29
STORING FOOD IN YOUR FREEZER
Precooked foods and leftovers
●
●
Ensure cooked food are stored in suitable covered containers and away from raw
frozen foods.
●
●
Not all foods are suitable for freezing; some separate on defrosting such as cooked egg
whites, custards and cream fillings, meringue toppings, milk porridges, gelatin or jelly-
like dishes and salad dressings.
Red meats, poultry and game
●
●
We recommend selecting lean meats as opposed to fatty meats. These have a lower fat
content, freeze much better and can be stored longer.
●
●
When packaging meats (chops, steaks, cutlets) separate with sheets of plastic freezer
film, then package all together. This prevents the meats forming into a solid block
on freezing.
●
●
Ensure stuffing is removed from poultry prior to freezing. Whole poultry or poultry
pieces should only be stuffed right before cooking. Preparation in advance may result in
food poisoning.
Fish and seafood
Ensure whole fish are rinsed inside and out with cold running water to remove loose
scales and dirt, then dried and packaged before storing in the freezer.
Fruit
●
●
Choose high quality, mature, and ready to eat fruits. Only select fruit varieties
recommended for freezing.
●
●
Most packaged fruits can be stored for 8 – 12 months. Fruits packed in syrup are ideal
for desserts, while fruits packed without sugar are better used for cooking.
Vegetables
●
●
Not all vegetables are suitable for freezing eg lettuce, radishes, and onions. Only select
mature and ready-to-eat vegetables recommended for freezing.
●
●
Ensure vegetables are sorted and damaged parts are discarded.
●
●
We recommend blanching vegetables before freezing. This technique inhibits vegetable
enzymes and helps preserve the color, flavor and nutritional value of the vegetables
without chemical or physical damages.
●
●
To blanch, boil vegetables in boiling water for 2 – 4 minutes, remove and cool quickly in
ice-cold water. Drain well then package.
Beverages
●
●
We recommended cooling carbonated beverages only when the ‘Bottle Chill’ function
is active.
●
●
Do not store carbonated drinks without this function in the freezer, failure to remove
beverages could lead to freezing liquid and the likelihood of bottle/can explosion.
