Smeg CH300, CH400, CH500 manual Freezer, Freezing, Thawing

GB

Use

Freezer

The appliance is a four-star freezer ap- proved for freezing and storing frozen items of food.

Freezing

To keep food at its best, items must be frozen to –18 °C as quickly as possible.

The freezing capacity of the freezer is stated on the nameplate in kg/24 hours (see page 12).

Activating the Super Freeze function reduc- es freezer temperature to –25 °C. If items weighing 3 kg or more are to be frozen, the Super Freeze button should be activated about 24 hours in advance.

To freeze smaller quantities, it is sufficient to activate Super Freeze just a couple of hours in advance, or even at the same time as items are placed in the freezer.

There is no need to use Super Freeze when pre-frozen items are placed in the freezer or when small, single items are involved.

Only freeze high-quality fresh products. Meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, fruit, dairy products and ready-made meals are suit- able for freezing. Items with a high water content, e.g. lettuce, radishes, grapes, ap- ples, pears and cucumbers, are not suitable for freezing.

Pack items to be frozen in airtight contain- ers, freezer bags or similar. Freeze items in suitable portions. Do not freeze vegetables or meat in portions larger than 2.5 kg. Keep packages dry to prevent them from freezing together. To ensure rapid freezing, make sure, as far as possible, that items placed in the freezer are not touching each other. Ensure that there is as little air in the pack-

ages as possible to prevent the surfaces of the items from drying out.

Items to be frozen should be placed in the freezing compartment or evenly distributed along the inner walls of the freezer.

Always remember to write the date, content and quantity on the packages before plac- ing them in the freezer. It is a good idea

to group items within the freezer. Keep vegetables in one place, meat in another, and so on.

There must be at least 5 mm clearance between the lid and items stored in the freezer.

Items stored in the baskets are highly vis- ible and easily accessible (fig. 5).

fig. 5

Thawing

Frozen vegetables and fruit require no thawing before use and can be immersed in boiling water directly from the freezer.

To thaw meat, it is advisable to take it out of the freezer the day before it is to be used and place it in a refrigerator to defrost. This ensures the best hygiene and maintains meat quality as much as possible.

Note:

Glass bottles or cans containing carbon- ated (fizzy) drinks must never be placed in the freezer as they may explode.

8