Storing Food and Saving Energy

Ideas for storing foods

Fresh food storage

•Keep the fresh food compartment between 34° F and 40° F with an optimum temperature of 37° F.

•Avoid overcrowding the refrigerator shelves, which reduces air circulation and causes uneven cooling.

Fruits and vegetables

•Avoid adding too much warm food to the freezer at one time. This overloads the freezer, slows the rate of freezing, and can raise the temperature of frozen foods.

•Leave a space between packages, so cold air can circulate freely, allowing food to freeze as quickly as possible.

Ideas for saving energy

Installation

•Store fruits and vegetables in crisper drawers, where trapped moisture helps preserve food quality for longer time periods.

•Wash items and remove excess water.

•Wrap any items that have strong odors or high moisture content.

Meat

•Wrap raw meat and poultry separately and securely to prevent leaks and contamination of other foods or surfaces.

•Use the deli drawer to store meat/poultry for short-term storage. Any meat to be kept longer than two days should be frozen.

Frozen food storage

•Keep the freezer compartment at 0° F or lower.

•A freezer operates most efficiently when it is at least ⅔ full.

Packaging foods for freezing

•To minimize food dehydration and quality deterioration, use aluminum foil, freezer wrap, freezer bags, or airtight containers. Force as much air out of the packages as possible and seal them tightly. Trapped air can cause food to dry out, change color, and develop an off-flavor (freezer burn).

•Wrap fresh meats and poultry with suitable freezer wrap prior to freezing.

•Do not refreeze meat that has completely thawed.

Loading the freezer

•Locate the refrigerator in the coolest part of the room, out of direct sunlight, and away from heating ducts or registers.

•Do not place the refrigerator next to heat- producing appliances such as a range, oven, or dishwasher. If this is not possible, a section of cabinetry or an added layer of insulation between the two appliances will help the refrigerator operate more efficiently.

•Level the refrigerator so that the doors close tightly.

Temperature settings

•Refer to the “Controls” section for procedures on temperature settings.

Food storage

•Avoid overcrowding the refrigerator or blocking cold air vents. Doing so causes the refrigerator to run longer and use more energy.

•Cover foods and wipe containers dry before placing them in the refrigerator. This cuts down on moisture build-up inside the unit.

•Organize the refrigerator to reduce door openings. Remove as many items as needed at one time and close the door as soon as possible.

•Do not place a hot container directly on a cold shelf. Remember, such an extreme temperature change may damage the glass.

•Prior to grocery shopping, activate

“quick freeze” so that on your return you can ensure your newly purchased food designated for the freezer will be preserved as quickly as possible.

•Activating “quick freeze” also will help your freezer more efficiently maintain the selected temperature after placing new purchases with pre-existing frozen foods.