The Cold Store: Freezer, Freeze-Dryer & Game Meat Tracker
Know what is in the freezer, eat it while it is still good, and keep every animal's record from tag to package. One Google Sheet with a freezer inventory, a freeze-dryer batch log, a mylar and jar inventory and a game log, plus a 17-page printable guide.
One payment. Nothing renews. Your files arrive by email a few minutes after checkout.
- Google Sheets workbook (your own copy, free Google account)
- 17-page printable PDF guide
- The workbook as an Excel file
Three trackers that talk to each other
The freezer inventory, the freeze-dryer batch log and the game log share one file, so a bag of freeze-dried green beans, a quart of elk burger and the mylar bin in the closet all show up in the same place with a date you can act on.
Freezer inventory
Type what went in and when. The Sheet shows packages and pounds left, a best-by date from USDA and Extension quality guidance, and turns red when a package is past it or due this month.
Freeze-dryer batch log
Wet and dry weights, water removed, cycle hours, packaging, and the shelf-life basis you choose for each batch, with whose figure it is printed beside it.
Mylar and jar inventory
What is on the shelf, oldest first, so the next bag you open is the one that went in first.
Game log
One row per animal with district, tag, field-dressed weight, an estimated boneless yield from Extension factors, and the CWD sample and result.
Cut tracker and year summary
Packages and pounds by cut, pounds packaged by year, and cost per pound two honest ways.
The printable guide, 17 pages
Freezer map, lid tally, freeze-dryer batch cards, processing-day checklist, processor cut sheet, CWD label sheets, the freezer times chart and every source.
How you get it
- Buy it once.Nothing renews. Refunds within 7 days.
- Check your email.Within a few minutes you get the guide as a PDF and the workbook as an Excel file.
- Copy the Sheet.Page 2 of the guide has your link and a QR code. Tap it, sign in to Google and choose Make a copy. Or open the Excel file directly.
Every number has a source. It does not decide safety.
Freezer times come from USDA FSIS and FoodSafety.gov, with university Extension filling the gaps. Yield factors come from University of Wyoming Extension carcass bulletins and an Ohio DNR study. Freeze-dried shelf life is labelled by source, because most 25-year figures trace back to the manufacturer, and the Sheet lets you pick which figure you trust.
It is a records and planning tool. It does not tell you whether food is safe. Food kept constantly at 0 F is safe indefinitely (USDA); the dates here are for quality. CWD fields are records; follow your state wildlife agency.
Questions
Do I need Excel?
No. It works in Google Sheets, free with any Google account. The Excel file comes too.
Is it dated?
No. Use it this season and every season after.
What if something is wrong with it?
Write to hello@mothersteader.com within 7 days and I will fix it or refund you. The refund policy has the details.
The Cold Store is also part of
- The Preserving Bundle, $59 (opens when every product in it is ready)