It’s easy to forget about things in the freezer. Stuff gets buried at the bottom of a drawer or shelf, so every now and then you should do a purge.

Swipe through to learn what freezer items you should throw away ASAP.

Freezer-Burned Food

If you see white or grayish patches on a food item, chances are it’s freezer burned and you should get rid of it. Freezer burn is a combination of dehydration and oxidation that occurs when frozen food is damaged by cold, dry air, usually due to poor packaging.

Photography: Pinterest/Taste of Home

Food With Ice Crystals

The same goes for food that has ice crystals on it. Ice crystals form on frozen food when moisture escapes the food and turns from ice to vapor and then refreezes. This is triggered by temperature fluctuations and poor packaging that leaves air space or warm, moist air entering the freezer.

Photography: Epicurious via Pinterest

Old Ice Cubes

Ice can absorb odors over time and you definitely don’t want your soda smelling or tasting like shrimp. Dump old cubes, and then thoroughly wash the tray or whatever container the ice was in.

Mystery Meat

If you don’t know what it is, don’t eat it. It’s probably been in there longer than humans have roamed the earth, and—just yuck.

Photography: Pinterest/The Typical Mom

Cracked Glass Containers or Jars

Every now and then, check the contents of your freezer for cracked glass containers. If you find any, pitch them. You definitely don’t want to eat or feed your family food that’s potentially contaminated by glass shards.

Old Leftovers

Yes, that soup you made in the winter of 2023 was really tasty, but it’s not going to taste the same. It’s actually going to be pretty awful and not worth the time and energy to defrost it. Try to eat soup and similar dishes within three months of freezing them.

Photography: Pinterest/Webstaurant Store