevent any bugs that are in the products from hatching.
Yes, You Can Freeze Dairy Products
If you remove a little milk out of the top of a gallon of milk to allow for expansion, it will freeze well.
I actually prefer freezing milk in a canning jar with a plastic lid that is then placed in a large freezer bag.
To me, plastic makes the milk taste off and glass does not.
This is especially important if you buy milk straight from the farmer.
Milk can be kept in a freezer for six months if it's prepared correctly.
Butter and cheese can also be frozen for later use.
Buy farm fresh eggs and freeze those as well.
How to Store Prepper Freezer Food
There are different methods for properly storing foods in your deep freezer to ensure that the food remains safe.
One of these methods is by using a Food Saver vacuum sealer.
This machine removes air from the stored food so that it eliminates ice crystals and freezer burn.
Plus, by doing that, it helps to keep the food tasting fresh.
When you seal the food, you will want to make sure you package it in the bag correctly.
Lay the foods in the bag flat rather than lumping it up in a heap together.
You can use a countertop vacuum sealer to do the job, but there are also handheld options available.
If you don't have a Food Saver vacuum sealer and don't want to spend the money to buy one, you can still vacuum seal food without it.
This way of doing it is known as water displacement.
You will need freezer bags and a pot of water.
You put whatever you want to freeze in the bag, but make sure to leave a small opening at the top.
Place the bag slowly down into the water.
As the bag is lowered, the pressure of the water forces out the air.
Continue to lower the bag until right before it would go under the water.
Then seal the bag without allowing the water to get into the bag.
Once the bag is sealed, remove it from the pot of water and dry it off.
You can also use the ice method of storing your food in a deep freezer.
You can use a bag ice or ice cubes in bags that you freeze yourself.
This keeps the food fresh for longer periods but will also water the food down when the ice melts.
You will want to place the ice all around the food as well as above it and below it.
Remember To Label Your Prepper Freezer Food
One of the biggest mistakes you can make when it comes to using your deep freezer is failing to correctly label the food.
It is not fun to play guess the date or guess the food item.
That is why labeling and organization is your best friend.
Store all the foods by category, such as meats together, etc.
You can use freezer bins or wire baskets to keep the various foods separated if you need to.
But just because you're using those doesn't mean you should neglect individual labeling.
Label each bag with a color coordinated label.
For example, you can choose green labels to signify the food in the bag is a vegetable.
On the freezer bag, you will want to include what the food is and the freeze date.
Your label should also include a use by date for handy reference.
You can keep an inventory of what you have in your freezer to make it easier to rotate the food items.
Having an easy to access record of what is in food storage is handy and can save money.
How To Keep Food Frozen If the Grid Goes Down Short-Term
You might end up in a situation where the grid goes down and shows no sign of coming back up any time soon.
A quick solution to deal with this is to wrap your freezer and refrigerator in multiple layers of thick blankets.
This will help keep the cool temperatures in and the warmer temperatures out.
In the event that the grid is down long-term, you need a solution for what to do about the supplies in your freezer.
A generator is one option.
The right kind of generator is capable of powering your freezer so that all your effort and money doesn't end up going to waste.
You can choose between a solar generator or gas powered generator.
There are, of course, advantages and disadvantages to both kinds.
How To Know If Your Prepper Freezer Food Is Still Safe To Eat
If you're wondering if the food is still edible after a power outage, you can put it through the four part safety checklist.
If the food has an odor, has changed colors, looks slimy or contains ice crystals, then it is no longer usable and should be thrown out.
You don't want to take any risks with your health.
If the food is still partially or fully frozen, then it should be fine to refreeze or you can choose to defrost it.
As long as the food is still good, instead of allowing it to go to waste, you can choose to use a canning method to save it.
All you have to do is follow the same canning method that you would use if you were canning fresh food items.
There are some food items that aren't good candidates for use with the canning method because they will just turn mushy, and no one wants to eat that.
You will need to check a reliable source such as the Ball Complete Book Of Home Preserving for recipe ideas so you don't waste your time or the food this way.
Dehydrate That Prepper Freezer Food In An Emergency
In the event that you have food items that aren't good candidates for canning, that doesn't mean there is nothing else that you can do with them.
Instead of canning, you can always choose to dehydrate the food.
There are various ways to do this.
You can use the sun method where you put food in the sun, but protect it against insects by using a screen to cover it.
This is known as the solar drying method.
Dehydrating is a method that still allows the food to maintain the nutritional value.
You don't have to have a complicated set up to save the food with this method.
You can use dehydrator sheets for this or something like a herb drying rack.
But you can also use an electric dehydrator such as the Nesco Gardenmaster Pro Food Dehydrator which is the one I have to dry the food as long as you have a source of electricity.
It is not so much about what you use as it is that you get the food dry in order to save it.
You can dry almost any type of food for later use, and this includes meat.
Be sure to store your dehydrated food out of direct sunlight in a cool, dark place such as your pantry.
Of course, you might not be able to use everything in your freezer if it is full, but you can go ahead and cook what you are able to.
If you have a way to keep food cool such as a solar cooler that relies on solar power, then you can cook and store the food for as long as the food safely keeps.
Many solar coolers are durable enough to last for quite a while.
Top 5 Deep Freezers to Consider Purchasing
If you are planning to buy a deep freezer to store your prepper freezer food, you don't need one with a lot of bells and whistles.
Sometimes a lot of features don't really add much other than convenience.
Plus, a bunch of features can just make the freezer more expensive.
You want to buy the type of deep freezer that is known for its durability.
One of these is the Whynter CUF-210SS Energy Star.
This is a small freezer that is more suitable for a place where there is not a lot of room.
It can store a couple of months worth of food supplies, but probably not more than that.
It all depends on what you're freezing.
This is probably best for a single person or a couple rather than a large family.
If you have more than one or two people in your family or you are looking to store a larger quantity of food that will keep for several months, then you will need a bigger deep freezer.
You can get something like the Plastic Development Group 13.7 Cubic Ft freezer.
Or, there is the Commercial Top Chest Freezer 7 Cu. Ft.
This one is known for its quiet operation as well as the solid NSF rating.
There is also the Danby DCF072A3WDB-6 7.2 Cu.Ft. Garage Ready Chest Freezer.
Itís 7.2 cubic feet and has manual defrost operation.
It is the perfect size for your garage but it can also fit in the kitchen or storage room if you prefer.
If you are looking for a deep freezer that is a little more high end, there is the Atosa MWF9016 Solid Top Chest Freezer.
What makes this one stand out is the fact that it is not a small deep freezer.
It boasts 16 cubic feet so it has more storage room.
It has 3 inch insulation, which means it works to keep the food in the frozen state that itís supposed to be in.
There is a defrost drain so when you need to clean the appliance, it will be easier for you.
It also has stem castors, so if you don't like the location where you originally put the freezer even when it is full of food and heavy, you will still be able to move it to another spot.
This one also comes with a basket so that you can either store your smaller frozen items or you can lay out in advance what you plan to have for that week so that you don't have to dig through the freezer when the time comes to get the food.
This one is easy to wipe clean of fingerprints and smudges.
It also comes with a door lock so that you can keep thieves out of your food supply.
What To Look For In A Deep Freezer
What you buy in terms of a deep freezer might be dependent upon how many people you are storing food for.
It also might depend on your available space as well as your budget for this survival storage.
Not everyone has room for a big deep freezer or a budget that allows them to spend thousands of dollars on a chest freezer.
Make sure when you pick one and order it, that you make a plan for how to fill it up with the most nutritious, calorie-dense foods.
Whether that means ordering half a cow from your local butcher or picking up a few extra packages of chicken, beef, pork and lamb every time you go to the store.
Your new deep freezer should fill up quickly and easily in no time.
Don't forget to also store some frozen fruits and vegetables.
These will add nutrients to your diet if and when you ever find yourself in a survival situation where you are unable to visit your local grocery store and get what you need.
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