Use and Care Manual

29
STORING FOOD AND SAVING ENERGY
Ideas for storing foods
Fresh food storage
• Keep the fresh food compartment
between 34°F and 44°F with an
optimum temperature of 37°F.
• Avoid overcrowding the refrigerator
shelves, which reduces air circulation
and causes uneven cooling.
• Avoid placing food in front of air ports.
(See CONTROLS AND SETTINGS.)
Fruits and vegetables
• Store fruits and vegetables in
crispers, where trapped moisture
helps preserve food quality for longer
time periods.
• Do not wash items until you are ready
to use them. Remove excess water
before placing them inside the unit.
• Wrap any items with strong odors or
high moisture content.
Meat
• Wrap raw meat and poultry separately
and securely to prevent leaks and
contamination of other foods or surfaces.
• Use the Custom-Flex Temp Zone to
store meat/poultry for short-term
storage. Freeze any meat to be kept
longer than 2 days.
Frozen food storage
• Keep the freezer compartment at 0°F
or lower.
• A freezer operates most eciently
when it is at least ⅔ 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 o 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
• Prior to grocery shopping, activate
Freeze Boost so newly purchased
food designated for the freezer will
be preserved as quickly as possible.
• Activating Freeze Boost also will
help the freezer more eciently
maintain the selected temperature
after placing new purchases with
pre-existing frozen foods.
• 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.
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 2 appliances will help the
refrigerator operate more eciently.
• Level the refrigerator so the doors
close tightly.
Temperature settings
• Refer to CONTROLS AND SETTINGS
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.
• Do not place a hot container directly
on a cold shelf. Remember, such an
extreme temperature change may
damage the glass.