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2O
Fresh Food Storage
, The fresh food compartment
of a refrigerator
should
be kept between 34°-40 ° F (1°-4 ° C] with an
optimum temperature
of 37° F (3° C}. To check the
temperature,
place an appliance thermometer
in a
glass of water and place in the center of the
refrigerator.
Check after 24 hours. If the temperature
is above 40 ° F (4° C} adjust the controls as explained
on page 15.
, Avoid overcrowding
the refrigerator
shelves. This
reduces the circulation
of air around the food and
results in uneven cooling.
Fruits
and Vegetables
, The crisper drawers trap humidity to help preserve
the fruit and vegetable
quality for longer time
periods.
, Sort fruits and vegetables
before storage and use
bruised or soft items firsL Discard those showing
signs of decay.
, Always wrap odorous foods such as onions and
cabbage so the odor does not transfer to other foods.
, While vegetables
need a certain amount of humidity
to remain fresh, too much humidity can shorten
storage times (especially leafy vegetables].
Drain
vegetables
well before storing.
, Wait to wash fresh produce until right before use.
Meat
and Cheese
, Raw meat and poultry should be wrapped
securely
so leakage and contamination
of other foods or
surfaces does not occur.
, Occasionally
mold wJJl develop on the surface of
hard cheeses (Swiss, Cheddar, Parmesan}. Cut off at
least an inch around and below the moldy area. Keep
your knife or instrument
out of the mold itselL Do not
try to save individual
cheese slices, soft cheese,
cottage cheese, cream, sour cream or yogurt when
mold appears.
Dairy Food
, Most dairy foods such as milk, yogurt, sour cream
and cottage cheese have freshness dates on their
cartons for appropriate
length of storage. Store these
foods in the original carton and refrigerate
immediately
after purchasing
and after each use.
Frozen Food Storage
, The freezer compartment
of a refrigerator
should be
kept at approximately
0° F (-18 ° C]. To check the
temperature,
place an appliance thermometer
between the frozen packages and check after 24
hours. If the temperature
is above 0° F (-18 ° C],
adjust the control as described
on page 15.
, A freezer operates more efficiently
when it is at least
two-thirds
full
Packaging
Foods for Freezing
To minimize 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 be sure they are tightly sealed. Trapped
air can cause the food to dry out, change color and
develop an off-flavor
(freezer burn}.
, Overwrap 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 space between the 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 with door openings.
Refer to the Food Storage Chart on pages 21 and 22 for
approximate
storage times.
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