WFMW: Trash in the Freezer

As I'm working on cleaning out the freezer, I'm reminded that my freezer doesn't look like other people's freezers. Sure, I've got leftovers and frozen foods bought at a good price, but there's a lot of other stuff, too. Stuff most people wouldn't even keep.

Here's my top ten tips for freezer frugality (follow the links for more information!):

1. About 1/2 cup of heavy cream that went sour. I'm learning how to use sour milk and cream in baking, but I only need a little of the cream at a time for any given recipe. To keep the rest from growing blue fuzzies, I wrote "sour" on the carton and stuck it in the freezer.
2. Vegetable parings and apple cores. I keep all my vegetable parings (that are clean and not rotten) in a bag in the freezer. About once a week, it all goes in the stock pot with a bay leaf and a garlic clove to make delicious vegetable stock!
3. Bones. For meat stock.
4. Fat and drippings. I keep those around for gravy.
5. Giblets. For dressing or meatloaf.
6. Orange peels. I use two oranges worth of rinds per quart of apple juice, along with cinnamon and cloves to make hot cider whenever apple juice goes on sale. I'm also thinking about making candied orange rind one of these days.
7. Butter wrappers. These are usually good for greasing pans.
8. Crumbs and stale breads. I keep these in two bags in my freezer door. One is for sweet the other for savory. Whenever I cut bread, the crumbs on the cutting board go into the freezer, so does the residue from my baking pans. Perfect for dressing, bread pudding, and crumb toppings!
9. Plastic produce bags. I cut produce bags open into large rectangles to use as a muffin tin liner. I make baby food and freeze in a muffin tin. By lining the tin, the portions pop out easily, and I don't have to clean the tin. By leaving the liners in the freezer, I can reuse them several times before I have to throw them out. I also keep the produce bags I use to store the baby food in the freezer, even when they are empty.
10. Leftover french toast batter. I always have a little batter leftover, and sometimes I make extra on purpose. Rather than waste any of it down the drain, I scrape it into a container and freeze it. When I have enough leftover batter, I enjoy a truly easy-to-make breakfast!

For more tips and tricks, check out Works for Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family!