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Meat and Cheese and place them in the freezer. For the best results when
• To maximize storage time place these items in the freezing foods, follow these guidelines:
Meat/Cheese drawer. Packaging Foods for Freezing C
Fruits and Vegetables * Seleet fresh, top-qnali_" products.
• Storage in the crisper drawers traps moisture to help • Use a freezer wrap that is air-, moisture_ and vapor-
keep fi'uits and vegetables fresh. Refer to page 5 for proof. Some good choices are heaD,-du _, aluminum [_.
setting the control, foil, freezer plastic wrap, polyethylene-coated freezer
• Fruit and vegetable quality affects the length of stor- paper, freezer bags or airtight containers. Force as
age. Quality can vary from item to item, variety to much air ont of the packages as possible and he sure
variety and season to season. For example, a rainy they are tightly sealed. Trapped air can cause the food
growing season can cause {ettuee to be brown when to dr)' out, ehange color and develop an o,G_avor
purchased or brox_mmore quickly,. Sort fruits and veg- (freezer burn).
etables before storage and use bruised or soft items • Do not refreeze meat that has completely thawed. K
fi_t. Discard those showing signs of decay Loading the Freezer r_
• When storing vegetables, the crispers perform better * Avoid adding too much warm food to the freezer at _"
if they are at least two-thirds full. If they are less than one time. This slows the rate ol"freezing and em_raise
two-thirds }hll, store the vegetables in plastic bags or the temperature of frozen foods.
airtight containers to reduce moisture loss.
• Place packages in the coldest part of the ficeezer first
• Always wrap odorous foods such as onions and cab- (against the walls or bottom of the compartment) to
bage so the odor does not transfer to other foods.
ensure the _bod fi'eezes as quickly as possible. Leave ae
• While vegetables need a certain amount of moisture a little space between the packages so c*_]dair can elf-
to remain fresh, too much moisture can shorten stor- culate.
age times (especially lettuce). Be sure the vegetables • Avoid storing hard-to-freeze tbods such as ice cream
are"well drained before storing. It mayal_o }_e}mlpful and orange juice on the fi'eezer door shelves. These
to place a layer of paper towels in the bottom of the foods are best stored in the freezer interior where the
bag to absorb any excess moisture.
temperature varies less with door openings.
Dairy Food Foods That Don't Freeze Well
• Store butter and margarine in the Dairy
Compartment found in the refrigerator door. • Some foods cannot be frozen successfully because the
freezing causes them to deteriorate. These include:
• Most dai U foods have freshness dates on their ear- potatoes (unless mashed) mayonnaise
tons for appropriate length of storage. Store these cream fillings milk and cream
tbods in the original carton and refrigerate immedi- eooked egg whites gelatin salads
ately after purchasing and each use. Close carton lids sour cream bananas
tightly to keep out air and odors, salad greens citrus frnits
• Occasionally mold _dl] develop on the surface of hard luncheon meat
cheeses /Sudss, Cheddar, Parmesan). The moldy soft cheeses (cream, cottage, processed)
areas can be trimmed away and the remaining cheese
will be flavorful and safe to eat.
Frozen Food Storage
The freezer compartment of a ret'rigerator should be
kept at 0°F or lower. To check the freezer place an
appliance thermometer between the frozen packages
and check after 24 hours. A freezer operates more effi-
ciently when it is at least two-thirds full. If not this full,
it will be helpful to fill milk cartons half full of water
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