13
Operation
Food Storage Guide
Storing Fresh Food
Wrap or store food in the refrigerator in airtight and moisture-proof material. This prevents food odor and taste transfer. For
dated products, check use-by date to ensure freshness.
To store leafy vegetables, remove store wrapping. Then tear off bruised and discolored areas. Wash the vegetables in cold
water and drain, and then place them in a plastic bag or plastic container and store in your produce drawer.
For vegetables with skins, such as carrots and peppers, store in plastic bags or containers.
When refrigerating or freezing fruit, wash the fruit and then let it dry. Store the fruit in plastic bags. Don’t wash or hull berries
until they are ready to use. Instead, sort and keep berries in their original container in the produce drawer, or store in a loosely
closed paper bag on the refrigerator shelf.
Store eggs without washing them. Keep eggs in their original carton or in your refrigerator’s egg bin.
Wipe milk cartons. For best storage, place milk on an interior shelf.
Keep opened butter in covered dish or closed compartment. When storing butter in the freezer, wrap it in freezer packaging.
When you have leftovers, cover then with plastic wrap, aluminum foil, or store the leftovers in plastic containers with tight lids.
Store meat in its original wrapping, as long as it’s airtight and moisture-proof. Rewrap meat if necessary.
Note:
When storing meat longer than the recommended times, freeze the meat.
Recommended storage times:
Chicken
1-2
days
Bacon
5-7
days
Ground Beef
1-2 days
Cold Cuts
3-5 days
Steaks/Roasts
3-5 days
Variety Meats
1-2 days
Cured Meats
7-10 days
Note:
Use fresh fi sh and shellfi sh the same day as purchased.
Packaging Food for Freezing
The secret of successful freezing is in the packaging; the way you close and seal a package of food must not allow air or
moisture in or out, or the quality of the food will deteriorate while frozen.
Packaging you should not use for freezing includes:
• Bread wrappers
• Non-polyethylene plastic containers
• Containers without lids
• Wax paper or wax-coated freezer wrap
• Thin, semi-permeable wrap
Recommended packaging:
• Rigid plastic containers with tight-fi tting lids
• Straight-sided canning/freezing jars
• Heavy-duty aluminum foil
• Plastic-coated paper
• Non-permeable plastic wraps (made from saran fi lm)
• Zip-top freezer bags
Follow package or container instructions for proper freezing methods.
Freezing Foods
DO NOT
expect your freezer to quick-freeze large quantities of food;
DO NOT
load more than two to three pounds of
unfrozen food per cubic foot within 24 hours. Leave enough space for air to circulate around packages, and be careful to
leave enough room at the front so the freezer door can close tightly.
A full freezer stays cold longer than a partially fi lled one, and a freezer full of meat stays cold longer than a freezer full of
baked goods. If food contains ice crystals, it may be safely refrozen, although the quality and fl avor may be affected. If the
condition of the food is poor, or if you feel it is unsafe, dispose of it.
Storage times will vary according to the quality of food, the type of packaging or wrap used (airtight and moisture-proof), and
the storage temperature, which should be 0° to 2°F (-18° to -17° C).
