Here is the final video in my kitchen tour series! In case you missed it I’ve already shared a tour of my fridge, pantry and kitchen (drawers, etc.). As you’ll see in this video we actually have an extra freezer that we use pretty regularly. When I first read In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan (the book that inspired me to cut out all processed food) he said if you have the space then get an extra freezer.
And oh boy was he right – between the locally raised meat from our farmer’s market (that’s sold frozen), and the 100% whole-wheat 5-ingredient bread I like to stock up on when I’m in that part of town, and the homemade convenience food I frequently make (including chicken stock, soups, muffins, waffles, etc.) it has been so worth it to have this extra freezer space. And that’s because when you find a good source for something like humanely raised meat or real bread it makes sense to stock up when you have the chance! It also goes without saying – I usually have a minor freak out when there’s a big storm and we lose power!! LOL Enjoy the tour…
Guest Post: Clean Cuisine Cottage Pie (A British Food Makeover)
Katie
October 21, 2014 at 10:47 amThanks for the tour! I love peaking into another cook’s fridge, freezer and pantry. Your organization is inspiring! I’m a new mom and did a ton of cooking in preparation for my babe’s arrival. So glad I did! Having a second freezer is a luxury, but makes eating well so much easier.
Lisa
October 21, 2014 at 10:48 amI am so glad you liked it! And I like to see inside other people’s kitchens as well – always gives me new ideas :)
Hayley
October 21, 2014 at 1:08 pmGreat video! I am curious about your jars…I have had issues in the past with my jars breaking in the freezer and have heard that the jars have to be specially tempered or specifically “freezer safe”. Can you give any info on this or the jars you use?
Thanks!
tamarie
October 21, 2014 at 4:23 pmi’m curious about the jars too. i use regular canning jars and leave space at the top and still have had breakage.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
October 22, 2014 at 7:35 amHi Hayley. You do need to make sure you buy freezer safe jars like Mason or Kerr. Also, use wide necked jars because jars with a shoulder are more likely to break when the food expands. You can find Lisa’s jars here: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/my-kitchen-essentials/. ~Amy
Sarah Hudson
October 22, 2014 at 11:53 amI’m curious specifically about the large jars with the flour in the them, with the flip top lids. Can you tell us where those are from? Thank you!
Michelle
October 22, 2014 at 3:38 pmI’m curious where to find these jars as well! Thank you! :)
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
October 24, 2014 at 10:29 amHi. I believe those came from Sur La Table and you can find them in this post: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/11/16/moths-invaded-our-pantrybugs-like-real-food-too/. :)
Kimmi Crocker
October 21, 2014 at 1:34 pmVery Nice! We have three freezers. One for meat (we buy our beef locally by the half and chicken by the whole), fish when it goes on sale and some local pork.
In the second freezer, I keep prepared food. I typically double recipes and freeze for later. I make large batches of tomato sauce and freeze chopped fruits and veggies from our garden in the summer. I use a baking sheet in my third freezer and lay food flat in zipper bags. Once frozen, I move them to the second freezer and store in “bookshelf” fashion. It really saves space!
In my third freezer, I keep odd shaped food, cheeses, bread, frozen store bought veggies (Costco has a wonderful selection of frozen organic veggies!), flours, yeast, things that don’t stack as well.
I too, worry about the power going off. But we do have a generator that I can use if necessary!
Anna Bunn
October 21, 2014 at 1:37 pmAnd how to you thaw out everything for exam ok the bread? How long will the flour last without freezing?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
November 2, 2014 at 6:18 pmHi Anna. Remove bread from the freezer as needed. It thaws pretty quickly on the counter top. It is hard to know how long flours have been sitting on a store shelf. When you freeze them, you preserve the oils in the flour and more of its nutrients. ~Amy
Jana
October 21, 2014 at 1:46 pmThanks so much for the tour! Love your organization! Two quick questions.
Do you cook with the flour straight from your freezer or does it have to get to room temperature before adding it to a recipe or to a bread machine?
I didn’t see the butter you refer to in the beginning of the video. Do you freeze it just as it comes from the store? or in special packaging? Also, do you just put it in the fridge and then use normal once at fridge temp?
Thanks! Love you site and your book!
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
November 4, 2014 at 8:01 amHi Jana. You can bring the flour to room temp if you want but I typically use it straight from the freezer. Lisa freezes the butter to keep it fresh since she typically buys multiple packs. She does not use special packaging. There is usually one butter thawed and kept in the fridge, too. ~Amy
Karen
October 21, 2014 at 2:02 pmLoved your video. I’m considering getting a freezer for Christmas. My MIL recommended an upright rather than a chest freezer because things tend to accumulate on top of chest freezers. This makes it a hassle to use the freezer if you have to move things off it. Uprights cost more, but I’m thinking it would be worth it. Any thoughts?
Amanda Holloway
October 21, 2014 at 4:09 pmWe have 2 chest freezers and I use milk crates to organize them. It’s easy to keep track of what’s in the freezers that way and easy to get to what’s in the bottom!
Caitlin
October 21, 2014 at 2:05 pmWhat was in the big jar next to the small jars of soups? Also, I think we only have room for a top-opening deep freezer. Do you think that’d still be helpful? Our current freezer is packed to the gills!
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
November 4, 2014 at 8:07 amHi Caitlin. It is a large container of soup. ;) I have a chest freezer that I keep manageable with plastic containers. If you are aware of what you have and keep it accessible (most frequently pulled from near the top), it is much more efficient. ~Amy
Mary
October 21, 2014 at 3:11 pmDo you have any tips for slicing the Great Harvest bread? It does not come pre-sliced at my local Great Harvest and I find that in order to keep it from crumbling, I have to slice it pretty thick which my 5 year old doesn’t like.
Amanda Holloway
October 21, 2014 at 4:11 pmUse an electric knife! I make my own and noticed the same thing, so I tried my electric knife and it was perfect.
Lynda
October 26, 2014 at 8:02 amGreat Harvest will gladly slice the bread for you. I have them slice it for me quite often.
Shari
October 21, 2014 at 3:24 pmI’ve never heard that whole wheat flour goes bad at room temp. Do you then thaw it to use? How long does it take to thaw? I’m pulling mine out to see if there’s an expiration date on it now :)
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
October 21, 2014 at 4:00 pmHi Shari. Some say you should allow it to come to room temp but I use flour directly from the freezer all the time. :)
Jaime Pitsch
October 21, 2014 at 4:16 pmSo jealous of your organization. I’m a type where everything has a place and we are currently relocated right now while we build our new home. I can not wait until we are in our space again. We shacked up with my mother in law. Our fridge is in the basement and I truck all up and down the stairs to cook. Love her dearly. Her home is warm and inviting I just feel I’m taking up space in her home. Lol. She loves your recipes though :)
Thanks for the tour. It’s makes me anxious for all the new and exciting things coming our way :)
Angela @ Food Angel
October 21, 2014 at 4:21 pmLove this- thanks for sharing! Your posts on Facebook inspire me to double a lot of my recipes to freeze- we used to have such a hard time getting the food to the freezer instead of eating the leftovers lol! I’m loving the convenience though now that my freezer is well stocked!
Shannon McMath
October 21, 2014 at 5:44 pmLoved the tour! Oh, and thank you for supporting Girl Scouts!…I recognized the boxes :)
Our family is just embarking on our Real Food journey and I plan to visit your site often.
I’ll be watching the other tours (pantry, fridge) next!
sherry
October 21, 2014 at 6:19 pmA commenter from one of Lisa’s previous blog posts educated me about freezing in jars. If the jars have “shoulders”,i.e. the ones that are wide at the bottom and taper to a narrow top that uses a “regular mouth” lid, they are NOT for freezing and will break. The “straight side” jars, or the “wide mouth” are meant for either freezing or canning and will not break. I NEVER knew this and I have been using canning jars for years and years.
After reading this a couple months ago, I went to the store and looked–sure enough, “wide mouth” jars with straight sides are labeled “freezer safe” and the others are not.
Kristin
October 21, 2014 at 7:29 pmI’m confused, I used to refrigerate my white whole wheat flour to keep it fresh. Then I read (Breadbeckers?) I should be freezing it, so I started putting it in the freezer. However, I recently read that freezing flour destroys some of the nutrients, so I moved it back to the fridge? I see that Lisa is freezing her whole wheat flour. Which is it, fridge or freezer? And is there research to back this up?
Angelia
October 22, 2014 at 12:02 pmWow, your freezers are so clean and tidy! I wish I had that talent..
Merrilee
October 22, 2014 at 12:51 pmThis is great!! In addition, we have a generator so we don’t have to freak out if the power goes out ;)
Jenny
October 22, 2014 at 1:13 pmwhere did you get your large glass jars for the freezer? thanks!
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
October 24, 2014 at 4:53 pmHi Jenny. You can find those jars in this post: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/11/16/moths-invaded-our-pantrybugs-like-real-food-too/. :) ~Amy
Courtney
October 22, 2014 at 1:38 pmI would like to know where you get those jars from as well. The big ones that you store the flours and beans and things in.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
October 24, 2014 at 4:54 pmHi there. You can find them in this post: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/11/16/moths-invaded-our-pantrybugs-like-real-food-too/. ~Amy
Karen
October 22, 2014 at 2:28 pmI always thought that glass shouldn’t be in the freezer?
Have you ever had any problems with glass?
Lorraine Lussier
October 22, 2014 at 2:55 pmI have only recently begun using whole wheat flour so it is still at room temperature. I see you have them stored in glass Ball jars. Do you have any difficulty opening the frozen jars and then resealing them to put back in the freezer? I would think that the gasket/ring would be too stiff.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
October 24, 2014 at 7:26 pmHi Lorraine. No, the rings have not been a problem. ~Amy
BigSis
October 22, 2014 at 3:53 pmI was thinking this similar thing last night. Trying to figure out how to keep on track and keep the processed foods out! Then I realized that the problem was that I didn’t have the space to store everything like in the fridge/freezer. I’m so glad your e-mail came today and confirming that was a key reason to help cut out the processed foods. Time to save and go shopping for another fridge. Right now in my small freezer are pumpkin muffins, broth, fudge pops, mini pita pizza, whole wheat pancakes, and tomato bisque thanks to your cookbook. Makes preparing breakfast and lunches a snap. Thanks Lisa!
Maryanne @Crafty Mommy Diva
October 22, 2014 at 7:59 pmThanks for confirming what I’ve been wanting to do for a while. We just moved so finding money and space hopefully soon!
Janine
October 22, 2014 at 8:58 pmI had no idea you could freeze glass jars. Don’t they break?
Lauri
October 23, 2014 at 6:28 amI’m interested in learning more about freezing soup. If you have a helpful resource, please share. Wondering if some types freeze better than others, etc. I like how you froze them in little individual jars for the kids to take to school. Your kids must have access to a microwave at school, very nice. Smart mom making them decide on their lunches the night before, makes those mornings go much smoother. Appreciate you Lisa!!!
Melissa
October 24, 2014 at 10:28 amI do the same, and probably got the idea from Lisa. Soup is thawed out in refrigerator over night, as Lisa mentioned, and then I heat up and pour into insulated containers. Stays warm for the kids lunches. Great solution for a chilly day!
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
October 27, 2014 at 8:48 amHi there. Nope, no microwave…just good thermal containers. This will help: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/08/14/real-food-tips-10-recipes-to-freeze-for-school-lunches-which-makes-packing-a-breeze/ and additionally, http://www.thekitchn.com/freezer-meals-5-simple-tips-for-freezing-any-soup-177405. ~Amy
vanessa
October 23, 2014 at 9:02 amI didn’t know you could put flours in the freezer.
How do you use them when you need them?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
October 24, 2014 at 8:29 pmHi Vanessa. Just pull out the quantity you need and use it. Some will say you need to bring them to room temperature but I’ve not found that to be true. ~Amy
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy
October 23, 2014 at 10:06 amWe have the extra freezer too, and it helps SO much with stocking up. I got some great ideas from you – I have never thought about freezing flours. And the individual soups are a great idea. Also garden seeds! Pure genius. Thanks for sharing. :)
Allie
October 23, 2014 at 10:49 amHi Lisa!
Love your freezer tour! Where do you order the lovely large glass mason jars that you store flour and dry chickpeas in your mud room freezer? I need these! Thanks so much!
Allie
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
October 27, 2014 at 9:05 amHi Allie. You can find them in this post: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/11/16/moths-invaded-our-pantrybugs-like-real-food-too/. ~Amy
Bhriana
October 23, 2014 at 12:16 pmI love that freezer. Can you tell me what type it is? It looks like the perfect size for me. Thanks so much!
Jennifer
October 23, 2014 at 5:49 pmI have loved watching your kitchen tours! And I absolutely love your cookbook! I noticed that you had hamburger buns in your freezer. I haven’t had any luck finding a real food brand of these. I called Great Harvest and they don’t make any here locally. Is there a store bought brand I can use? Or a recipe for them? Thanks so much!!
Kristina
October 23, 2014 at 8:54 pmJennifer, I came across this a few weeks ago. Make your own hot dog buns, sandwhich rolls, etc. http://realfoodandrealfitness.com/2013/09/30-minute-whole-wheat-sandwich-buns/
Liz
October 24, 2014 at 3:10 pmWhen defrosting items from your freezer, do you transfer directly to the fridge or let thaw on the counter for a bit? I’m finding that my jarred soups take at least 48 hours to thaw, so not sure if you encounter the same.
Also, I love the blog and cookbook. I’ve transformed the eating of my entire household (including a cousin who moved in after leaving the airforce that HATED vegetables but is starting to change), and we are all eating real food 90% of the time, which is a realistic goal for our lifestyle. I’ve lost 18 pounds too!!
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
October 27, 2014 at 10:35 amHi Liz. So glad you love the blog and book and congrats on making the switch! I do find that larger jars can take a while to thaw. You can have them on the counter for a bit but I am always fearful of unsafe temperatures. ~Amy
Carol
October 24, 2014 at 6:13 pmLisa, I think it’s so great that you did this! I think a visual really helps people. I, myself, have um…. 3 freezers…. yeah. Well we usually buy half a cow at a time, plus I make all my broth and like to have lots of that on hand and then there’s the chicken, ham, bacon, made ahead meals, etc and whatever else because we buy it when it’s available and cost effective. There are times the third freezer is a little on the bare side but not often.
Lucinda Bomberger
October 25, 2014 at 8:08 pmThank you for the tour!! May I ask where you get all of your glass storage jars?
I also have a question about the white whole wheat flour. I noticed that the 2lb. Bag of organic white whole wheat flour has the 100% whole grain stamp, King Arthur brand on but the 5lb. Bag that is not organic but says 100% white whole wheat only has the whole grain stamp on it. Why is that? I believe you use the organic.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
October 27, 2014 at 3:06 pmHi Lucinda. You can find Lisa’s large jars in this post: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/11/16/moths-invaded-our-pantrybugs-like-real-food-too/ and her mason jars here: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/my-kitchen-essentials/. Hmm, I’m not certain about the difference between the two bags but here is a link to the Whole Grain Council all about White Whole Wheat: http://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/whole-white-wheat-faq. ~Amy
Hannah Backues
October 26, 2014 at 9:55 pmI am buying a Chest Freezer (will be my second one) I am getting 150-250 allowance to fill said freezer what would you suggest I fill it with( what would you buy to fill it).
Thank you
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
October 27, 2014 at 3:53 pmHi Hannah. This will help guide you: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/09/02/real-food-tips-21-essentials-for-freezer-pantry-fridge/. ~Amy
Amber
October 28, 2014 at 10:02 amWe are migrating to real food. My dilemma is that we are an urban family living in 1100 sq feet. Any suggestions on storage for us. I would love to have an extra freezer but not sure how to balance that with 2 kids and a cat sharing our space.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
November 10, 2014 at 8:13 amHi Amber. You can find freezers small enough to fit under counters. You might also consider any extra closet space or garage space. Here is a whole host of ideas that might help you make the most of a tiny kitchen space: https://www.google.com/search?q=storage+in+a+small+kitchen&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=sb.
~Amy
Kristin
October 29, 2014 at 10:29 amWow…you are so organized! I have freezer envy! ;) Thanks for the inspiration!
Katherine
October 30, 2014 at 11:42 amLike another reader, I’m also curious about whether or not some nutrients are destroyed when flour is frozen. I read somewhere that they were, but can’t remember where.
Scott Stauffer
November 8, 2014 at 2:35 pmJust curios on the details about your second freezer … size, brand, etc.
Thanks.
Mary
March 17, 2015 at 3:24 pmHello….the glass hinge wide mouth jars in the freezer..what brand are they and what size..that is exactly what I need to store all my new whole grain flours and can’t find it anywhere online…thank you sooo much for sharing, love the ideas and how much they are helping me provide good food to my family :)
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
March 21, 2015 at 9:20 amHello Mary. You can find links to many of Lisa’s favorite containers here: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/11/16/moths-invaded-our-pantrybugs-like-real-food-too/ and here: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/my-kitchen-essentials/.