What seemed like the right decision in the grocery aisle can start to take over your freezer after a few months as you forget about that roast, those frozen pizzas or that pork loin even being there. Many of us have not one, but two freezers that we can quickly fill with grocery store specials.

When temperatures hit 70 degrees F recently, I started to think about spring cleaning — in my freezers. Our moms had spring cleaning down to a routine, taking time to thoroughly clean the house in the spring — including washing all the windows, washing curtains and even vacuuming behind the refrigerator to clean those coils. For some reason, that gene didn’t become active until later in my life.

Now I realize spring cleaning needs to spread to freezer compartments to get them cleaned, organized and ready for more food. Mom would tell me it’s worth the effort.

Where to start?
Take everything out of the freezer and put it in a cooler. Then start cleaning. Martha Stewart recommends wiping the interior with a solution of 2 tablespoons of baking soda per 1 quart of hot water. Once finished, start evaluating the food you’ve taken out. Is it packaged correctly? Are there signs of freezer burn? Will your family still eat it?

Whatever you decide to keep, write the storage date on it and rotate packages, putting the newest/freshest in the back of the freezer and moving older foods up front. I also make a list of everything that’s in there. Eating out of your own freezer is the cheapest meal you’ll serve because you’ve already paid for it. You can actually save money and waste less food by taking a month to clean out your freezer. Make your weekly menus based on your list of what’s in your freezer.

True confession: A recent spring cleaning at my house resulted in a few easy slow-cooker meals (forgot I had them) and a great jambalaya dinner from the leftover New Year Eve’s shrimp I had frozen and some extra chicken thighs, tucked inside a plastic bag.

I have to admit, cleaning the freezer for this column made me feel resourceful. Instead of buying more chicken thighs, I actually used the ones I had.

So go ahead; set aside a couple of hours to spring-clean your freezer. And get a new spring outfit with the money you save!

CLEAN OUT: Eating out of your own freezer is the cheapest meal you’ll serve because you’ve already paid for it. You can actually save money and waste less food. The shrimp and chicken in this jambalaya came right out of the freezer.

Here’s my favorite jambalaya recipe:

Jambalaya
2 pounds Polish sausage, sliced
1 pound boneless chicken thighs, cut in cubes
½ pound shrimp, tails removed
1 green pepper, cut into chunks
1 onion, cut fine
1 cup celery, sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 small cans tomato paste
4 tomatoes, cut up, or 1 large can diced tomatoes
3 cups rice
6 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon thyme
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Red pepper flakes to taste

Saute green pepper, onion and celery in olive oil in large Dutch oven. Add spices. Add sausage, chicken and shrimp, and cook until done. Add tomatoes, rice, chicken broth and tomato paste. Mix well. Cover and place Dutch oven in 350 degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes or until rice is soft. Serves four.

Fargo is a dietitian for HyVee in Springfield. Send recipe ideas to her at [email protected].