Is your freezer like a black hole? Things go in only to be forgotten about or you take something out for tea and it’s anybody’s guess as to what it might be? Labels have fallen off or, worse still, you forgot to label it.

Well, with any luck, the situation is soon going to change. Hopefully, since my recent social media post on keeping lists, you’ve started an inventory. Maybe you’ve had a sort through and added to the list anything that’s easily identifiable (you might need to take pot luck with anything you can’t identify until it’s used up) but what about making sure, from now on, you know what’s in there and when it went it?

I use a chef’s trick. I have a roll of masking tape and a pen (biros don’t work particularly well, a thin marker is best) handy in a cupboard with my storage containers. Rip off a bit of tape, write the name of the item and the date on the tape and stick it on the box. The writing doesn’t rub off, the label doesn’t peel off in the freezer but easily comes off without leaving a sticky mess before you put the box in the wash and you can quickly grab the box you want when you need it.

You can also use it to label freezer bags, containers and re-used jars in the fridge and store cupboard. It’s efficient and inexpensive.