Freezing foods / storing frozen foods
Page GB-15
• Carbonated drinks are not suitable for
freezing because the carbon dioxide es-
capes during freezing.
Suitable packaging
Packaging is important when freezing. This
will protect against oxidation, penetration by
microbes, transfer of odours and flavourings
and drying out (freezer burn).
• Only use packaging material that is
strong, impermeable to air and liquid, not
too stiff and labelled. It should be desig-
nated as suitable for freezer use.
• Use plastic clips, rubber bands or adhe-
sive tapes to seal.
Portions
• Use flat portions as much as possible;
these freeze through to the core faster.
• Expel the air from the freezer bag as this
causes the contents to dry out and takes
up space.
• Fill liquid containers no more ¾ full, be-
cause liquids expand when frozen.
• Do not store glass or metal containers
containing liquids such as water, lemon-
ade, beer, etc. Water expands when fro-
zen and may burst the container.
Only high percentage alcohol (from 40%
volume) should be frozen; make sure that
the bottle is tightly sealed.
• Label the frozen food by type, quantity,
amount and expiry date. Use waterproof
marker pens or adhesive labels wherever
possible.
How to pack the freezer properly
Freezing smaller quantities
• Once the freezer temperature is -18° C,
you can freeze fresh, room-temperature
foods.
Maximum freezing capacity
Adhere to the maximum freezing capacity.
You will find information about “Freezing ca-
pacity in kg/24 hours” in the data sheet on
page GB-29.
Keep fresh goods out of contact with existing
frozen foods as they could start to thaw. If
contact with stored food can not be avoided,
we recommend that you create a cold reserve
in the freezer before freezing the fresh goods.
The temperature in the freezer briefly rises af-
ter placing fresh goods inside. After 24 hours,
the goods are frozen to the core.
Storing frozen food
The deep-freeze chain must not be broken
between the manufacturer and your freezer.
The temperature of the frozen food must al-
ways be at least -18° C.
Therefore, do not buy any goods that
– are in frosty, over-icy chests.
– are stacked above the stipulated high-load
marker.
– partially clumped (particularly easy to iden-
tify with berries and vegetables).
– have snow and juice traces.
Transport frozen foods in special styrofoam
boxes or insulated bags.
Observe the storage conditions and times on
the packaging.
