Large Family Freezer Tour ~ Tips For Storage & Power Outages

[@AlexandraAndStuff]

It may sound weird, but I have such a respect for cows. They can eat grass their whole life and turn it into steaks, brisket, butter, cheese, milk, burgers... Cows are a miracle.

[@threerivershomestead]

I love that they eat greens all day long to get strong so I don't have to eat greens all day long!!

[@MT-US]

​@@threerivershomestead😂😂😂😊😂

[@mymemories237]

That's a nice way to put it 💚

[@cecilyerker]

I have great reverence for their meat, I thank God for the life of this animal when I sit down to eat.

[@122369smuggs]

Do you have a video on canning rosters?? I usually just make stock hold me and dry it for dog treats.

[@daintytech]

Jessica, I’m noticing your beautiful hair. It’s gorgeous & looks so healthy. Love the curls! :)

[@sarahofsix]

I was thinking the same! Looking beautiful Jessica

[@buckeyedav1]

I was thinking the same thing, her hair looks beautiful today not that it doesn't every day on her videos just a cute change..Anna In Ohio

[@lauriehoekwater7463]

You’r hair looks so pretty and healthy, what do you use on it?

[@debbieunverzagt5379]

First off, your hair looks so pretty in this video. Next, I'm a city girl and only cook for 2 right now. But, I believe that everyone should be responsible for their own healthy food choices, and you provide such a wealth of knowledge on how to do that. Thank you so much! What a blessing you are.❤

[@leslieorth3602]

What hair/soap products do you use?

[@poodledaddles1091]

You are radically organized with gardening, canning, pantry, meal planning, home schooling AND now freezer camp ! I’m so proud of your work!

[@OkieJammer2736]

Sending a grateful handshake to your meat processing butcher and employees. Talk about Customer Service! 😊

[@donnacochran3335]

Your hair is down!!! It's so beautiful ❤️ thank you for the tour of your freezer's! You guys are such hard worker's! It takes SO much to preserve enough food for 10 people! You should write a cookbook!! You're a treasure... Proverbs 31 woman!!

[@rhondatrumier5530]

Hockey pucks are kept in freezer in Canada. We do it so they slide on the ice better. If you take a warm puck to the ice….it will stick. Love your channel❤️

[@samanthabloggins1775]

I live in Canada and never heard of that. Thanks for the little known info.

[@threerivershomestead]

This makes sense. Maybe that's where Adam's dad got it from. I will have to ask.

[@rosezingleman5007]

Also in Northern Wisconsin and Minnesota!

[@leannekenyoung]

I live in Canada and that’s the first time I’ve heard that! Interesting 🥰❤️🙏🏻🇨🇦🍁

[@justmenicole4842]

Always kept them in a freezer for the winter here, for the kids when they played hockey a lot!, in Quebec Canada😂

[@ColleenH38]

It is imperative to have backup power sources when we have freezers filled with food. We live in the Deep South. We lose power frequently. About five years ago we had a whole house backup generator that runs on natural gas installed. Within seconds of a power outage it turns on and runs everything like normal. Such a blessing! We just ordered a 21.7 cu ft garage ready chest freezer. It will be put in our patio area with our upright freezer and extra refrigerator (all refrigerator, no freezer). We have two upright freezers over at our shop. If we have a power outage, we have a portable gasoline powered generator for those. We have way too much beef, pork, chicken, venison, fruits and vegetables to ever take a chance of losing it. We do not raise any of our meat but do buy so much from a local farmer and we have 95 acres of hunting land that provides all of our venison thank goodness. In fact my husband just harvested the largest buck he has ever killed just a few hours ago on his first outing!

[@threerivershomestead]

How exciting! Congratulations to him!

[@ColleenH38]

@@threerivershomestead Thank you. The buck weighed 207 pounds!

[@TeamD2012]

I got up at 5:55 today, with the time change my body thought it was 6:55. For about an hour I kept checking for the vid…thinking she’s late today. Nope! Dumb time change messed me up 😂

[@elizaC3024]

We waited 20 + years before getting a freeze dryer. We lost 1 refrigerator and 2 freezers the year we bought it. We canned our butts off. We were blessed that my husband invested in thermostats that notified him of temperature changes. So we caught them right away. But reducing that risk was important for us. I want to travel to see the grandkids, but worry about aging freezers full of food, as well as winter ice storms. We have never regretted the investment!! And we are empty nesters now.

[@Jaynes-Path]

My mother's grocery store does the same thing with the ice cream. She talked to the store manager and he agreed to order a "sleeve" of the flavor she wanted (a sleeve was 6 containers) every month if she would pick them up the day they came. So every month she calls the store to make sure it came in and will pick it up the next day. Maybe your store will do the same if you ask and agree to a sleeve.

[@threerivershomestead]

Great idea!

[@karenfisher7753]

A tip I could give would be to freeze some water in a jar. Then drop a coin on the frozen water and put it back in the freezer. When you check the freezer check the coin is still free of the ice. If the coin is under the ice you know the freezer has failed at some point

[@leannekenyoung]

That’s a fantastic tip!!

[@tedshepsky5591]

Keeping a bag of ice cubes in the freezer is another tip.

[@ruthpatke3588]

I now freeze my garlic and because of you, I call them pucks. Now I know why.😊

[@deeengstrom2055]

I love your videos on Sunday mornings. I take my shower and then listen to you while having my first cup of coffee. So glad, even with the time change, your video is up.

[@stanleypennock2118]

There are also a few sausage recipes that call for powdered milk as a binder which would contaminate the butchers equipment as well. I am very glad that your butcher truely care about his customers well being. On another thought, I wondered when you mentioned about losing the calves last year, if those calves got shipping fever. If the calves are NOT purchased locally, it might be wise to have your vet check them over shortly after they get to your homestead.

[@threerivershomestead]

We definitely think it was shipping fever with the first two. After that experience we started proactively treating with meds before shipping. The third calf we lost had something wrong with it. Unfortunately, when he replaced the calves he gave us ones with issues. The one that survived is missing one eye. The one that died definitely has something wrong with it. Obviously, we no longer source calves from that rancher anymore 😅

[@leannekenyoung]

@@threerivershomesteadgeez that’s a shame I can’t imagine a rancher with such low quality standards I would think he would keep back any questionable cows and sell only his finest because his reputation would be worth something I would think? People are strange though. Sorry for your loss but I hope the quality of meat that you get from your steer will be wonderful!🥰❤️🙏🏻🇨🇦🍁

[@buckeyedav1]

@@threerivershomestead I wonder if it was inbreeding? Anna In Ohio

[@AZJH8374]

Yes, I've heard many homesteaders refer their garlic as pucks! &&& it DOES come from you. Now l know the story & will chuckle as well. Many prayers 🙏🏻 for 🙏🏻 your children and family. Nurse Judi in Scottsdale AZ and Eucharistic Minister ❤❤

[@AZJH8374]

I hope Harvest Right GAVE you your freeze dryer!❤❤❤

[@OnaMuir]

Inventory tip! Thank you. So much better than opening the door and asking myself, “What should I make for dinner?” 🤗

[@heatheryoung9949]

I just love it! My family isn’t large, but I am very particular about how I store our food. I can look at a glance and form a meal idea. I do wish my food store was bigger. Jessica , all young mothers need to have the skills you have. To insure their families are fed well!

[@MaFinCL]

Thank goodness for understanding local butchers, we have a similar issue with an allium allergy and it makes all the difference in keeping our kids healthy and safe.

[@joycekatende2928]

GOOD TO SEE YOUR HAIR OUT FOR A CHANGE, LOOKS GOOD

[@melindawargowsky8176]

Not having the freezer space, I started vacuum packing my coffee beans. I find it convenient to have them in quart jars in my pantry for making the occasional latte. So much cheaper than buying them from a drink company!

[@cdavid2486]

How organized!! Love your system. It must be very comforting to know you have preserved many foods for your large family.

[@paulastorm4213]

Can you do a complete meal of freeze dried food what it looks like in rehydration Thanks

[@threerivershomestead]

Great suggestion!

[@Adamllover]

Something for others to think about as well - we bought an alarm for our deep freezer. That way within a short amount of time, say if we're at work, we'll know if the freezer cuts out or temp gets to high.

[@renamaemcdonald2075]

The lemon rinds are also super healthy! I like to put it in our smoothies & whatever I am able to boost the vitamin C Also, you have the most beautiful hair!!! ❤

[@threerivershomestead]

Thank you 😊

[@findingfaithsfuture]

Even though you didn't come out and say it- I liked your attitude about not having beef and much chicken left. Your attitude was one of "making due" and it's an attitude *I* have been working on, so I definitely noticed it.😊

[@jennbama]

I know we only see a portion of your lives but what i see from here is a real life Proverbs 31 woman. Thank you!

[@hippiechickandvintagetom]

Just found you. The back up power you talked about is called a Transfer switch or box. We have two. One for the house and one for the barn. The house and barn are not on the same power line as that drew too much power. We have not had to use them yet, but it could happen. Nice video.

[@caydancebloom]

thank you for spending so much time sharing your freezer with us. I have a suggestion for future freezer tours.... take a picture of your freezer stuff... then talk through it with highlighted parts that you are discussing at any given time.... that way you aren't losing all your cold air.

[@maramcmanus9669]

As an fyi and something a lot of people dont know..most home insurance policies will cover food loss in a power outage. Also even though most freezers are rated for outdoor temps with the crazy weather we now have many of them will temporarily fail..either the compressor or the seal. I live in NH and seal failures in the winter are becoming a thing. I keep coolers on hand filled with emergency water and they are heavy enough when stacked up against the doors to maintain the seal in extreme temps. Locks and alarms also work well.

[@makeishiagrant5602]

I Haven't even finished the video yet😂 You motivate me so much!! I have one deep freezer and my goal is to start taking inventory instead of just digging to see what we see🤦🏾‍♀️ I started clearing out my freezer and I'm going to do some canning to get freezer space (soon to be empty nesters-baby boy going to service at the beginning of year🙏🏽) but i wanna do some sausage, chicken adobe soups, corn relish. I'm doing small batches but my goal for 2024 is to get my canning shelf full. Plus i wanna work on dehydrating alot of different season blends and herbs... Have a Blessed Week Everyone 🙏🏽 and As Always Much Love from Okc ❤️

[@onThisJourney]

We lost a lot of meat not checking ours, twice, using a second hand freezer. We finally bought a brand new one and haven't had any trouble so far🙏

[@patricialaichour9589]

Jessica your hair looks beautiful down and with curls..u totally look like a different person (in a good way) ❤

[@marielouise3187]

I follow you quite a while. As a dutch european, it is so interesting to see the differences around food and meals between us and europe. Now I was amazed about your favorite breakfast: bacon snips+patatoes fried in lard. I love that too, but....for us it is side dish, only! eaten at suppertime (around 18 o'clock). Our breakfast is always cold(bread) except maybe some milk-porridge. And we are more a vegetable country, we eat less meat. For us it us so easy (and nearby) to get our fresh vegetables year round. In europe, everything is more nearby, so therefore we don't need to store the big amounts of foods you need to store. But I love watching how you run your household. It really is a job. We think we are all the 'western world', but in these lifestyle things you can see we all have our own habits+customs. Makes life interesting😀💚🍀🌻

[@jmordant444]

Well, that's not the case for everyone, buying everything locally. Even though I'm alone, I buy, cook and preserve like Jessica in bulk and almost everything from scratch (of course not in the amounts she does). If I can make it myself, I will. It's cheaper, (even organic), less waste and in the end saves me time. Of course I sometimes buy convenience food. I wish there were farmers close by who would sell directly and could ship it to my doorstep.

[@ArdenAngel]

I read an article about how Europeans and Americans view "nearby" differently. I had never thought about it before. I drove an hour each way to work for 30 years and felt I was near to work in West Virginia. Most of my family live nearby (about 45 minutes to an hour away) to us. We routinely travel 4 hours each way to see a daughter and grandchildren or to attend car shows or fairs. I have a similar set up to Jessica to save money and for health reasons. 😊

[@marielouise3187]

I totally agree with what @ardenangel wrote. Nearby is relative. I travelled 75min for my work; for me a max. An uncle living in Canada had to laugh about my idea of 'far'. I live in an average town: grain mill in walking distance, organic 'supermarket', Aldi!, butchers, bakeries, farm shop, cheese shop, 3 supermarkets all within 1,5 km. It gives a lot of flexibility. i think that you in the US have to organize and plan a lot more. On the other hand you are gifted with a lot more space. More detached houses, in my eyes huge gardens etc. Here is everything 'petite' and much more crowded. So nice that we can have an insight in lives and lifestyles far from home: broadens horizons + helps to more understanding of the other😄

[@marielouise3187]

@@ArdenAngel thanks for your reaction. By accident I answered you right after my own story🤔🍀💚

[@debbieorazi2518]

Good morning Jessica. I was a little surprised that you don't have freezer alarms out in the garage. I am constantly amazed by how much food you preserve for your family. Hope you have a blessed week.

[@amandamendoza4181]

Perfect timing. Just ordered a freezer for the garage and it showed up today!❤

[@Adamllover]

I love when you go over wild for salmon, because they're only about 8 mins from me.

[@GwynneDear]

You can use a capsule of probiotics to make yogurt as well. Just sprinkle it on and keep it warm for 12 hours or so. It comes out great and you can find it at the grocery store.

[@lauraklein6405]

Thanks! Good to know!

[@leannekenyoung]

Interesting tip! Thanks I didn’t know that!

[@RandyYount]

Jessica We live in the south on the Gulf Coast Our power outages is usually hurricaines or tornados We currently only have one chest freezer and a refrigerator freezer but with the two of us this is enough for us. This year I canned the garden items and then bought meat on sale and canned some shelf stable meals in case of power outages. This year my husband and I decided our Christmas present to us is going to be a second freezer and move the chest freezer down to the shop. We do have a generator in place for power .

[@sura2047]

Your hair looks so beautiful in this video, I really like the volume curls, it’s suits you! Your checklist for the freezer is a great idea, thank you. I have a freeze drier and I need to do this for my freeze dried stuff too as I get disappointed when I grab a jar/packet only to find it was the last one.

[@amandazimmerman5070]

Appreciate all your knowledge. And can we all just take a moment and admire what a beautiful lady are? You're a blessing to so many.

[@sharonlynn3358]

I have been doing freezer inventory sheets wrong my whole life! The way you do them is life changing... i am so excited!!! Thank you for sharing ❤

[@sarahkendall8441]

I LOVE watching your videos to get me inspired for a day of preserving! I made up a bunch of jellies and jams this summer, but wish i had frozen more fresh fruit for the winter. Cleaning my one solitary luffah, making beef broth, and attempting homemade lunch meat today! Also plating garlic and digging potatoes.

[@Andy-fr1hu]

Great video Jessica! We appreciate the time and effort you take to keep us informed. You truly are an amazing lady ❤😊. Thank you!

[@michellewright5470]

Can't wait till we get our 2nd freezer again, when we moved we gave one of them to our daughter. Hopefully we will have it by next year harvest. Love your hair today and love your channel 💚

[@michellephillips4484]

Checking the freezer is so true. We had a power serge this summer which is so rare for some reason it tripes the freezer breaker and we lost 1/2 a cow not only did I cry because it was a huge loss monetarily it was horrible to clean out. Now I go down every other day.

[@samanthabloggins1775]

After the big icestorm that happened here in Canada back in the 90's we also bought a generator!! Best thing we bought!!

[@cindyparker9920]

I wish I was that organized. Your hair looked beautiful today!

[@dawgcatcha1907]

I’m amazed at everything you do!! One day! I have 1/10th of your workload and I’m exhausted at the end of everyday! But I hope to be close to your level one day!!! Thanks so much for sharing ❤🙏

[@njagatlin]

Thank you for sharing your strategies for keeping your family fed with nutritious foods. I have wanted a freeze dryer for quite some time. I never realized there was a layaway option that would allow me to secure the sale price. Thank you for mentioning that. This makes it attainable for me to set aside money every month without having to impact my savings or my credit card.💡

[@missykuss9975]

You are a wonder! You put so much into your family’s food. You are so prepared and organized. Thank you for sharing. And by the way, your hair is so beautiful!

[@leslienichols5268]

Ham steaks are so good for breakfast! Jessica, does it make you laugh that we all want to see your freezers?

[@afterthought72]

I love it when you have long videos ..Thanks for the tour of your freezers everything looks great so organized !

[@terriej2246]

I have freezer alarms for our freezers in the garage. Definitely gives me piece of mind.

[@carolwhisenhunt7504]

Hi Jessica. I always love your freezer and pantry tours. Your hair is beautiful. I'm sure you love being able to wear it down in the winter. My long hair is so hot in the summer. Great video.

[@jeanhecker4533]

I will ditto all of the comments so far. I’m surprised no one mentioned your beautiful hair. We’re so used to seeing your long braid. It looks as though you might have had some of the length cut off and the curls are so pretty. Have a happy and healthy week. 😊

[@chelinfusco6403]

Wow! I just love it when you give us a tour of your stored foods. You give a good explanation why you have those food and only what you know your family will eat. No waste. My brain gets motivated every time. Thanks. *Hugs*

[@kimberlycrawford1298]

You are a wonderful teacher; mother:wife , so organized, This is not to be weird; your hair is so beautiful 😀 have a wonderful week😀

[@missmusicalphoenix]

What a good idea for freezer inventory! I am going to do that for mine. And btw you look so pretty! I love your hair like that! ❤

[@janiceaucoin1435]

A wonderful freezer tour. I loved the story about the hockey (garlic) puck. Thank you!

[@bonnieboernemann4432]

This video was AMAZING and answered so many questions I have been asking myself. THANK YOU and BLESSINGS TO YOUR FAMILY. 😊🐝🐝

[@anitakleinman7542]

Highlight of my week - watching your newest advise and guidance. Thank you for sharing your knowledge😊

[@radmilamiljanic5977]

May God bless you for helping a person in need, my heart melted when you sad it:))) Here we use bacon ends and other smoked (or otherwise traditionally preserved) dried meat to make collard or leak soups, so good in cold winter days (although I love them all year long:)) Forgive me, but I have to say that I hope you turned that switch on again:))))

[@threerivershomestead]

I definitely did. Thank you 😊

[@lorelei9393]

Great tour. Great reasoning for freezing vs others methods for certain things. Great argument for or against freeze dryer depending on your circumstance. As a single person i see no need but for you it makes sense. We all have to evaluate how we spend the resources we have. 😊

[@trishapomeroy9251]

That was a great breakdown on why you got a freeze dryer. Thank you...and I never really considered it an appliance, but you are absolutely right!

[@sheliamaynus9869]

The beanie looked really cute! Thanks for today's tour, always enjoy your videos

[@ButtercupAndFernHomestead]

As I joined my first husband's family they had a bag full of pucks in the freezer. Father-in-law was a hockey coach. The pucks move and respond differently if they're frozen or not. So to control consistency and keep the pucks equally solid, he kept them frozen.

[@paulysgrrl1013]

❤ Love you Jessica. We're usings Pucks in NYC-- lol. May God continue to bless you & your family.

[@karentuthill8308]

YOU ARE A ROCK STAR!!!❤ Thank you sooo much for all the inspiration you give me, as a homesteader. You make this look attainable and I can appreciate that. ❤

[@rachelseibert7882]

I love how you think, very common sense! Great job 👏

[@emilyribnicky9410]

The puck story has got me like 😂😂😂 especially since the term has caught on! That's even funnier!

[@maryglidden2943]

Oh I'd love for you son to do a video to talk us through how to do a spreadsheet!!!! You are doing a wonderful job and so appreciate you sharing your life with us!

[@Christen-G]

Almost an hour with you this morning! What a treat! :)

[@robingirven4570]

I adore my freeze dryer! It’s freed up so much storage space. Just finished up apples! Next up pumpkins and squash.

[@myrlelembicz6364]

Great video. I especially like the inventory chart you have.

[@alypenny8741]

Love the tour but I was distracted by your hair! So lovely ☺️

[@toniatalley1977]

Your hair looks absolutely gorgeous in this video!!! Its always so pretty. What a great video!!! So much wonderful info

[@paulinehart1479]

Jesica, your hair is so pretty. It is lovely to see 😊

[@tennagrover6140]

The other day I made hot chocolate for my family. My family normally doesn’t want marshmallows with their hot chocolate. They decided out of the blue change their minds! So, I rewatched the video of you making homemade marshmallows. Thank you Jessica for saving the day!

[@soniab.estacio3008]

My, you are really knowledgeable of food . ❤ love you my lady !

[@acmom902]

I freeze garlic, onions, jalapeños and celery into pucks. It’s so convenient when cooking.

[@joanbaggs1915]

I’m making my garlic pucks today., my usual preserving did not happen this year because of an injury. I’m glad I can sit and process my garlic.

[@cynthiawhitcomb1780]

Jessica, thank you so much for all the time and advice you pored into this video. You gave me some good ideas for storage and meat processing. I love how health conscious you are.

[@cindymoore9096]

13:12 Have you considered freeze drying some lemon juice? (I don’t know how well that would work, or how well it would preserve the vitamin C, but I love having True Lemon on hand, and I would think it would be similar. I think freeze drying a bunch of grated lemon zest would also be a wonderful addition to the pantry. ETA: Oops, you already do. =) Regarding hockey pucks, it’s actually common to freeze hockey pucks so they glide faster & more smoothly on the ice instead of bouncing. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@maegardnermills4292]

Great video. My first time. I ad to subscribe. Your freezer inventory is a game changer. Organization is the best to avoid stress. Thank you.❤

[@tammywest1642]

Your hair looks so beautiful 😍

[@threerivershomestead]

Thank you so much 😀

[@alicewong1633]

Jessica, you look lovely in the beanie hat. And congratulations to well organised freezers and food storage. Rooting you from Singapore. God bless 🙏❤🎉😂

[@dhansonranch]

You are doing well. Very nicely organized....I struggle with that in my freezers. I do a lot of flash freezing on trays and then bag in bigger bags so they don't get lost in the freezer. As for your roosters and old hens - I can them for meat all the time and it is very tender. But the butchering process is important. Once you dispatch them and are ready for chilling, I always make sure they are chilled in the water for at least 4 to 6 hours. After the chilling, I finish cleaning if necessary, drain a bit, put them in a covered container and put the whole works in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours. This allows the acids in rigor mortis to tenderize the meat, much like hanging a beef. Once the time has passed, I then cut the legs, thighs, breasts and wings off and raw pack them them in jars. I use no liquid in the jars. The carcasses are then made into broth. The chicken is very tender doing it this way. However, I find the skin is not desirable for me but I like the flavor it gives so I just peel it off at time of eating. I have tried canning them with no skin, but the skin makes it easier to pack and adds flavor. So many folks say the old hens and roosters are not worth it, but I disagree, especially when you are out of poultry. I use the meat in stir fry's, eat it plain, or reheat it. I have over 50 old hens to do in this manner. I would encourage you to give it a try....at worse case, you use it in soup. Great video!

[@kimberlyschiele1117]

Yes freeze dryers are quite an investment BUT if you look for a used one, they are also quite affordable. And if you want a bigger one you can upgrade your inserts and again thats quite affordable.

[@GridIronHillFarm]

I LOVE the freezer/freeze dryer cost breakdown.

[@teodorapolgar]

Such a good video, we are going to have a small homestead and it is lovely seeing all of this as inspiration

[@marydiggins6502]

I love your videos, i learn so much from you. Thank you for sharing so much important information.

[@MiMiBrokenbourgh]

Bakersfield?! That’s my home town! ❤❤❤ They are a bread basket to the world. My dad worked on a farm for 47 years there providing potatoes, citrus, melons, carrots for Bolthouse Farms. It’s why I love gardening ❤️ Wonderful childhood memories.

[@jcalexander5530]

Reading this from Bakersfield 🤗

[@cecilyerker]

I love Bolthouse Farms drinks!

[@denisedonaldson5825]

Thanks for sharing! Very informative. Love the curl in your hair❤️

[@argeliaanchondo9907]

Love those layers on your hair you look amazing 😘

[@105cathy]

We live in an rv so space for a freezer is very limited. Buying a freeze dryer is out of the question, so I buy from Thrive Life. Storage space is limited too. I bought a Zwilling system for vacuum sealing system and store in 5 gallon buckets.

[@cindyloguirato8435]

Jessica your channel is one of my favorites. We glean so much info. God bless you!!

[@ellenradford8582]

I love your freezer that is like the store style...it is really yummy!!

[@GardeningWarrior]

You are such an inspiration to me on organizing and meal planning