Meat and Cheese
•To maximize storage time place these items in the Meat/Cheese drawer.
Fruits and Vegetables
•Storage in the crisper drawers traps moisture to help keep fi'uits and vegetables fresh. Refer to page 5 for setting the control,
•Fruit and vegetable quality affects the length of stor- age. Quality can vary from item to item, variety to variety and season to season. For example, a rainy growing season can cause {ettuee to be brown when purchased or brox_mmore quickly,. Sort fruits and veg-
etables before storage and use bruised or soft items fi_t. Discard those showing signs of decay
•When storing vegetables, the crispers perform better if they are at least
•Always wrap odorous foods such as onions and cab- bage so the odor does not transfer to other foods.
•While vegetables need a certain amount of moisture to remain fresh, too much moisture can shorten stor-
age times (especially lettuce). Be sure the vegetables
are"well drained before storing. It mayal_o }_e}mlpful to place a layer of paper towels in the bottom of the bag to absorb any excess moisture.
Dairy Food
• Store butter and margarine in the Dairy Compartment found in the refrigerator door.
•Most dai U foods have freshness dates on their ear- tons for appropriate length of storage. Store these tbods in the original carton and refrigerate immedi- ately after purchasing and each use. Close carton lids tightly to keep out air and odors,
•Occasionally mold _dl] develop on the surface of hard cheeses /Sudss, Cheddar, Parmesan). The moldy
areas can be trimmed away and the remaining cheese will be flavorful and safe to eat.
Frozen Food Storage
The freezer compartment of a ret'rigerator should be kept at 0°F or lower. To check the freezer place an appliance thermometer between the frozen packages and check after 24 hours. A freezer operates more effi- ciently when it is at least
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| 2. |
and place them in the freezer. For the best results when |
| |
freezing foods, follow these guidelines: | C | |
Packaging | Foods for Freezing |
*Seleet fresh,
•Use a freezer wrap that is
proof. Some good choices are
paper, freezer bags or airtight containers. Force as much air ont of the packages as possible and he sure they are tightly sealed. Trapped air can cause the food to dr)' out, ehange color and develop an o,G_avor (freezer burn).
• Do not | refreeze | meat that has completely thawed. | K |
Loading | the | Freezer | r_ |
*Avoid adding too much warm food to the freezer at _" one time. This slows the rate ol"freezing and em_raise
the temperature of frozen foods.
•Place packages in the coldest part of the ficeezer first (against the walls or bottom of the compartment) to
ensure the _bod fi'eezes as quickly as possible. Leave ae a little space between the packages so c*_]dair can elf- culate.
•Avoid storing
and orange juice on the fi'eezer door shelves. These foods are best stored in the freezer interior where the
temperature varies less with door openings.
Foods That Don't Freeze Well
•Some foods cannot be frozen successfully because the freezing causes them to deteriorate. These include:
potatoes (unless mashed) mayonnaise
cream | fillings | milk and cream | |
eooked | egg whites | gelatin salads | |
sour | cream | bananas | |
salad | greens | citrus frnits |
luncheon meat
soft cheeses (cream, cottage, processed)
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