Freezing fresh food
In any 24 hours you can freeze up to 3 kg. Place food to be frozen on the shelf of the freezer as this is the coldest part. The food to be frozen must be fresh and of the best quality. The size of each pack should be small enough to ensure that it is used in one go. Small packs freeze quickly. Frozen food, once thawed, must not be refrozen. Lean food keeps better and longer than fatty food, salt reduces the storage time. Wrap the food in polythene or aluminium freezing bags or foil so that they adhere to the food and provide an airtight seal. Stick a label on each pack showing the contents and date of freezing. This makes it easy to check storage times. Never place hot food, bottles or cans of �zzy drink in the freezer as they may explode. Containers with a lid must not be �lled to the brim. Do not open the door or place extra fresh food in the freezer next to food which is already frozen as this could cause the temperature of the frozen food to rise and its quality and storage life to reduce.
Important Do not consume ice-lollies which have just come out of the freezer. Their extremely low temperature can cause frost burns. Do not remove items from the freezer if your hands are damp/wet, as this could cause skin abrasions or �frost/freezer burns�. Caution In the event of a power cut the food in the freezer will not be affected if the power cut is short and if the freezer is full. Do not open the door. Should the food begin to thaw, it must be consumed quickly and must not be re-frozen.
Thawing
Food can be thawed in a number of ways, depending on the type of food and the size of the packs. Meat, �sh and fruit should be thawed in the refrigeration compartment and small pieces of meat or poultry can even be cooked while still frozen, but you must ensure that it is thoroughly cooked through. Vegetables should be directly immersed in boiling water; ready-cooked dishes can be placed directly in the oven in their aluminium wrapping. A microwave oven is particularly suitable for thawing any type of frozen or deep-frozen food: follow the oven instructions, particularly regarding the placement of aluminium wrapping in the oven.
Frozen food storage
If the freezer has been out of use for some time, we advise you to run your appliance for at least two hours with the thermostat control to the highest number before storing frozen food. Storing ready-frozen foods is quite straightforward. The packs can be placed beside each other or on top of each other. You are strongly advised to place ready-frozen food in the compartment as quickly as possible after purchase. Also ensure that the external packaging is intact. Packaging which is swollen or has traces of refrozen water droplets on the pack could indicate that the product has not been kept at a suitable temperature and that it may have lost its original quality. Partially thawed food must not be refrozen, it must be consumed within 24 hours. Never exceed the storage times indicated. Do not open the freezer door too often and do not leave open longer than necessary.
Ice making
Fill the ice trays with water to the top of each ice cube compartment, and place them in the freezer compartment. To release the ice cubes, twist the tray along its length. Never use a sharp instrument to remove the ice trays.
