14
Fresh food care
For best results:
• Store foods that are very fresh and of good quality.
• Ensure that food is well wrapped or covered before it is
stored. This will prevent food from dehydrating, deteriorat-
ing in colour or losing taste and will help maintain freshness.
It will also prevent odour transfer.
• Make sure that strong smelling foods are wrapped or cov-
ered and stored away from foods such as butter, milk and
cream which can be tainted by strong odours.
• Cool hot foods down before placing them in the fridge com-
partment.
Dairy foods and eggs
• Most pre-packed dairy foods have a recommended ‘use by /
best before/best by/’ date stamped on them. Store them in
the fridge compartment and use within the recommended
time.
• Butter can become tainted by strong smelling foods so it is
best stored in a sealed container.
• Eggs can be stored in the fridge compartment.
Red meat
• Place fresh red meat on a plate and loosely cover with
waxed paper, plastic wrap or foil.
• Store cooked and raw meat on separate plates. This will
prevent any juice lost from the raw meat from contaminat-
ing the cooked product.
Poultry
• Fresh whole birds should be rinsed inside and out with cold
running water, dried and placed on a plate. Cover loosely
with plastic wrap or foil.
• Poultry pieces should also be stored this way. Whole poultry
should never be stuffed until just before cooking, otherwise
food poisoning may result.
• Cool and refrigerate cooked poultry quickly. Remove stuffing
from poultry and store separately.
Fish and seafood
• Whole fish and fillets should be used on the day of purchase.
Until required, refrigerate on a plate loosely covered with
plastic wrap, waxed paper or foil.
• If storing overnight or longer, take particular care to select
very fresh fish. Whole fish should be rinsed in cold water to
remove loose scales and dirt and then patted dry with paper
towels. Place whole fish or fillets in a sealed plastic bag.
• Keep shellfish chilled at all times. Use within 1 – 2 days.
Precooked foods and leftovers
• These should be stored in suitable covered containers so that
the food will not dry out.
• Keep for only 1 – 2 days.
• Reheat leftovers only once and until steaming hot.
Vegetable and fresh fruit
• The crisper box is the optimum storage location for fresh
fruit and vegetables.
• Take care not to store the following at temperatures of less
than 7°C for long periods:
Citrus fruit, melons, aubergines, pineapple, papaya, cour-
gettes, passion fruit, cucumber, peppers, tomatoes.
• Undesirable changes will occur at low temperatures such as
softening of the flesh, browning and/or accelerated decay-
ing.
• Do not refrigerate avocados (until they are ripe), bananas,
mangoes.
FREEZING AND STORING FOOD IN THE
FREEZER COMPARTMENT
Using the freezer compartment
• To store deep‐frozen food.
• To make ice cubes.
• To freeze food.
Note: Ensure that the freezer drawers have been placed properly.
Purchasing frozen food
• Packaging must not be damaged.
• Use by the ‘use by /best before/best by/’ date.
• If possible, transport deep‐frozen food in an insulated bag
and place quickly in the freezer compartment.
Storing frozen food
Store at -18°C or colder. Avoid opening the freezer drawers un-
necessarily.
Freezing fresh food
Freeze fresh and undamaged food only.
To retain the best possible nutritional value, flavour and colour,
vegetables should be blanched before freezing.
Aubergines, peppers, zucchini and asparagus do not require blan-
ching.
Note: Keep food to be frozen away from food which is already
frozen.
The following foods are suitable for freezing:
Cakes and pastries, fish and seafood, meat, game, poultry, ve-
getables, fruit, herbs, eggs without shells, dairy products such
as cheese and butter, ready meals and leftovers such as soups,
stews, cooked meat and fish, potato dishes, soufflés and des-
serts.
The following foods are not suitable for freezing:
Types of vegetables, which are usually consumed raw, such as
lettuce or radishes, eggs in shells, grapes, whole apples, pe-
ars and peaches, hard‐boiled eggs, yoghurt, soured milk, sour
cream, and mayonnaise.
