– Do not season fresh foods or
blanched vegetables before
freezing. Only season cooked food
lightly before freezing but care
should be taken as the taste of some
spices alters when frozen.
– Do not place hot foods or drinks in
the freezer. This causes already
frozen food to thaw and increases
the energy consumption
considerably. Allow hot foods and
drinks to cool down before placing
them in the freezer.
Packing
^
Freeze food in portions.
Suitable packing material
– plastic freezer film
– freezer bags
– freezer containers
– aluminium foil
Freezer bags may also be sealed
using home heat sealing kits.
^
Expel as much air as possible from
bags etc. before sealing them to
prevent freezer burn on food.
^
Close the packaging tightly with
– rubber bands
– plastic clips
– string or bag ties
– cold resistant adhesive tape.
^
Make a note of the contents and the
date of freezing on the packaging.
Unsuitable packing material
– wrapping paper
– grease-proof paper
– cellophane
– dustbin liners
– plastic carrier bags
Placing food in the freezer
^
Place fresh food into the area that
you have already divided from the
rest of the freezer by means of the
divider, so that it is separated from
food which is already frozen.
When freezing, make sure that food
already frozen does not come into
contact with fresh food being frozen
as this could cause the frozen food
to begin to defrost.
^
Arrange frozen food in an organised
way in the freezer.
^
Make sure that the packaging and
containers are dry to prevent them
sticking together when frozen.
Freezer plannner
The freezer planner on the inside of the
lid shows the number of months for
which various foods can be stored
effectively. However, these times should
be regarded only as a guide, as various
factors can affect the storage time, e.g.
the quality of the food, how it is handled
prior to freezing etc.
Freezing and storing food
19
