Eid-ul-Azha is nearing, and with it comes many things. Our households, along with cooking, sharing and stuffing the meat dishes, unknowingly participate in the high-pressure sport of the year: freezer panic.

Freezers need space and proper cooling to handle large quantities of fresh meat. Yet, we confidently continue operating on ‘we’ll somehow make it fit’ logic — which, to be fair, has become a national Eid tradition at this point.

The plan is usually simple — the freezer has to be emptied a few days before Eid. Which means the half-eaten ice cream tubs, frozen parathas, and that box of mysterious curry that has started to resemble an iceberg. The execution, however, often gets lost amongst the endless preparations, until you remember, only the night before, that your freezer is in no way prepared for Eid.

Ideally, the freezer should be cleaned out at least a day or two earlier. Lowering the temperature beforehand also helps create a colder environment, so the meat freezes faster and more safely once stored. Otherwise, the freezer ends up fighting for its life while being stuffed beyond capacity.

Then comes the second phase of chaos: hurried packaging!

In the rush of distribution, guests, phone calls, and general Eid commotion, packets are often thrown into the freezer wherever space appears. Small packets balance dangerously on top of large ones. Bones get mixed with thick cuts. Someone stuffs minced meat beside the liver.

And then? Nobody remembers what went where.

By the third day, we’re left playing a dangerous guessing game called ‘Open it and see’

This is precisely where organisation matters. While separating meat by cut before freezing can make our lives easier, labelling the packets is the real saviour. It may sound overly ambitious during Eid, but in the future you will be thanking yourself. Simple labels such as “nehari,” “keema,” or “boneless” save both time and confusion.

Because nothing tests patience quite like defrosting an entire packet expecting to make kala bhuna, only to discover soup bones staring back at you.

Another major problem appears when freezers are packed too tightly. Cold air needs room to circulate evenly around the packets. When everything is compressed together without space, some portions may freeze properly while others remain partially thawed for longer periods. This often leads to leakage — or the dreaded ‘freezer blood waterfall’ slowly creeping underneath the freezer tray.

And god forbid, if that smell settles in, your kitchen is officially in crisis mode.

Overloading can also put excessive pressure on the freezer’s cooling system. While it may not dramatically “break down” overnight, it certainly forces the appliance to work much harder than usual. Older refrigerators especially struggle during Eid when it’s suddenly expected to behave like industrial cold storage facilities.

A smarter approach is to freeze meat gradually whenever possible. Flat packaging also helps. Instead of stuffing meat into bulky round bags, storing portions allows them to stack neatly while freezing faster and more evenly.

While we’re on the topic of packaging, certain thin plastic bags — especially the very flimsy market ones — have a habit of freezing directly onto the icy surface or freezer walls. The moment someone tries to pull them out, the packet tears dramatically, leaving everyone to pull at the partially frozen meat that refuses to budge.

The safest solution is to avoid overly thin bags altogether. Using thicker freezer-safe packets or zip-lock bags helps prevent sticking and leakage. Placing a tray, newspaper lining, or even a plastic sheet at the base before stacking can also make removal easier later. And most importantly, avoid placing freshly packed warm meat directly against icy freezer walls — unless the goal is to physically wrestle with it at 7 AM three days later.

It is also surprisingly helpful to keep frequently used cuts toward the front.

Of course, despite all planning, some level of Eid freezer chaos is inevitable. Someone will still forget a packet outside. Someone will definitely insist there is “more space” when there clearly is not. And somehow, every family has that one relative who keeps opening the freezer every five minutes to “check.”

Perhaps that is part of the charm, too?

Still, a little organisation goes a long way. Because once the celebrations settle, nobody wants to spend the rest of the week wiping mystery leaks from beneath the freezer while trying to identify unidentified packets of meat.

So, as you brace yourself to face Eid right in the middle of summer, maybe show yourself a bit of mercy with these tiny planning and execution.

By Nusrath Jahan