Aga Ranges AFHR-36 - Manual (Page 16)

Use & Care Guide
16
Food Storage Tips
Fresh Food Storage
• The fresh food compartment of a refrigerator should
be kept between 34° and 40° F (1° and 4° C) with an opti-
mum temperature of 37° F (3° C), To check the tempera-
ture, place an appliance thermometer in a glass of water
and place in the centre of the refrigerator. Check after 24
hours. If the temperature is above 40° F (4° C) adjust the
controls as explained on page 8.
• Avoid overcrowding the refrigerator shelves. This
reduces the circulation of air around the food and results
in uneven cooling .
Fruits and Vegetables
• The crisper drawers trap humidity to help preserve the
fruit and vegetable quality for longer time periods (see
page 11).
• Sort fruits and vegetables before storage and use
bruised or soft items first. Discard those showing signs of
decay.
• Always wrap odorous foods such as onions and cab-
bage so the odor does not transfer to other foods.
• While vegetables need a certain amount of humidity
to remain fresh, too much humidity can shorten storage
times (especially leafy vegetables). Drain vegetables well
before storing.
• Wait to wash fresh produce until right before use.
Meat and Cheese
• Raw meat and poultry should be wrapped securely so
leakage and contamination of other foods or surfaces
does not occur.
• Occasionally mold will develop on the surface of hard
cheeses (Swiss, Cheddar, Parmesan). Cut off at least an
inch around and below the mouldy area. Keep your knife
or instrument out of the mold itself. Do not try to save indi-
vidual cheese slices, soft cheese, cottage cheese, cream,
sour cream or yogurt when mold appears.
Dairy Food
• Most dairy foods such as milk, yogurt, sour cream
and cottage cheese have freshness dates on their cartons
for appropriate length of storage. Store these foods in the
original carton and refrigerate immediately after purchas-
ing and after each use.
Frozen Food Storage
• The freezer compartment of a refrigerator should be
kept at approximately 0° F (-18° C). To check the temper-
ature, place an appliance thermometer between the
frozen packages and check after 24 hours. If the tempera-
ture is above 0° F (-18° C), adjust the control as
described on page 8.
• A freezer operates more efficiently when it is at least
two-thirds full .
Packaging Foods for Freezing
• To minimize dehydration and quality deterioration use
aluminium foil, freezer wrap, freezer bags or airtight con-
tainers. Force as much air out of the packages as possi-
ble and be sure they are tightly sealed. Trapped air can
cause the food to dry out, change colour and develop an
off-flavour (freezer burn).
• Overwrap fresh meats and poultry with suitable freez-
er wrap prior to freezing.
• Do not refreeze meat that has completely thawed.
Loading the Freezer
• Avoid adding too much warm food to the freezer at
one time. This overloads the freezer, slows the rate of
freezing and can raise the temperature of frozen foods.
• Leave space between the packages so cold air can
circulate freely, allowing food to freeze as quickly as pos-
sible.
• Avoid storing hard-to-freeze foods such as ice cream
and orange juice on the freezer door shelves. These
foods are best stored in the freezer interior where the
temperature varies less with door openings.
Refer to the Food Storage Chart on pages 18 and 19 for
approximate storage times.