USING YOUR FRIDGE FREEZER
Store food straight away
Don’t buy frozen food unless you can freeze it straight away.
Special insulated bags can be bought from most supermarkets and
hardware shops. These keep frozen food cold for longer.
Thawing frozen food
For some foods, thawing before cooking is unnecessary. Vegetables and
pasta can be added directly to boiling water or steam cooked.
Frozen sauces and soups can be put into a saucepan and heated gently
until thawed.
Preparations for freezing
• Leave cooked food to cool completely.
• Chill food in a fridge before freezing if possible.
• Consider how you want to cook the food before freezing it.
• Don’t freeze food in metal containers as you may want to microwave
it straight from the freezer.
• Use special freezer bags available from supermarkets, freezer film,
polythene bags, plastic containers, aluminium foil (heavy grade only,
if in doubt, double wrap). Don’t use aluminium foil for acidic foods
(such as citrus fruits). Don’t use thin cling film or glass. Don’t use
used food containers (unless cleaned thoroughly first).
• Exclude as much air from the container as possible. You could buy a
special vacuum pump which sucks excessive air out of the packaging.
• Leave a small amount of ‘air space’ when freezing liquids, to allow
for expansion.
• You can use the space in the
freezer most efficiently if
you freeze liquids (or solids
with liquids, such as stew) in
square blocks. This is known as
‘preforming’. Pour the liquid into
a polythene bag which is inside a
square sided container. Freeze it
like this, then remove it from the
container and seal the bag.
Shopping for frozen foods
Your freezer is 4 star
★
★ ★ ★
When you are buying frozen food, look at the Storage Guidelines on the
packaging. You will be able to store each item of frozen food for the
period shown against the 4 star rating. This is usually the period stated as
‘Best Before’, on the front of the packaging.
Check the freezer temperature
Check the temperature of the frozen food cabinet in the shop where you
buy your frozen foods. It should show a temperature lower than -18°C.
Making ice cubes
At the top of the freezer cabinet there is a section for making and storing
ice cubes.
Fill the ice cube tray with fresh drinking water and place in the section for
making and storing ice cubes.
After the ice cubes are made you can remove them from the tray by
twisting the tray slightly and or placing the tray under running water for
a short time.
Choose packs carefully
Take a quick look at the frozen food package and make sure it is in perfect
condition.
Purchase frozen food last
Always buy frozen products last on your shopping trip or visit to the
supermarket.
Keep frozen foods together
When you are going around the supermarket and when you are travelling
home, if you keep all the frozen foods together they will help to keep
each other cold.
5
Freezing fresh foods
The golden rules
Use quality food and handle it as little as possible. Freeze food in small
quantities, it freezes faster, takes less time to thaw and enables you to eat
it in the quantity you need.
Using the Super freeze button
First, estimate the amount of food you will be freezing. Your freezer has a
Super freeze button (see Indicator lights on page 3/4) which makes your
freezer colder (approx -28° C), it will therefore freeze quicker and keep in
the goodness.
However you should use it sparingly to conserve energy.
To freeze
Super freeze
A loaf of bread
A small casserole
Not required
Up to 2lb/900gm
2 hrs before placing food in freezer and
4 hrs after placing food in freezer
Up to 6lb/2.7kg
6 hrs before placing food in freezer and
12 hrs after placing food in freezer
Maximum of 22lb/10kg
24 hrs before placing food in freezer and
24 hrs after placing food in freezer
What not to freeze
Bananas, pomegranates, pears, carbonated liquids as they can explode or
anything in a glass container, as these may crack.
NOTE
Do not store inflammable gases or liquids in the freezer.
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