STORINg fOOD IN yOUR REfRIgERATOR
Red meat
Place fresh red meat on a plate and loosely cover with waxed paper, plastic wrap or foil.
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Store cooked and raw meat on separate plates. This will prevent any juices lost from the
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raw meat contaminating the cooked product.
Delicatessen meats should be used within the recommended storage time.
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Poultry
Fresh whole birds should be rinsed inside and out with cold running water. Dry and
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place on a plate. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or foil.
Poultry pieces should also be stored this way. Whole poultry should never be stuffed
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until just before cooking, otherwise food poisoning may result.
Cool and refrigerate cooked poultry quickly. Remove stuffing from poultry and store
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separately.
Fish and seafood
Whole fish and fillets should be used on the day of purchase. Until required, refrigerate
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on a plate loosely covered with plastic wrap, waxed paper or foil.
If storing overnight or longer, take particular care to select very fresh fish. Whole fish
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should be rinsed in cold water to remove loose scales and dirt and then patted dry with
paper towels. Place whole fish or fillets in a sealed plastic bag.
Keep shellfish chilled at all times. Use within 1 – 2 days.
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Precooked foods and leftovers
These should be stored in suitable covered containers so that the food will not dry out.
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Keep for only 1 – 2 days.
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Reheat leftovers only once and until steaming hot.
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Fruit and vegetable bins
Although most fruit and vegetables keep best at low temperatures, take care not
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to store the following at temperatures of less than 7°C for long periods: Citrus fruit,
tropical fruit, tomatoes, cucumbers.
Undesirable changes will occur at low temperatures such as softening of the flesh,
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browning, accelerated decaying and/or loss of flavour.
Do not refrigerate avocados (until they are ripe), bananas, mangoes or pepinos.
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If possible store fruit and vegetables separately, ie fruit in one bin and vegetables in
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the other.
Each fruit and vegetable bin has a humidity control slide that can be adjusted
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depending on what is stored in the bins. For more information on using the Humidity
Control refer to page 27.
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