Freezing and storing food (depending on model)
24
Using the freezer compartment
Use the freezer compartment to:
– store frozen food,
– make ice cubes,
– freeze small quantities of fresh food.
Up to 2 kg of food can be frozen in
24 hours.
Freezing fresh food
Fresh food should be frozen as quickly
as possible. This way the nutritional
value of the food, its vitamin content,
appearance and taste are not impaired.
Food which takes a long time to freeze
will lose more water from its cells,
which then shrink. During the defrosting
process, only some of this water is
reabsorbed by the cells; the rest
collects around the food.
If food is frozen quickly, the cells have
less time to lose moisture, so they
shrink less. As there is not so much
moisture loss, it is easier for the food to
reabsorb it during the defrosting
process, and very little water collects
around the defrosted food.
Storing frozen food
When buying frozen food to store in
your freezer, check
– that the packaging is not damaged,
– the use-by date,
– the temperature at which the frozen
food is being stored in the shop. The
length of time it can be kept is
reduced if it has been stored at a
temperature warmer than -18 °C.
Buy frozen food once you have
finished the rest of your shopping,
and wrap it in newspaper or use a
cool bag or cool box to transport it.
Store it in the freezer as soon as
possible.
Never re-freeze partially or fully
defrosted food. Consume defrosted
food as soon as possible as it will
lose its nutritional value and spoil if
left for too long. Defrosted food may
only be re-frozen after it has been
cooked.
Home freezing
Only freeze fresh food which is in a
good condition.
Hints on home freezing
– The following types of food
are
suitable
for freezing:
Fresh meat, poultry, game, fish,
vegetables, herbs, fresh fruit, dairy
products, cakes, leftovers, egg yolks,
egg whites and a range of pre-
cooked meals.
– The following types of food
are not
suitable
for freezing:
Grapes, lettuce, radishes, sour
cream, mayonnaise, eggs in their
shells, onions, whole raw apples and
pears.
– To retain colour, taste, aroma and
vitamin C, vegetables should be
blanched after they have been
trimmed and washed. To blanch:
bring a large saucepan of water to
the boil, immerse the vegetables in
the fast boiling water for 2 -
