Freezer Temperature - Proper Storage

Storage in the freezer

The freezer is very suitable for long-term storage of supplies. Whether vegetables, bread, meat, fish or cheese - there is little loss of quality in the freezer; in addition, vitamins and taste are well preserved.

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To be observed when storing in the freezer

• The temperature in the freezer should not be warmer than –18 degrees Celsius. To ensure this, the door should only be opened briefly.
• The temperature should also be checked regularly with a thermometer.
• If the cabinet is very icy, the device must be defrosted (constant cooling capacity, low power consumption).
• Frozen food should be put away as soon as possible after shopping - do not leave the freezer door open too long!
• So that you don't lose track of things, it is advisable to keep a list of frozen goods including the date of freezing. Self-frozen items are always dated.

Note Contrary to popular opinion, the vitamin losses are very low when you freeze fruit and vegetables.

As an alternative to a freezer, many households have a refrigerator compartment integrated into the refrigerator. In the case of refrigerated compartments, attention should be paid to the freezing capacity - indicated in stars. Compartments with one or two stars are not suitable for long-term storage of frozen products (* compartment min. –6 degrees Celsius, ** - compartment min. –12 degrees Celsius). Compartments with three and four stars reach minus degrees like freezers (min. –18 degrees Celsius) and can be used for long-term storage of frozen food.

Freezer compartment performance by stars

Stars	temperature	application	recommended storage time
*	min. –6 degrees Celsius	short-term storage of frozen products	up to 1 week
**	min. –12 degrees Celsius	medium-term storage of frozen products	up to 3 weeks
***	min. –18 degrees Celsius	long-term storage of frozen products	several months (depending on the food)
****	min. –18 degrees Celsius	Freezing of food and long-term storage of frozen products	several months (depending on the food)

Shelf life in the freezer

Type of frozen food	Shelf life (in months)
fruit	8-12
vegetables	6-12
loaf	1-3
flesh	3–12 *
cheese	2-4

* Meat that has already been thawed can be stored in the refrigerator for another day. The more fat the meat, the shorter it should be frozen.

Source: Swiss Society for Nutrition: Purchasing, transporting and storing food.

Note Blanched fruit and vegetables can be frozen in portions after they have cooled down and help over the winter months with little variety.