I learned this freezing trick from my grandfather. He would use a 1/2 gallon milk container for scraps and bits that needed to wait until garbage day. I don't use it as much now that we have a GD, but for stuff that shouldn't go down the GD, that's what we do. Works great!

That's a great idea, andreak100. I've just gone back to drinking regular milk and will use the empty containers for scraps, esp. meat.

I always thought people would cringe if they knew I've put garbage in the freezer, lol. But it does work great! I even might get a little trash bin for it after reading here, lol.

I do it all of the time - I re-use zip lock bags and it works great - it was one reason why I didn't put the compost bin in the countertop..

That's not garbage! That's the raw ingredients to home made stock. All of the skins, bones, onion skins, carrot tops, etc. goes in the freezer until there's a stock pot worth. Then it gets simmered, skimmed, strained, and the resulting stock made into ice cubes to be stored in plastic baggies for addition to dishes for extra flavor instead of using water.

If it's a stew-style dish I just throw the skin and bones in the pot then pull them out later and toss. You may have a bit more fat to skim but they add great flavor. If I'm baking then I'll put the offcuts in a separate pan and just put them in the oven with everything else for 30 mins to cook, then toss them.

Having once experienced the odor of rotting raw meat, I agree that whatever your method (freezing or cooking) the experience is something to be avoided at all cost.

I don't put raw meat down the GD either. But I nuke it and then put it through. Freezer would work too, I just prefer the nuke-and-dispose method since it's one less thing to remember for later.

No room in my freezer for bones and skin and doubt I would do it anyway. I put it in a zip lock and put that in the trash. Nothing stinks.

My mom used to do this and still does as a way to prevent rotting smells in the hot weather down south.

I freeze things that would make a horrible stench in the garbage, unless they can be buried in the compost heap.

My elderly mother used to do that. The issue was that sometimes it didn't make it to the garbage regularly. She would forget about it. The truck would come early and she didn't get it out in time. She didn't label it living alone. I was horrified the first time I found garbage in the freezer (mostly over ripe bananas).

A few times I had to clean out her freezer and found garbage. After she moved she still continued this, being worried that the community garbage room in the building would stink. I finally convinced her that the garbage room would stink whether her garage was in it or not.

I do use a GD but usually put bones and skins in the garbage can. I have never found our outside garbage can to smell that bad. I'm sure it matters what climate you are in.

I'm glad to know that others do this as I admit to being concerned about my mothers sanity when I discovered this, lol.

...and I always write "Garbage" on it...my big fear is I'll defrost a bag of.....well....garbage....for dinner.

That is sooo funny Bee!!!

Seeing the title of this thread cracks me up. I think we have a new appliance in the making. If I can afford it in my next life, I think I'll have a dedicated freezer for the trash can, lol.

Another garbage freezer here. On those 90 degree summer days that chicken would be cookin' in the garbage can! I love winter because it freezes itself when I put it outside.

I always freeze my garbage. Friends and family think I am nuts but it makes more sense to me than having it sitting out in a garbage container until disposal day !

I freeze a lot of things. Spices. Veggies from the garden. Stock. Leftovers.

Not trash.

If it's not ingredients for a broth or another dish down the road (90%), and it's foodstuffs (like leftovers from that broth making), then it goes in the compost. Nothing compostable goes down a disposal or in the trash. Yes, you can compost meats with no problems if you have the nitrogen/carbon ratio of your pile correct and it's hot enough. If it's something like a pot of soup that I've not frozen fast enough to keep it edible for later, then that gets the "direct compost" treatment by using the immersion blender and dumping it under a favorite tree or shrub after pulling back the mulch.

I freeze oil drippings or unused fat(after it cools a bit) in ziplock bags. Don't want them in the GD and they might leak to the inside of the garbage can that is picked up so freezing seemed to be the logical solution. Glad to know there are others who are "logical" too. But I have been known to forget. Thanks for the tip/reminder about labeling - I'm going to do that more regularly.

Mission accomplished! Frozen chicken skin garbage collected, no drips, no smells, no gagging.

My dad always freezes garbage. He's a three-season recreational fisherman with once-a-week garbage pickup. When he fillets his catch, he wraps the fish remains in newspaper, then in a plastic bag, and uses the bottom shelf of the basement upright freezer to hold everything until trash day.

I have trash pickup 2x per week and the can is far enough away from the house, and pretty airtight, for me not to worry about odors.

We stay at a Minnesota resort every summer that has a large freezer next to the fish cleaning building. Fish guts get wrapped in newspaper and right into the freezer (which isn't used for anything else). On garbage pickup day it gets tossed in the dumpster. It's genius!

I love this! My Mom always used to do this, we kids all rolled our eyes at her. Then when I got married and had my own household I started doing it, and my dh thought it was strange. Now he does it too! It is a great idea! Someone invent a freezer trash container & get it on Shark Tank!

We keep our compost in a plastic bag in the bottom drawer of the fridge until we're ready to take it out back. Not good for the compost pile to dump frozen stuff on it, but I think this behavior is a cousin of you all freezing garbage!

My other home had to be snaked occasionally--everything was put down the disposal. To keep the drains clear at my current home, all food scraps and oils go into the freezer before trash day. It helps to know I'm not nutty after reading this thread.

I have frozen garbage for years. Had trouble with animals getting in can with fresh garbage. At a summer cottage we had to go to the dump ourselves. I took a square 8" x 8" container and put garbage into it. When full, I filled with water so it would freeze in a smooth square. Then placed frozen square in newspaper, and repeated. Kept squares stacked up (saving space) in freezer section of frig until we could go to the dump. I know...crazy, but it sure worked for me. No smell, no animals.

I freeze shrimp shells - since I only empty kitchen trash once a week! I have chickens, grandson has dogs and cats - not much "food" goes in the trash (except for shrimp shells!). We recycle tin cans, aluminum cans, plastic, glass, which is why my trash can only gets emptied once a week!