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STORING FOOD IN YOUR FREEZER
Freezing and storing foods at temperatures -18°C or colder helps retain the physical
quality and nutritional value of foods. Low temperatures inhibit the growth of bacteria,
moulds and yeasts, thereby restricting chemical and physical reactions to extend the
food’s storage life
General frozen food care
Successful freezing depend on the foods’ quality, packaging and proportions. We
recommend freezing foods fast to maintain moisture content and to prevent the
formation of large ice crystals.
For best results:
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Store only fresh, high quality food.
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Ensure foods are packaged in suitable packaging material before freezing.
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Ensure foods freeze as quickly as possible and in small quantities. Do not attempt to
freeze more than 1kg of meat per 25L of freezer storage volume.
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Freezing in smaller quantities helps retain the nutrient qualities and appearance of the
food as best as possible.
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When freezing many foods at once, activate the ‘Fast Freeze’ function 2 hours
beforehand.
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Ensure fresh food to be frozen does not come into contact with already frozen foods.
This will cause frozen foods to start defrosting.
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When freezing foods containing liquids or semi-solids, ensure there is a 20 – 50mm
head space to allow the foods to expand as they freeze.
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Keep door openings to a minimum. Avoid opening the door unnecessarily.
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Ensure air is removed from food packaging. This will avoid large formation of ice crystals
and prevent freezer-burn on foods. The formation of small ice crystals is normal.
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Ensure hot foods and drinks are not placed directly into the freezer. Hot containers may
damage shelves and walls of the refrigerator, increase energy consumption and cause
already frozen foods to defrost.
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Ensure partially or fully defrosted foods are never re-frozen. Defrosted foods can only
be refrozen after they have been cooked.
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Ensure there is a constant turnover of foods. Use older items of food first and do not
exceed the recommended storage times. See table below.
Recommended freezer storage times
These times should not be exceeded.
MONTHS
TYPE OF FOOD STORED
1
Bacon, casseroles, milk
2
Bread, ice cream, sausages, pies, prepared shellfish, oily fish
3
Non-oily fish, shellfish, pizza, scones and muffins
4
Ham, baked goods, beef and lamb chops, poultry pieces
6
Butter, blanched vegetables, whole eggs and yolks, cooked crayfish,
raw minced meats
12
Dried fruits or fruit in syrups, egg whites, raw beet, whole chicken, raw
lamb, fruit cakes
