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to be kept in your Fridge before opening the door. Only open the door to put food in or take it out.
Where to store your foods in the fridge
Cool area
This is where to store foods which will keep longer if they are kept cool. Milk, eggs, yogurt, fruit juices, hard cheeses eg.
Cheddar. Opened jars and bottles of salad dressings, sauces and jams. Fats, eg. Butter, margarine, low-fat speads,
cooking fats and lard.
Coldest area
This is where foods which must be cold to keep them safe should be kept:
·Raw and uncooked foods should always be wrapped.
·Pre-cooked chilled foods, eg. Ready meals, meat pies, soft cheeses.
·Pre-cooked meats eg. Ham,
·Prepared salads(including pre-packed mixed green salads, rice, potato salad etc).
·Desserts, eg. Fromage frais, home-prepared food and leftovers or cream cakes.
NOTE
：
Always wrap and store raw meat, poultry and fish on the lowest shelf at the bottom of
the fridge. This will stop them dripping onto, or touching other foods. Do not store inflammable gasses or liquids in the
fridge.
Tips for shopping for frozen foods
Your Freezer is 4 star
When you are buying frozen food, look at the Storage Guidelines on the packaging. You will be able to store each item of
frozen food for the period shown against the 4 star rating. This is usually the period stated as “Best, Before”, found on the
front of the packaging.
Choose packs carefully
Make sure the frozen food package is in perfect condition.
Purchase frozen food last
Always buy frozen products last on your shopping trip or visit to the supermarket.
Keep frozen foods together
Try to keep frozen food together whilst shopping, and on the journey home as this will help to keep the food cooler.
Store food straight away
Don’t buy frozen food unless you can freeze it straight away. Special insulated bags can be bought from most
supermarkets and hardware shops. These keep frozen food cold for longer.
Thawing frozen food
For some foods, thawing before cooking is unnecessary. Vegetables and pasta can be added directly to boiling water or
steam cooked. Frozen sauces and soups can be put into a saucepan and heated gently until thawed.
Freezing fresh foods, useful tips
Use quality food and handle it as little as possible. Freeze food in small quantities, it freezes faster, takes less time to thaw
and enables you to eat it in the quantity you need.
Preparations for freezing
·Leave cooked food to cool completely.
·Chill food in a Fridge before freezing if possible.
·Consider how you want to cook the food before freezing it.
·Don’t freeze food in metal containers as you may want to microwave it straight from the Freezer.
·Use special Freezer bags available from supermarkets, Freezer film, polythene bags, plastic containers, aluminum foil for
acidic foods(such as citrus fruits).
Do not use thin cling film or glass. Do not use used food containers (unless cleaned thoroughly first).
·Exclude as much air from the container as possible. You could buy a special vacuum pump which sucks excessive air out
of the packaging.
·Leave a small amount of “air space” when freezing liquids, to allow for expansion.
·You can use the space in the Freezer most efficiently if you freeze liquids(or solids with liquids, such as stew) in square
blocks.
This is known as “performing” Pour the liquid into a polythene bag which is inside a square sided container. Freeze it like
this, then remove it from the container and seal the bag.
Recommended storage periods
For recommended food storage time, refer to the information given on your food packaging.
Defrosting
After a period of use, a thin layer of frost will be formed on the freezer compartment inner wall (or evaporator) surface,
which may affect the refrigeration effect if exceeding 5mm in thickness. In such case, you need to gently scrape the frost
off using an ice scraper rather than the metal or sharp hardware. Frosts need to be cleared off every 3 months or so, and if
the normal use of drawers and normal access of foods are affected by frosting, make sure to remove the frosts in a timely
manner. Follow the following steps to remove frosts:
1. Take out the frozen foods, shut off the mains power supply, open the refrigerator door, and gently remove the frosts
from the inner wall with an ice scraper. To speed up the thawing process, you are suggested to place a bowl of hot water
inside the refrigerator/freezer, and when the solid ice frosts become loose, use an ice scraper to scrape them off and then
take them out.
2. After defrosting, clean the refrigerator/freezer inside, and switch on the power supply.
Cleaning inside the Fridge/Freezer
After defrosting you should clean the Fridge/Freezer internally with a weak solution of bicarbonate of soda. Then rinse
with warm water using a damp sponge or cloth and wipe dry. Wash the baskets in warm soapy water and ensure they are
completely dry before replacing in the Fridge/Freezer. Condensation will form on the back wall of the Fridge; however it
