Large Families: Refrigeration/Freezer??

[Lizza]

We have a family of nine and our frig just isn't cutting it.

We have one large side by side frig/freezer and one very large stand up freezer (both in the kitchen). We are also slowly killing our refrigerator by over loading it all the time. We are down to about half of our drawers and shelves because we've broken them.

We also want to butcher at least 50 chickens at a time. We are thinking of getting a chest freezer just for the meat and putting it in the barn. Unfortunetly we still haven't gotten a root cellar. Maybe (hopefully!) this year. We only go shopping once every 3-4 weeks and buy almost everything in bulk.

How do you handle the load of so much food? How many refrigerators and freezers do you have and how have you set them up?

Thanks for your help!

[Lizza]

Oops, sorry I meant to post this in the family forum!!

[posifour11]

there are 6 of us and we have 1- 6ft chestin laundry room, 1-3ft chest in kitchen and a normal fridge in an outside room, plus our kitchen fridge.

we butchered close to 100 chickens this year, froze about 50. that large one also hols our beef buys and the goats we butcher. the smaller chest freezer holds a whole hog.

if i recall correctly, the chest types use less energy.

hope this helped some.

[QBVII]

There are four of us, we have a "regular" fridge in the kitchen and a small chest freezer on the back porch.

I was lobbying for another fridge or freezer but hubby says we don't need it......(we do).

[Maura]

My parents had eleven children and my mother shopped for groceries every week. Nowadays, it is cost effective to have a freezer. I don't like chest freezers, but if you are stocking yours with fifty chickens and some other meat, I'm sure you can organize it well enough not to loose curry and popsicles on the bottom. A large freezer in the barn sounds like a sound investment.

As for your present refrigerator, if it is old, buy a new efficient one. But, don't get the kind that delivers ice or water from the door. In a family of your size, it will probably wear out after one year, and repairing or replacing is expensive. I'm pretty sure you can buy new drawers for your present refrigerator, or use a large plastic container with a lid.

Take a look at your buying habits. If you bought produce every week, you would need less space in the refrigerator. Are you refrigerating things that don't need to be, like apples and tomatoes? How much milk do you buy at one time? A quick stop at the store for two gallons of milk and some fruit is easy, and if you have a driver amongst your kids that person can be in charge of this type of quick shopping while out on other errands

[Denise K.]

Well we have a family of 6. We have one large standup freezer, and a small chest freezer. Until this past summer had another large chest freezer (hey it was free, brother moved) but it quit, at least it was empty at the time. We also have 2 refrigs. 1 in house, 1 in garage for extra milk, produce etc. I like having the second refrig. for sales and such. Would hate to be with out it.
The best idea I have run across that I would have done when kids were young (if money wasn't the issue ) is two refrigs. with freezers on the bottom. Place them side by side and have one with the door opening right and one with door opening left. The (local owned) store made this arrangement for a large farm family in the area. It was a really neat idea.
Denise

[ozark_jewels]

We are a family with Dad, Mom, and 9 children still at home. We have two large chest freezers and one slightly smaller one. One fridge with freezer at the top, and one large resturant type fridge of stainless steel with the double doors(its WONDERFUL!). We keep them all very full. We butcher all our own beef and goats so we need lots of room for that. We keep two chest freezers and the stainless steel fridge in the basement or on the porch. The smaller freezer is down by the barn, and the small fridge is in the kitchen.

[Lizza]

Thank you all so much for your help!

The frig is pretty new and energy efficient. We've just managed to break the drawers and shelves. We can buy new ones (about $35 for one shelf) but have not gotten around to it. If you can "make" it work it's hard to get around to replacing something (next week we'll get that and then next week becomes six months)

Your help will really help me decide what to do next. I'm thinking maybe one big chest freezer and one more frig (going to look for side by side just frigerators if they make such a thing)

Thanks again!

[dezeeuwgoats]

I struggle with this too! I have been haunting the local auctions when they sell restaurant equipment.....hoping for that really big fridge someday. But I had also thought that buying two fridges with the handles on opposite sides (so they open like a side by side) would be less expensive.

Right now - I have a fridge with a top freezer, another fridge same set up, outside in the garage, and a large chest freezer. The inside fridge has broken drawers, door shelves and such.

I must admit - with producing all our own meat - those gallon jars of milk being saved up for cheese, and buying in bulk - I could definately use more room. I've got fifty chickens in the freezer, left overs from a side of beef, and fat from two hogs that needs rendering - and am waiting for a call any day saying the two hogs we brought in to be processed are ready! AAAAAaaaaack! And those chickens had better be gone by the time the steer is ready this fall. I wonder if I leave the meat in the boxes if it would take up less room in the freezer?

I am going to get two fridges indoors, and 'make' my own humongous side by side, someday.
niki

[LagoVistaFarm]

You can get a reasonable refrigerator only and Freezer only. They are no frills and big for the money. Hinge them like a side by side and have almost twice the space for the same price.

[Jena]

Get rid of that side by side. I always found it hard to utilize the space in them. Get a regular one with freezer on the top.

Jena

[texican]

Kill your chickens as you need them, and save an awful lot of space in the freezer... unless you've got them monster chickens designed to balloon up to full size in six weeks and die if you don't kill em... Most of my chickens take a good six months to reach full size, and even then they're sorta tiny...