Table of Contents
Advertisement
22
Storing Food & Saving Energy
Ideas for storing foods
Fresh food storage
• Keep the fresh food compartment
between 34° F and 40° F with an optimum
temperature of 37° F.
• Avoid overcrowding the refrigerator shelves,
which reduces air circulation and causes
uneven cooling.
Fruits and vegetables
• Store fruits and vegetables in crisper
drawers, where trapped moisture helps
preserve food quality for longer time periods.
Meat
• wrap raw meat and poultry securely so
leakage and contamination of other foods or
surfaces does not occur.
• Use the meat keeper drawer for short-term
storage. Any meat to be kept longer than two
days should be frozen.
Frozen food storage
• Keep the freezer compartment at 0° F or
lower.
• A freezer operates most efficiently when it is
at least ²⁄₃ full.
Packaging foods for freezing
• To minimize food dehydration and quality
deterioration, use aluminum foil, freezer
wrap, freezer bags or airtight containers.
Force as much air out of the packages as
possible and seal them tightly. Trapped air
can cause food to dry out, change color, and
develop an off-flavor (freezer burn).
• wrap fresh meats and poultry with suitable
freezer wrap prior to freezing.
• Do not refreeze meat that has completely
thawed.
Loading the freezer
• Avoid adding too much warm food to the
freezer at one time. This overloads the
freezer, slows the rate of freezing, and can
raise the temperature of frozen foods.
• Leave a space between packages, so cold
air can circulate freely, allowing food to freeze
as quickly as possible.
• Avoid storing hard-to-freeze foods, such as
ice cream and orange juice, on the freezer
door shelves. These foods are best stored
in the freezer interior where the temperature
varies less.
Ideas for saving energy
Installation
• Locate the refrigerator in the coolest part of
the room, out of direct sunlight, and away
from heating ducts or registers. Do not
place the refrigerator next to heat-producing
appliances such as a range, oven, or
dishwasher. If this is not possible, a section
of cabinetry or an added layer of insulation
between the two appliances will help the
refrigerator operate more efficiently.
• Level the refrigerator so that the doors close
tightly.
Temperature settings
• Refer to the "Controls" section in this Use
& Care Guide (beginning on page 11) for
procedures on temperature settings.
Food storage
• Avoid overcrowding the refrigerator or
blocking cold air vents. Doing so causes
the refrigerator to run longer and use more
energy.
• Cover foods and wipe containers dry before
placing them in the refrigerator. This cuts
down on moisture build-up inside the unit.
• Organize the refrigerator to reduce door
openings. Remove as many items as needed
at one time and close the door as soon as
possible.
Advertisement
Table of Contents
