Fisher & Paykel RF522A, RF610A, RF522W, RF540A Storing food in your freezer, Frozen food care

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Storing food in your freezer

The use of temperatures of -18°C (0°F) or colder to store food means that the food can be kept for longer periods than when refrigeration temperatures are used. This is because the growth of bacteria, moulds and yeasts are stopped, and chemical and physical reactions are severely restricted at such low temperatures.

Frozen food care

For best results:

■■Choose only high quality foods that freeze well.

■■Store at -18°C (0°F) or colder. Take care to maintain this low storage temperature, eg try to avoid opening the freezer door unnecessarily. If your ice cream is soft you are running your freezer too warm.

■■Leave space at the top of containers, glass jars or plastic bags containing liquids or semi-solid foods. These expand as they freeze. Usually 20 – 50 mm (1 – 2”) head space is recommended. Seal. Ideally, remove all the air from the package after food is frozen.

■■Packages or containers of solid foods should have the air removed from them and be sealed tightly before freezing.

■■Use the FAST FREEZE function when freezing fresh food. This helps to speed up the freezing process, giving optimum freezing results. It is recommended that the function is activated approximately 2 hours before required. For more information refer to page 26.

■■Freeze immediately or as quickly as possible. Freeze only small quantities of food at any one time. For best results we recommend that only 1 kg (2.2 lb) of food be frozen per 25 L (0.9 cu.ft) of freezer storage volume at any one time. (About 3 kg (7 lb) in small freezers and 4 kg (9 lb) in larger freezers). For faster freezing in ActiveSmart™ models, we recommend that fresh food is placed at the top of the freezer compartment close to the air vent.

■■Thaw foods preferably in a refrigerator, or using a microwave oven or multifunction oven.

■■Keep a constant turnover of food. Use older items of food first and do not exceed recommended storage times.

■■Use good quality freezer proof packaging to maintain food quality.

■■If food is only covered in plastic film place inside a freezer-proof plastic bag.

Recommended freezer storage times

These times should not be exceeded.

Months Type of food stored

1Bacon, casseroles, milk

2Bread, ice cream, sausages, pies – (meat and fruit), prepared shellfish, oily fish

3Non-oily fish, shellfish, pizza, scones and muffins

4Ham, cakes, biscuits, beef and lamb chops, poultry pieces

6Butter, vegetables (blanched), eggs whole and yolks, cooked crayfish, minced meat (raw), pork (raw)

12Fruit (dry or in syrup), egg whites, beef (raw), whole chicken, lamb (raw), fruit cakes