Storing Food In Your Freezer - Fisher & Paykel E522B Installation Instructions And User Manual

Storing food in your freezer
Meat, pouJtry and game
Do not try to freeze more than 22 [b (1 kg) meat per 0_9 cu.ft (25 L) of
freezer storage volume at any one time. Meat must be frozen quickly in
order to maintain its texture.
Do not stuff poultry before freezing.
Red meat can be cooked from frozen, or from the partly or corn p[ete[y
thawed states. Remember to allow extra cooking time if cooking from frozen.
Always thaw poultry completely before cooking.
Fish
Fish is best frozen commercially. If however you do want to freeze fish
at home, make sure the fish is very fresh and of high quality.
Clean, scale and preferably leave whole. A[[ fish should be wrapped in
two layers of packaging as depending on the type offish, odors and
flavors can be readily transferred either to or from it. Sea[ we[[.
For best results, cook from either the frozen or partly thawed state.
Most vegetables freeze we[[, although 'sa[ad' vegetables [ose their
crispness. Other vegetables, eg. celery, onion and tomatoes, should only
be used in cooked dishes as they soften on freezing.
Freeze only high quality, mature, ready<o-oeat vegetables.
Sort and discard any vegetables that are damaged.
It is necessary to blanch most raw vegetables prior to freezing°
Blanching involves a short cooking period during which vegetable
enzymes are destroyed. If these enzymes are not destroyed they cause
undesirable physical and chemical changes during freezer storage.
Vegetables can be blanched in boiling water, steam or microwave oven.
If using boiling water, boil vegetables for 2 - 4 minutes and coo[ quickly.
In genera[ frozen vegetables are best cooked from their frozen state.
Prepared and cooked foods
Most cooked foods can be frozen but it is not recommended to freeze
the following:
Cooked egg white, custards, cream fillings and milk puddings, gelatin
or ie[[y--[ike dishes, mayonnaise and similar sa[ad dressings, meringue
toppings. These tend to separate on thawing.
Fruit
o Choose high qua[ity, mature, and ready to eat fruit. Preferably select
varieties recommended for freezing.
Avoid unripe and over-ripe fruit.
The way fruit is packed depends on how it is to be used. Fruits packed
in syrup are idea[ for desserts, whereas fruits packed without sugar are
better used for cooking. Most fruits can be stored for 8 - 12 months.