Operation Manual

Freezing and storing food
47
Home freezing
Only freeze fresh food which is in a
good condition.
Hints on home freezing
– The following types of food are suit-
able for freezing:
Fresh meat, poultry, game, fish, ve-
getables, herbs, fresh fruit, dairy
products, cakes, leftovers, egg yolks,
egg whites and a range of pre-
cooked meals.
– The following types of food are not
suitable for freezing:
Grapes, lettuce, radishes, sour
cream, mayonnaise, eggs in their
shells, onions, whole raw apples and
pears.
– To retain colour, taste, aroma and vit-
amin C, vegetables should be
blanched after they have been
trimmed and washed. To blanch:
bring a large saucepan of water to
the boil, immerse the vegetables in
the fast boiling water for 2-
3minutes, depending on variety. Re-
move, and plunge into ice-cold water
to cool quickly. Drain and pack ready
for freezing.
– Lean meat freezes better than fatty
meat, and can be stored for consid-
erably longer.
– To prevent chops, steaks, cutlets or
rolled meat from freezing together in
solid blocks when packed, separate
with a sheet of plastic freezer film.
– Do not season fresh foods or
blanched vegetables before freezing.
Only season cooked food lightly be-
fore freezing, but care should be
taken as the taste of some spices al-
ters when frozen.
– Placing hot foods or drinks in the
freezer causes food that is already
frozen to partially thaw and increases
energy consumption. Allow hot foods
and drinks to cool down before pla-
cing them in the freezer.
Packaging
 Freeze food in portions.
Suitable packing material
– plastic freezer film
– freezer bags
– aluminium foil
– freezer containers
Unsuitable packing material
– wrapping paper
– grease-proof paper
– cellophane
– bin bags
– plastic carrier bags
 Expel as much air as possible from
the packaging.
 Close the packaging tightly with
– rubber bands
– plastic clips
– string or bag ties
– freezer tape.
Tip: Freezer bags may also be sealed
using home heat sealing kits.