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6. Food Storage Tips
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To avoid blocked airflow and minimise energy consumption, do not crowd the refrigerator
with too much food.
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Use sealed containers and plastic bags to prevent food from drying or having a mixed taste
with other food in the refrigerator.
•
Please clean food, bottles and packed articles before storage.
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Hot food should be cooled down to room temperature before storage to improve food
preservation and minimise energy consumption.
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Do not re-freeze after defrosting.
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Store liquids in the front of the refrigerator to avoid freezing.
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Cut meat, fish, vegetables, etc. into small pieces before freezing.
Meat
Your Whirlpool freezer will keep meat fresh. You should always wrap meat completely and tightly
in plastic bags. Unwrapped meat quickly looses moisture and nutrients and causes your
refrigerator to smell.
Remove bones and surplus fat from meats. Fat usually becomes rancid, and boneless meat needs
roughly half as much freezer space.
Bigger portions of meat must be thawed before cooking. If you have a microwave, you can thaw
meat in minutes. If you don’t have a microwave, move the quantity you want to use from the
freezer to the top of the vegetable crisper the night before.
Vegetables
Your Whirlpool refrigerator makes it possible for you to preserve your favourite fruits, vegetables or
meats for longer. Just follow the storage tips given here to keep your favourite food fresh for a long
time.
All vegetables should be blanched (quickly dipped in boiling water) before freezing. Blanching
destroys enzymes, preserves flavour, texture and vitamin content, and reduces micro-organisms.
After blanching, remove the vegetables and plunge them immediately into cold, icy water. Follow
these specific tips for the given vegetables to get maximum storage life out of them.
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Beans: Wash thoroughly, trim ends and then blanch for 2 minutes.
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Capsicum: Wash and remove all seeds and membranes. Blanch in halves or sliced. Put
in a box and freeze. Blanching time – 3 minutes.
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Green Peas: Shell and blanch in a pan. Shake the pan periodically to heat evenly. Cool,
drain and pack – preferably in polybags or containers. Blanching time – 1 minute.
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Tomatoes: These are best frozen as puree or juice. Skin and core them before storing.
Then simmer them in their own juices for 5 minutes. Once the tomatoes are soft, strain and
puree them. Pack them in polybags or containers and freeze.
•
Large Red Chillies: Remove the stems, cut in half and completely de-seed them. Put them
in polybags and freeze.
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Carrots: Cut them in any shape. Blanch in hot water for 1 minute and then dip in ice cold
water. Drain in a sieve and pack in a polybag or container and freeze.
