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Grocery freezing foods for you?


Yarome

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I just learned something new today and wondered if this is a common service, or just unique to this one grocery (Safeway). I was doing a bit of shopping and found a incredibly good deal on some local fish. Long story short.. it came out that I had a small RV freezer. This fella offered to toss ANY of my purchases in their freezers overnight and I could pick them up in the morning... or if I call it in next time, they will have it hard frozen and ready for me when I come in. How great is that!!?!

 

I generally buy meats and such for several weeks at a time, and it can take a long time for my freezer to get everything solid.. not to mention having to rotate stuff around during the process.. so having them hard frozen from the get go is a fantastic advantage.

 

Has anyone heard of grocery's doing that? I do it all the time at a butchers, but never at a grocery before. Kind of nice getting a hard freeze on the juice concentrates and such as well.

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Interesting idea. My only question would be breaking things down to serving size. I often buy large pkgs of chicken and chops when on sale then break down to what I'd cook at one time. I find the freezer works well on these size pkgs.

Ron & Linda

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My only question would be breaking things down to serving size.

 

That's why I generally prefer a butcher. They will cut and package to your specifications and I haven't been to a butcher yet that had any problem with taking my order in the morning, paying, then hard freezing it for me for later pickup on my way back to camp. It costs a bit more, but the additional plus is you generally get better product as well.

 

Problem is... you can't always find a butcher shop.

 

That's a good question! I never even thought to ask a grocery if they would hard freeze it for me... let alone portion it. I'm going to ask next time and see what they say. :D

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  • 11 months later...

I have heard of this before but it has been many years ago. I would expect it might vary from store to store and even then may depend on the employee and or local manager. I think this used to be more common a long time ago and more likely to find it in smaller rural communities. I am pretty old at 68 but I know there are at least a few that may even beat me but does anyone remember when folks rented a cold storge drawer/locker for large quantities or for a quarter or side of beef. I think the last one I remember was in the early 60's down on the square in Mesquite, Tx. I just jogged my own memory and remember one in Huntington,TX east of Lufkin.

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I've never heard of a grocery store doing that, but, on the other hand, it's a question that's never even entered my mind, so I didn't know to ask. Of course, since I'm vegan, the only meat we buy is for DH, so the amounts we buy are small and don't take much time to freeze in the RV's freezer.

LindaH
2014 Winnebago Aspect 27K
2011 Kia Soul

 

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does anyone remember when folks rented a cold storge drawer/locker for large quantities or for a quarter or side of beef.

My parents did this in Illinois in the 50s/60s. The place was actually called The Meat Locker. I wonder if it is still there?

 

Linda Sand

Blog: http://sandcastle.sandsys.org/

Former Rigs: Liesure Travel van, Winnebago View 24H, Winnebago Journey 34Y, Sportsmobile Sprinter conversion van

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does anyone remember when folks rented a cold storge drawer/locker for large quantities or for a quarter or side of beef.

 

Sure! When we were just starting our family we used a meat locker/drawer. We are a hunting family and it was a couple of years before we could afford a full size freezer of our own to put up our venison/elk/moose. Those lockers were sure hard on our meat though. They had it set so something like 30-40 below freezing and we always lost a bit of meat to freezer burn by the end of the year.. no matter that we process our own meat and used freezer plastic wrap and double wrapped butcher paper. Coulda just been the locker we were using, but at the time, it was the only game anywhere nearby. Never lost a drop to our residential freezers over the years.

 

I've actually had pretty good luck at the grocery's I've been to since I posted this, but I think it does depend on who you talk to and how large of a "chain" it is. I don't really do much in larger cities. I've called ahead to ask twice that the C.S. folks told me they don't do that, but just double checking with the seafood/meat guy they did it at both locations anyway. I guess we know who the freezers "belong to". B)

 

The butcher is still my first choice, but it's been nice having more options in smaller locations (aka.. sans butcher) just because I dared to ask, and the grocery carries some things the butcher doesn't. I do generally leave a "tip". It's been saving me juice not to have to pre-chill my cooler overnight before heading out, saving LP with my reefer not having to work so hard, and my food stuffs make it back home in much better shape. I'm call'in it a win.

 

Only 1 town I've been to since that neither place would hard freeze anything for me. They don't let you break down larger packages though or use any outside packaging "behind the counter". If you had a good relationship with a local place you frequent.. maybe they might. I only asked twice and got a "no go" and didn't bother to ask again. Fine for just me though. I don't mind buying individual portions. Nothin like the good ol days with 5 teenagers in the house and we bought everything by the case. :P:lol:

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