Stocking a secondary freezer?

[DonRickles]

Just picked up a 19.7 cu ft. stand up freezer. It's remote as it's out in my detached garage.

I'm looking for some input on what to store in it?

I do have a great connection with a butcher and you might have heard of Samuels Seafood, (it's a household name....Forrest Gump).

Raising my puppy, I've been adding beef trimmings to each meal, which is taking up some real estate space already.....

Any suggestions?

Oh, limoncello doesn't freeze!

[Blansky]

I've always found they're handy to store people you don't like, until you make other arrangements.

YMMV

[Pw92676]

Originally Posted by DonRickles

Just picked up a 19.7 cu ft. stand up freezer. It's remote as it's out in my detached garage.

I'm looking for some input on what to store in it?

I do have a great connection with a butcher and you might have heard of Samuels Seafood, (it's a household name....Forrest Gump).

Raising my puppy, I've been adding beef trimmings to each meal, which is taking up some real estate space already.....

Any suggestions?

Oh, limoncello doesn't freeze!

Get a Costco membership and stroll down their frozen goods aisle. Then you won’t have any problems filling your second freezer but will be deciding on where to put the third :)

On a serious note, we use a second fridge/freezer for dog food and it is very helpful as well.

[DonRickles]

Originally Posted by Blansky

I've always found they're handy to store people you don't like, until you make other arrangements.

YMMV

The chest freezers are better suited for bodies, so I'm told?

[colpol]

20 years ago when we moved into together - we had 2 of everything & my old fridge freezer still out at back of garage. Bought it new in 1995

We tend to use it for overspill from our kitchen/ beer & wine storage in the fridge
The freezer - we use for things that not going to use for a couple of weeks & usually some backup items/ more so over the past year. It’s a handy thing to have knowing that we spare outside.
Really handy at Christmas for the extra space also when tend to have lots more food

[DonRickles]

Originally Posted by Pw92676

Get a Costco membership and stroll down their frozen goods aisle. Then you won’t have any problems filling your second freezer but will be deciding on where to put the third :)

On a serious note, we use a second fridge/freezer for dog food and it is very helpful as well.

Sure could fit a whole hell of a lot of Ellio's pizza!

I agree, the dogs food and goodies will find a ton of space in it.....My butcher gave me 40lbs. of beef bones and 30 lbs. of beef knuckles (which I can't give to the dogs, too many small pieces).

[JasoninDenver]

A freezer means hour Costco spend will basically double.

[AzPaul]

Lasagnas should always have a shelf.

[Blansky]

Originally Posted by DonRickles

The chest freezers are better suited for bodies, so I'm told?

I think it would depend if the guy you didn't like was a stand up guy or not.

[dimag333]

sevensons.com not the cheapest, great farm

steve

[GB-man]

I literally bought our freezer to store my dogs food that we prepared in batches every three weeks.

Now we use it for my toddlers food that my wife prepares as well as random stuff. During early covid it was invaluable.

[HHIslander]

In early June, Copper River salmon will be running. Buy a 20 pound box. If you’ve never had it, there is not much better.

[gnuyork]

Mine (chest freezer) keeps a lot of film, and it was super handy earlier this year when I freaked out the day the Pandemic was announced and bought 3 70lb bags of dog food for our 10lb Schipperke. We might have been stuck with a lot of rice and beans, but our dog would be set with her usual.

[gnuyork]

Originally Posted by Blansky

I think it would depend if the guy you didn't like was a stand up guy or not.

rimshot

[austinp]

We keep a ridiculous amount of food in the garage freezer. When we have parties I keep 50 lbs of bagged ice in there.


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[Tommyk]

Not saying this would be helpful for everyone but something to consider. Every year i order a cow from a rancher in Colorado. They process and package it and then drive a refrigerated truck to each of their customers. The cow goes into my freezers and i have meat for the rest of the year. I figured this was the most appropriate way to get the items i need and supporting a small business directly. America First! Especially with my meat

[DonRickles]

Originally Posted by Tommyk

Not saying this would be helpful for everyone but something to consider. Every year i order a cow from a rancher in Colorado. They process and package it and then drive a refrigerated truck to each of their customers. The cow goes into my freezers and i have meat for the rest of the year. I figured this was the most appropriate way to get the items i need and supporting a small business directly. America First! Especially with my meat

Steer?

That is interesting however do you buy half or the entire steer? I’d be interested to know how much it cost?

[Tommyk]

Originally Posted by DonRickles

Steer?

That is interesting however do you buy half or the entire steer? I’d be interested to know how much it cost?

This year i did a half order since i am unsure about my logistics this year due to business and external factors. If i remember right i paid around $3000 for the steer/bovine/heifer with all the processing and shipping. They let me choose what parts i want to omit such as the innards, which i'm not skilled enough to utilize.
The cattle market is something im not as proficient at as probably others are. Ive seen price range from 2500-5000 for the whole cow depending on size quality and maturity before processing.

If i remember the one i got was a red angus or highlands variety. Either way, they are grass fed and taste much more earthy than what i would find at costco. Im not looking for Flemings quality meat but some slabs that are good for grills, burgers, stews, smoking and BBQ.

[DonRickles]

Originally Posted by Tommyk

This year i did a half order since i am unsure about my logistics this year due to business and external factors. If i remember right i paid around $3000 for the steer/bovine/heifer with all the processing and shipping. They let me choose what parts i want to omit such as the innards, which i'm not skilled enough to utilize.
The cattle market is something im not as proficient at as probably others are. Ive seen price range from 2500-5000 for the whole cow depending on size quality and maturity before processing.

If i remember the one i got was a red angus or highlands variety. Either way, they are grass fed and taste much more earthy than what i would find at costco. Im not looking for Flemings quality meat but some slabs that are good for grills, burgers, stews, smoking and BBQ.

TK,

Again very interesting!

I’ll have to have a conversation with my butcher friend that I have been purchasing my meats from for the last year or so. I’m not quite sure where this talent derived from but I’m pretty handy with a knife. I’ve been purchasing the entire loin full briskets and sirloin fillets doing the butchering myself at home. I’ve been using the scraps for beef stock and dog and bird food. I’m assuming all of the beef has been cut into individual steaks for your storage?

My friendship with this butcher has grown into personal phone calls when an excellent piece of meat is brought before him!Of course I’ve never refused and ran to the store as quick as possible. lol

Thanks for the post good stuff!

[Burlington]

Fish and seafood is always a good staple

Likewise homemade meals like lasagnas.

[airchitect]

Originally Posted by DonRickles

TK,

Again very interesting!

I’ll have to have a conversation with my butcher friend that I have been purchasing my meats from for the last year or so. I’m not quite sure where this talent derived from but I’m pretty handy with a knife. I’ve been purchasing the entire loin full briskets and sirloin fillets doing the butchering myself at home. I’ve been using the scraps for beef stock and dog and bird food. I’m assuming all of the beef has been cut into individual steaks for your storage?

My friendship with this butcher has grown into personal phone calls when an excellent piece of meat is brought before him!Of course I’ve never refused and ran to the store as quick as possible. lol

Thanks for the post good stuff!

So in the same vein, my family has a beef slaughtered every year. The breed slips my mind but it’s always going to be a cow (not a bull). Ours is raised by family so the cost is more reasonable than above. This year it grossed 1000lb and dressed out between 600-700lb by the time it was processed to our specs. Cost was about 900 for the animal and 350 for the processing. We also lucked into 1/2 of a pig. You usually slaughter them when they hit ~250-300lbs. So between my deep freeze and my dads, I’m starring at about 42cuft of meaty goodness


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[2x4]

Big upright freezer. Buy my beef and pork direct. Half cow, one pig, cut up however I like, throw in 10 extra filets and 10 extra Porthouse’s cut to 11/2”. I also hunt and fish, Bass, crappie, duck, dove and deer. Throw in some shrimp and andouille and you about ready for the apocalypse.

[Chewbacca]

Vodka and game meat.

[srvrf]

I got a smaller upright one a year ago when the pandemic was starting and they were hard to find. I bought a vacuum sealer and basically store a bunch of meat. It is supposed to keep for a couple years at least so I rotate the older stuff into our house freezer and put newer stuff in the garage freezer.


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[BNA/LION]

I know what Jeffrey Dahmer, also known as the Milwaukee Cannibal or the Milwaukee Monster would tell you to it filled with!

[SPMN]

Originally Posted by Tommyk

Not saying this would be helpful for everyone but something to consider. Every year i order a cow from a rancher in Colorado.

Originally Posted by airchitect

So in the same vein, my family has a beef slaughtered every year.

Originally Posted by 2x4

Big upright freezer. Buy my beef and pork direct. Half cow, one pig, cut up however I like, throw in 10 extra filets and 10 extra Porthouse’s cut to 11/2”.

Have any of you ever had a bad cow? I was shut out in hunting season this year so my freezer is relatively empty. I've been thinking of ordering a half cow to fill it, but I'm worried about getting one that's tough, badly marbled, etc. I have a nice grinder if need be, but I'd prefer nice steaks and roasts.