Waterford Precision Cycles Built-in 70 manual Packing, Suitable packing material, Defrosting

*To retain colour, taste and vitamin C, vegetables should be blanched after they have been trimmed and washed. To blanch: bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, immerse the veg- etables in the fast boiling water for 2-3 minutes, depending on variety. Remove and plunge into ice-cold water to cool quickly. Drain and pack ready for freezing.

*Lean meat freezes better than fatty meat and can be stored for considerably longer.

*To prevent chops, steaks, cutlets or rolled meat from freezing together in solid blocks when packed, separate with a sheet of plastic film suitable for freezing.

*Do not season fresh foods or blanched vegeta- bles before freezing. Only season cooked food lightly before freezing, but care should be taken as the taste of some spices alters when frozen.

*Do not place hot foods or drinks in the freezer. This causes already frozen food to thaw and increases the energy consumption considerably. Allow hot foods and drinks to cool down before placing them in the freezer.

Packing

Unsuitable packing material

*Wrapping paper

*Grease proof paper

*Cellophane

*Bin bags

*Plastic carrier bags

Suitable packing material

*Plastic film suitable for freezing

*Freezer bag

*Aluminium foil

*Freezer containers

Freeze Food in portions

Expel as much air as possible from bags etc. before sealing them to prevent freezer -burn on food.

Close the packaging tightly

*Rubber bands

*Plastic clips

*String or bag ties

*Freezer tape

Freezer bags may also be sealed using home heat sealing kits.

Make a note of the contents and the date of freez- ing on the packaging.

Frozen Food Storage Time

The shelf life of frozen food depends on its quality before freezing and on the storage temperature. We recommend a temperature of - 18oC or below.

Product	Months
Beef	6 - 8
Veal	3 - 6
Variety Meats	1 - 2
Pork	3 - 6
Poultry	6 - 8
Eggs	3 - 6
Fish	3 - 6
Vegetables	10 - 12
Fruit	10 - 12

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

*In a steam oven

It is particularly important to observe food hygiene rules when defrosting poultry. Do not use the liquid from defrosting. Pour it away and wash the con- tainer it was in, the sink and your hands thoroughly with antibacterial detergent to avoid salmonella poi- soning.

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 veg- etables.

DEFROSTING, CLEANING & MAINTENANCE

Defrosting The Refrigerator

The refrigerator automatically defrosts while the compressor is at a standstill. However, in some instances (e.g. over-loading the refrigerator cham- ber), the refrigerator may not defrost completely before the compressor restarts. This causes frost to form on the rear wall of the chamber. If it occurs, manual defrosting may be required unless repairs are needed to the automatic defrost function.

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