Freezing and storing food
Defrosting
Frozen food can be defrosted in different ways:
–in a microwave oven,
–in an oven using the "Fan" or "Defrost" setting,
–at room temperature,
–in the refrigerator (the cold given off by the frozen food helps to keep the other food cold),
–in a steam oven.
Poultry It is particularly important to observe food hygiene rules when defrosting poultry. Do not use the liquid from defrosted poultry. Pour it away and wash the container it was in, the sink and your hands. Danger of salmonella poisoning.
Ensure that meat and fish (e.g mince, chicken, fish fillets) do not come into contact with other foods while defrosting. Catch the liquid and dispose of it carefully.
Fruit should be defrosted at room temperature in its packaging, or in a covered bowl.
Most vegetables can be cooked while still frozen. Just put straight into boiling water or hot fat. The cooking time is slightly less than that of fresh vegetables due to changes in the cell structure.
Never
Ice cubes
Fill the ice tray three quarters full with water, and place it in the bottom of one of the drawers.
Once frozen, use a blunt instrument, for example a spoon handle, to remove the ice tray from the freezer.
Ice cubes can be removed easily from the tray by twisting the tray gently or by holding it under cold running water for a short while.
Cooling drinks
Do not store cans or bottles containing carbonated drinks or liquids which could freeze in the freezer. The cans or bottles could explode.
When cooling
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