TIPS
Tips for freezing fresh foods
To help you get the best out of the freezing process,
here are a few hints:
■
Freeze only good-quality, fresh and well-cleaned
foods. Split them into small portions to speed up
freezing and avoid having to thaw more food than
you require. It is in fact important to remember that
once the foods have thawed out, they deteriorate
fast.
■
Another point to remember is that lean foods keep
better and longer than fatty foods. Salt too reduces
storage times.
■
Wrap the foods in foil or polythene ½lm, ensuring
that the wrapping adheres closely to the food and
is well sealed. In this way, by avoiding contact with
air, the colour ¾avour and nutritional value of the
foods remain intact.
■
During the freezing process, do not add further
foods for freezing and do not open the freezer
door.
■
The foods for freezing should not be placed in
contact with already frozen foods, but put in the
special freezing compartment. This will stop the
temperature of already frozen foods from rising.
■
Never put ½zzy drinks in the freezer as they might
well burst.
■
In addition, never put hot foods or liquids in the
freezer compartment and take care not to ½ll
recipients up to the brim if they are covered with a
lid.
■
It is a good idea to mark the packs with the date
on which freezing started so that you can keep a
check on storage periods.
Tips for storage of commercially
frozen food
To get the best out of your freezer, in the case of
storage of commercially frozen food you should
ensure that:
■
the products have been correctly stored by the
retailer;
■
that there is only a very short time between when
you purchase the products and when you put them
in the freezer;
■
you do not store products for longer than the time
speci½ed by the food manufacturer;
■
In addition, if the freezer has been out of use for
some time, before putting the products in the
compartment let the freezer run for at least two
hours on the quick-freeze (SUPER) setting. After
this, reset the freezer for normal storage use;
■
Avoid opening the door too frequently and when
you do open it, leave it open only for as long as is
strictly necessary;
■
A word of warning about ice lollies: they should not
be eaten straight out of the freezer as this might
cause cold burns.
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