23
Freezing fresh foods
To fast-freeze foods when the appliance has not been
in use, switch on the freezer and let it run on the fast-
freeze setting for at least three hours before putting
the food to be frozen in the compartment.
If however the appliance is already in operation, it
should run on the fast freeze setting for at least 24
hours before the food is put in the freezer.
Once the food has been placed in the freezer, the
freezing operation can be considered to be complete
24 hours later.
Once this time has elapsed, move switch (A) to the
normal position.
Food to be frozen must be placed in the top
compartment.
The maximum amount of food which can be frozen is
indicated on the rating plate. This is to be found on
the bottom left-hand side.
To help you get the best out of the freezing process,
here are a few hints:
Freeze only good-quality, fresh and well cleaned
foods. Split them into small portions to speed up
freezing and avoid having to thaw more food than you
require. Once defrosted, food deteriorates rapidly and
must not be re-frozen;
remember that lean foods keep better and longer than
fatty foods. Salt too reduces storage time;
wrap the food in foil or polythene film, ensuring that
the wrapping adheres closely to the food and is well
sealed. In this way, by avoiding contact with air, the
colour, flavour and nutritional value of the food
remains intact;
do not freeze, all at once, more than the quantity of
food indicated on the rating plate;
during the freezing process, do not add further food
for freezing and do not open the freezer door;
food for freezing should not be placed in contact with
already frozen food, but put in the special freezing
compartment, this will stop the temperature of already
frozen food from rising;
never put fizzy drinks in the freezer as their containers
might well burst;
never put hot foods or liquids in the freezer and take
care not to fill containers up to the brim if they are
covered with a lid.
It is a good idea to mark the packs or the special cards
(if supplied) with the date on which freezing started
so that you can keep a check on storage periods.
If accidental thawing occurs – due to a power cut for
example – food must be used up very quickly or else
cooked immediately and refrozen. If, however, the
power failure is relatively brief (from 6 to 8 hours)
and the freezer is full, the frozen food will not suffer
any damage.
On the inner freezer door you will find schematic
drawings of foods and animals indicating the
maximum storage time (in months) possible from the
time of freezing.
Storage of commercially frozen
food
To get the best out of your freezer when storing
commercially frozen food:
the products have been correctly stored by the retailer;
ensure that there is only a very short time between
when you purchase the products and when you put
them in the freezer;
do not store products for longer than the time
specified by the food manufacturer;
if the freezer has been out of use for some time,
before putting food in the appliance, let it run for at
least three hours with switch (A) in the «SUPER»
position, then return the switch to the normal position;
do not open the door too frequently and leave it open
only for as long as strictly necessary;
do not consume ice lollies straight from the freezer;
they can cause frost burns;
if there is a power failure, do not open the door.
If the freezer is full and the power failure is of short
duration, frozen products will not be affected,
otherwise they should be used up quickly.
Thawing
Before being used, deep-frozen and frozen food can
be thawed out either in the refrigerator or at room
temperature, depending on the time available for this
operation.
Small pieces of food can be cooked straight from the
freezer; in this case, however, the cooking time will
be marginally longer.
