Frozen and deep-frozen food
Your domestic appliance enables you to freeze food: it lowers its core temperature rapidly and
you can therefore keep it longer.
Deep-freezing is an industrial process that is quicker and more intense that domestic freezing.
The products you purchase from the shops are deep-frozen.
Preparing food for freezing
Freezing does not sterilise. It is
therefore important to observe
some simple hygiene rules when
preparing your food for freezing:
wash your hands before you touch
the food and clean the kitchen tools
you have just used before using
them again.
Only freeze fresh, good quality food. Refer to
the table "Food Freezing Guide" to know which
products you can freeze and how long you can
keep them.
Blanch fruit and vegetables before freezing
them to preserve their colour, smell, taste and
vitamins: plunge them in boiling water for a
few moments.
Divide the food you wish to freeze into small
individual portions corresponding to one meal
each. Small portions freeze quicker at their
core.
Pack the food hermetically so that they do not
lose their flavour or dry up. Use plastic bags,
polyethylene film, aluminium foil or special
freezer containers for this.
If you are using plastic bags, compress them
to eliminate the air before sealing them
hermetically.
Do not place bottles or jars contain-
ing liquids in the freezer unless
they are only two-thirds full: freez-
ing causes liquids to expand, which
can cause the container to explode.
Note on each package:
- The freezing date
- The consume-by date
- The type of food contained
- The number of portions contained
If you are purchasing deep-frozen food, pick it
up last when you are shopping.
Check that:
- The packaging isn't damaged
- They are not covered in a layer of frost (which
means that they have partially defrosted).
Pack them in an isothermic bag or in newspa-
per. Transport them quickly and store them
immediately.
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