What's In Your Freezer

Written by 5 Healthy Towns Foundation Staff

Let’s admit it. Somewhere between the bag of mystery meat labeled "Thanksgiving" and the other long-forgotten leftovers, your freezer provides a glimpse into the shelf life of your culinary expertise. Your freezer is a testament to the many attempts to preserve past recipes that everyone liked, and the quick meal possibilities for a busy weekday.

We interviewed folks in the 5 Healthy Towns Region, and here is what they shared:

Angie from Jackson:

We have a lot of items in our chest freezer, including venison, beef, chicken, pork, turkey, frozen fruit, and vegetables. My son likes to have easy-to-make foods, so we have expanded to egg rolls, pizzas, and chicken strips. We are hoping to purchase a pig/pork in the Fall to add to our freezer. But the greatest thing about this chest freezer is that it was a gift from my grandma when my husband and I got married, almost 27 years ago. It was purchased at Montgomery Ward in Jackson.

Caitlin from Gregory:

I always have ice cream on hand - you never know when you’ll need it! and blueberries, eggwiches, and chicken! I also hear some people put used books and yarn in their freezers to kill any worms and bugs!

Natalie from Scio Township:

The freezer is my personal go-to store for my afternoon smoothie: mangoes, strawberries, blueberries, bananas, oatmeal. Starting out with cold ingredients makes it even easier to blend and enjoy!

Kristen from Dexter:

Because we are a gluten-free home most of the time, my freezer holds a variety of ingredients for baking and meal prep. Croissants, peas, broccoli, walnuts, quinoa, tapioca flour, hemp hearts, almond flour, chia seeds, and of course, farm-raised beef and bratwurst.

Katie from Lansing:

I have a bag of gluten-free ravioli that has been transported three times. Someday I may actually prepare and eat it. The bottom shelf is full of pre-packaged meats, but I also have vegetable scraps to make broth this fall. Finally, strawberry tops will be the greatest ingredient for strawberry lemonade.