Pantry Freezer Challenge Summer 2025

 

The Summer '25 Pantry and Freezer Challenge has begun!

I have tried to mostly follow the pantry/freezer challenge in the past week or so but not entirely.  However today I was quite serious about getting it underway.  I lay awake last night, as usual, and was thinking, "What do I do first?  Deep freezer inventory?  Fridge freezer?  Pantries?"  I decided the place to start was the fridge itself.  Discovering what I had in the fridge and planning how quickly I needed to use, store or toss what was in the fridge already.

I'm so glad I thought of this!  Because I had quite a few items I'd totally forgotten I even had.   I put three packages of unopened sliced cheese into the freezer, along with a partial container of cottage cheese that we didn't eat.  I vacuum sealed three packages of asparagus spears and popped those into the freezer.

I tossed a partial jar of homemade cranberry sauce that has been accusing me for months of not using it up.  I did have to toss a few items.  Fridge pickles I apparently made in September of 2024 (I hope not really.  I hope it was just an old label on a previously used container, but I fear it might be so). I 'lost' a pint of collard greens we might have eaten except I forgot they were in there.  And I'm wondering how old the yogurt is that I made...June?  Early July?  Definitely time to put it to use and make more!

I discovered I had one and a half bags of lemons.  I definitely want to use those up.  I used 8 today to make 2 quarts of lightly sweetened lemonade.  That was perfect for John who was out mowing before noon today.  

I divided the meats I bought yesterday, and vacuum sealed those for the freezer.  I put 5 packages of bacon, 2 packages of cubed steaks, 7 packages of sliced ham went into the freezer.

Produce:

I have a load of produce on hand.  I should be able to manage for quite a few weeks with this.  Obviously, I'll use up the more perishable items first.  But I'm also keeping an eye on all of it. I can store most things in the freezer or pickle it if need be.  This is the produce I have on hand at present:

1/2-pint blueberries (destined to be muffins for breakfast)

1 bag of lemons (I used the rest of the other bag)

6 (!) cucumbers.  5 homegrown and more than half of an English cucumber I'd purchased two weeks ago.  I thought I'd make a cucumber, tomato salad and also pickle one or two.  John loves cucumber so he'll happily eat the rest if I just slice them and serve them as a side dish.

2 pounds of carrots - long lasting

1 red cabbage - long lasting

1 green cabbage - long lasting

3 heads of romaine

1/2 head of iceberg lettuce.  I was surprised at how well this has held up.  It doesn't have a bit of rust on it at all.  We ate small salads from it at lunch but there's still plenty.

2 large bell peppers, 1 yellow and 1 orange

5 (!) zucchini.  I love zucchini and can usually slip some into a dish or two before John realizes he's eating it, but I might be pushing the limit if I try to cook all five.

1 serving of asparagus (purposely left for tonight's dinner)

1/2 head of broccoli

5 plum tomatoes

1 large yellow tomato

6 plums

1.5 pints cherries that are a bit on the borderline but stored in a jar.  I'm thinking I might make a cherry pie/cobbler.  I'm going to try to use the pits to make cherry jelly as Jessica@ThreeRiversHomestead does.

1 head celery

1 rutabaga (Swede to those of you who know it by that name).  This is waxed and should last a good long while in the fridge.

I also have, but not in the fridge:

2 peaches - possibly going to go into peach pancakes for breakfast one morning

5 bananas

5 pounds of yellow potatoes

4 Russets (currently baking in the oven.  2 will be for our supper, 2 will be split and filled as twice baked and frozen for 2 more side dishes in the future).  I cooked all four because these potatoes have been crud for keeping.  I've had to toss at least four or five.   I figured I'd just go ahead and bake what was left so I wouldn't risk losing another one.

4 pounds of yellow onions

a huge amount of garlic cloves.  Probably 3 pounds?

Other: 

I also have most of a jar of sauerkraut - long lasting

1 cup of kidney beans - I'm of two minds about this.  I can mix with a can of green beans and some chickpeas to make a 3-bean salad, or I can mix them with the baked beans below and make a fresh baked bean dish.

1/2 can of Bush's baked beans

juice leftover from a jar of pickled beets - I'd planned to pickle a couple of eggs for John.  He loves pickled eggs.

juice leftover from a jar of pepperoncini - I'll make a Mississippi chicken dish with this juice.

Dairy:

I have a ton of cheeses: mostly cheddars.  The cheeses should all last for a good while.  I may go ahead and vacuum seal some of it just to insure it keeps a bit longer.

I think I have 8 pounds of sharp or extra sharp or seriously sharp cheddars.  

2 8-ounce cream cheese bars

partial packages of Havarti, Swiss and Smoked Provolone

I also just bought five 18-ct cartons of eggs and have about 1 dozen eggs left in another carton.

There is most of a pint of sour cream, 1.5 pints of homemade yogurt, butter and half a gallon of milk.  

As you can see, just in my fridge alone I have a LOT of foods on hand.  I'm so glad that my instincts last night led me to check the refrigerator first.  

However, I do know that there are expired or near expired items in the pantry cabinets.  There are also some older items in the freezers.  I will be working on those inventories over this evening and tomorrow.

All of this is also a lead in for the month of August.  I really want to participate this year in the #EveryBitCounts challenge in August.  Last year I had determined I'd make something whether it was a mix (taco seasoning, adobo seasoning, homemade biscuit mix), pickles, dehydrated, vacuum sealed dry goods, jelly or pie filling that can be put into the pantry.  Or an entree that can be a freezer meal as well as dinner one night.  

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