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Freezing of fresh foods
To quick-freeze foods when the appliance has not
been in use, switch on the freezer and let it run on
the quick-freeze setting for at least three hours
before putting the food to be frozen in the
compartment.
If instead the appliance is already in operation, it
should run on the quick-freeze setting for at least 24
hours before the foods are put in the freezer. Once
the foods have been placed in the freezer, the
freezing operation can be considered to be complete
24 hours later.
Once freezing is complete, the freezer should be
reset for normal storage use.
Food to be frozen has to be placed in the top
compartment.
The maximum amount of food which is freezable in
24 hours is indicated on the rating plate. This is to
be found on the bottom left-hand side.
You should never freeze all at once a greater
quantity of foods than the maximum indicated on
the appliance’s rating plate.
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.
It is in fact important to remember that once the
foods have thawed out, they deteriorate fast.
Another point to remember is that lean foods keep
better and longer than fatty foods. Salt too reduces
storage time.
Wrap the foods 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 foods remain
intact.
During the freezing process, do not add further
foods for freezing and do not open the freezer door.
The foods for freezing should not be placed in
contact with already frozen foods, but put in the
special freezing compartment. This will stop the
temperature of already frozen foods from rising.
Never put fizzy drinks in the freezer as they might
well burst.
In addition, never put hot foods or liquids in the
freezer compartment and take care not to fill
recipients up to the brim if they are covered with a lid.
It is a good idea to mark the packs with the date on
which freezing started so that you can keep a check
on storage periods.
A special card is located in the holder on the inner
door of the freezer compartment. On the upper part
it shows pictures of different types of food followed
by a figure. These figures indicate the maximum
storage time, in months, for each type of food.
Details of food being stored, can also be written in
pencil on the lower part of the card.
Important
If accidental thawing occurs – due to a power cut for
example – the foods 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 compartment is packed full,
the frozen foods will not suffer any damage.
Storage of commercially frozen food
To get the best out of your freezer, in the case of
storage of commercially frozen food you should
ensure that:
the products have been correctly stored by the
retailer;
that there is only a very short time between when
you purchase the products and when you put them
in the freezer;
you do not store products for longer than the time
specified by the food manufacturer.
In addition, if the freezer has been out of use for
some time, before putting the products in the
compartment let the freezer run for at least two
hours on the quick-freeze setting. After this, reset
the freezer for normal storage use.
Avoid opening the door too frequently and when
you do open it, leave it open only for as long as is
strictly necessary.
A word of warning about ice lollies: they should not
be eaten straight out of the freezer as this might
cause cold burns.
If there happens to be a power failure do not open
the freezer door. If the freezer is completely full,
frozen products will not be affected. Otherwise they
should be used up very quickly.
