21
Freezing of fresh food and storage
of frozen food
The freezer compartment is marked with
which means that the compartment is suitable for the
freezing of fresh food and for the long term storing of
frozen food.
Freezing of fresh food
To freeze fresh food it is not necessary to change the
thermostat knob position from that of normal
functioning.
To help you get the best out of the freezing process,
here are a few hints:
Place the food to be frozen on the glass shelves of the
freezer;
Freeze only good-quality, fresh and well-cleaned
foods.
Split them into small portions to speed up freezing
and avoid having to thaw more food than you require.
Wrap the foods in foil or polythene film, ensuring that
the wrapping adheres closely to the food and is well
sealed.
It is a good idea to mark the packs with the date on
which freezing started so that you can keep a check
on storage periods.
On the inner freezer door of certain models you will
find schematic drawings of foods and animals
indicating maximum storage time (in months)
possible from the time of freezing.
The foods for freezing should not be placed in contact
with already frozen foods. This would cause the
temperature of already frozen foods to rise.
During the freezing process, do not add further foods
for freezing and do not open the freezer door.
Never put fizzy drinks in the freezer as they might
well burst.
A word of warning about ice lollies: they should not
be eaten straight out of the freezer as this might cause
cold burns.
The maximum amount of food which is freezable in
24 hours is indicated on the rating plate. This is to be
found in the refrigerator compartment on the bottom
left-hand side.
Storage of commercially frozen
food
To get the best out of your freezer, you should ensure
that:
the products have been correctly stored by the retailer;
you do not store products for longer than the time
specified by the food manufacturer;
avoid opening the door too frequently and when you
do open it, leave it open only for as long as is strictly
necessary.
If the freezer has been out of use for some time,
before putting the products in the compartment let the
freezer run for at least two hours with the thermostat
knob on max. cold setting. After this, reset the freezer
for normal storage use.
If there happens to be a power failure
during the conservation of frozen food do not open
the freezer door. If the freezer is completely full
and the failure is short (from 10 to 12 hours),
frozen products will not be affected. Otherwise
they should be used up very quickly.
It is in fact important to remember that once the
foods have thawed out, they deteriorate fast and
cannot be re-frozen.
Freezer compartment defrosting
The air humidity that penetrates inside the appliance
when opening its door, accumulates on the evaporator
and particularly on its upper part, thus creating a layer
of frost. To avoid excessive formation of frost do not
leave the door open more than necessary.
The formation of a thin layer of frost (as for example
on the front edge of the freezer) does not require
complete defrosting. Eliminate this layer periodically
using a plastic scraper. If a thick layer has formed it
will be necessary to carry out a complete defrosting as
follows:
1. Take out all the frozen food and wrap it in
newspapers placing it in a container (basin or
paper box, etc.) in a cool place until the cleaning
operations have been completed.
2. Set the thermostat knob on «
O» = stopped.
3. Leave the freezer compartment door open.