ADVENTURES IN ECO-PARENTING

GREEN LIVING EXPERT LEAH KLEIN HELPS YOUR FAMILY CHILL OUT THIS SEASON

THE BIG THAW: USING YOUR FREEZER MOST EFFICIENTLY

By the end of the month, those of us living in a four-season
state can expect at least the beginning of a spring thaw. The
crocuses will poke their little petals out from beneath the last
patches of snow, trying to sun themselves in the first warm rays.
There is a good chance you won’t have to rush out to the store to stock your refrigerator and freezer for an upcoming storm. Even if a storm does come your way, it won’t stick around for long as the sun softens the snow with its warmth.

Spring is a great time to take stock of not only what is in your freezer but how you have it filled. According to the Consumer Energy Center, refrigerators and freezers consume about one-sixth of all electricity in a typical American home. The freezer is a great “tool” for any parent. One day your child loves broccoli, so you stock up, and the next day she decides she doesn’t like it anymore. Blanch the broccoli in boiling salted water, drain it, and throw it in the freezer to try again another day. However, more important than what is in your freezer is how much is in your freezer.

“Shut the freezer/refrigerator door! You are letting all the cold air out!” is a common mantra that we all grew up with. It is true that every time you open your fridge or freezer, warm air wafts in and cold air escapes. The less full your fridge and freezer are, the more warm air gets in. A full refrigerator will lower your energy bill and energy consumption.

Not everyone cooks from the freezer, so try to have a good sense of what you actually use. There is no sense in filling the freezer with food that will just end up going to waste. Once you have what you need in the freezer food-wise, then you can fill the empty spaces with non-food items.

Before you get into the freezer, though, you should clean the refrigerator coils to help it run more efficiently. Ideally, you should do this every six months. Then, if you need to do a little internal spring cleaning (if the frost in your freezer is about a half-inch thick), try to find a time when your freezer and refrigerator stock is low and clean before you get your groceries. Here are some quick and easy guidelines for cleaning.

Once your freezer is ready to be stocked or re-stocked, then move the food to the front and sides of the freezer so that it is easily accessible. Leave space around the edges and near the top where the thermostat is so that your freezer can correctly sense the temperature. Then, consider using these food and non-food items to help fill the spaces in the center and toward the back of the freezer:

If your child uses a juice box in his lunch (ideally just on occasion because you can easily send a reusable cup or bottle), then use some juice boxes to fill spaces in the freezer. These are great for lunch boxes because they’ll keep the lunch cool as well.

If your bananas are turning a little too brown for even the least picky child, keep them in the freezer until you are ready to whip up some chocolate chip banana bread or banana muffins. That will save them from going to waste and fill in a few spots in the freezer.

There is a debate as to what is really best for your coffee, but from my experience, freezing your unground coffee beans doesn’t seem to harm them so long as there is no condensation on the beans or grounds and you only defrost once. Keep your coffee in the freezer to help keep it full.

The ever-versatile already-read newspaper makes a great filler for the freezer.

To-go containers that you won’t reuse because they are not BPA-free can be filled with water and put in the freezer. Plastic bags filled with ice or water will also fill odd-shaped spots and are great for that twisted knee or achy back, too!

For those funny spots, take some of those annoying packing peanuts that you hate to throw out but just don’t know what to do with and put them in a bag. They can be molded to fit in almost any space.

Once you’ve done all that, stand back and enjoy how efficient your freezer looks, then “close that door!” You know what is in your freezer; it is packed to keep it running on a minimum of energy, the temperature is set between 0 and 5 degrees Fahrenheit, and your incoming electricity bill is set to go down. Now get outside and enjoy being able to feel your toes and the tips of your fingers.

Leah Klein is the Boston Food Mom at Examiner.com . She likes to stock her freezer with coffee, berries for smoothies, and veggies that she has bought locally then blanched and frozen. Much to her husband’s dismay, she has the terrible habit of stacking things delicately in the freezer such that the next person may have ice cream fly out at them when they open the door. Her three year old son has been known to say “Mommy please wipe my hands!” at 9 a.m. after he has managed to sneak an ice cream sandwich out of the freezer to enjoy stealthily as a morning snack.