Basics Basics Home Freezing Handbook (Basic Basics) - Softcover

Bowen, Carol

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1898697620 ISBN 13: 9781898697626

Verlag: Grub Street Publishing, 2008

Inhaltsangabe

This is Carol Bowen's sequel to her "Basic Basics Combination and Microwave Handbook", and it follows the same formula as an A to Z compendium. The reader looks up the fruit, the vegetable, the fish, the meat, the sauces, cakes or herbs, and there are quick guidelines on freezing each type of food. The author also explains how a freezer works, gives advice on choosing and siting a freezer, insurance, cleaning, maintenance, what to do in emergencies, packaging and accessories, freezing techniques and defrosting, refreezing and thawing as well as storage times.

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Carol Bowen Ball is an established food writer with over 35 years experience in the food arena. A prolific author, she has written over 80 cookery books (mainly as Carol Bowen), on a variety of subjects from barbecue to range-style cooking, and a whole lot in between. She won the 'Cookery Book of the Year Award' for her ground-breaking book 'Versatile Vegetables' when bringing vegetables to the forefront of meal planning was in its infancy. A former Household and Cookery Editor for 'Homes & Gardens' magazine she has always been on the look-out for new ideas, trends and chasing the latest advice on cooking and eating well. Her long association with the media, be it television, radio, magazines, newspapers, the internet or professional journals, means she is a popular and sought-after pundit on all things relating to food. It is for these same reasons that she has worked on 'Masterchef'; with Keith Floyd in his hey day; and as an editorial food advisor to Nanette Newman and Diana Dors on food-related projects. Carol is a member of the British Obesity Surgery Patient Association (BOSPA), the National Obesity Forum and the Guild of Food Writers.

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The Basic Basics Home Freezing Handbook

By Carol Bowen

Grub Street

Copyright © 1997 Carol Bowen
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-898697-62-6

Contents

FOREWORD, 
FREEZER BASICS, 
HOW A FREEZER WORKS, 
CHOOSING A FREEZER, 
THE CHEST FREEZER, 
THE UPRIGHT FREEZER, 
THE COMBINATION REFRIGERATOR/FREEZER, 
SITING A FREEZER, 
INSURANCE, 
MOVING HOUSE, 
CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE, 
DEFROSTING THE FREEZER, 
FREEZER BREAKDOWN: WHAT TO DO IN AN EMERGENCY, 
WHAT IF THERE IS A POWER CUT?, 
PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES, 
FREEZING TECHNIQUES AND TERMS, 
GOLDEN RULES ON FREEZING, 
GOLDEN RULES ON RE-FREEZING, 
GOLDEN RULES ON DEFROSTING, 

CHAPTER 1

FREEZER BASICS

HOW A FREEZER WORKS

I could seemingly blind you with science here and talk a great deal about compressors, condensers and evaporators but suffice to say, if you want an easy explanation, a freezer works on a simple principle - the extraction of heat from the cabinet. The crucial parts are the ones I have already mentioned and the magic ingredient is the refrigerant vapour. For those of you more technically minded here goes:

When the freezer motor is started, refrigerant vapour is drawn from the evaporator by the compressor and is forced under pressure into the condenser. Here the heat absorbed in the evaporator, together with that generated in the compressor, is given off, and as the vapour cools it condenses into a liquid. The liquid refrigerant is then forced into the evaporator at high pressure through a fine-bore capillary tube or expansion valve and the sudden fall in pressure as it passes into the evaporator causes the refrigerant to boil fiercely, and to change back to vapour (a process that absorbs heat). This is what freezes the food and keeps it frozen. The vapour then passes on to the compressor so that the whole cycle can begin again.

Freezing is one of the easiest and safest methods of food preservation, and the one that preserves food closest to its original state in terms of flavour, texture and nutritional value. If correctly prepared, packaged, stored and defrosted, frozen food will be indistinguishable from its fresh counterpart.

Freezing works by reducing the temperature of the food to a point at which chemical changes are reduced and micro-organisms become inactive. As soon as the food is defrosted, deterioration will begin again.

CHOOSING A FREEZER

Once you have made the decision to buy a freezer, the type you choose will be determined largely by the services you expect from it, the size of your family, the space you have available for it, the money you want to spend and the range of produce you intend to freeze. The needs, for example, of a family with a kitchen and fruit garden, and an avid interest in cooking, may differ from a family of working adults and children alike with staggered meal times or perhaps a working couple without children.

Whatever your needs it always seems better to think big. I have lost count over the number of times that I have heard friends say that they wish they had gone for the bigger model, wished they had more space to take advantage of a particular bargain and bless the friend who had space to cope with an overflow from my freezer during one very busy entertaining period. The more scientific and mathematical might like to know that as a rough guide you should allow 85-113 litres/3-4 cu ft of space for each member of the family. In other words a 350 litre/12 cu ft model is really the smallest you should consider for a family of four people. Remember that each 28 litres/1 cu ft of freezer space will only store between 9-11 kg/20-25 lb food.

There is a large choice of freezers on the market but basically they fall into three categories.

* THE CHEST FREEZER

* THE UPRIGHT FREEZER

* THE COMBINATION REFRIGERATOR/FREEZER

Always spend time comparing prices in as many shops and discount houses as you can before buying. Remember too that you are also more likely to get reliable after-sales service from large reputable manufacturers.

THE CHEST FREEZER

Recognised by their box-like appearance with hinged top-opening lid, the chest freezer's capacity ranges from about 125 litres/4 cu ft up to 775 litres/25 cu ft. Large models usually have counter-balanced lids which will stay open in any position and thus leave your hands free for searching or packaging.

Some models are fitted with a partition to separate the fast-freeze section from the main storage section. In some models the fast-freeze section is separately refrigerated. Some hanging baskets are usually supplied with the freezer, though more may be purchased separately.

ADVANTAGES

1. Because of its relatively simple construction it is usually cheaper to buy than an upright or combination refrigerator/freezer.

2. It is usually slightly cheaper to run than an upright or combination refrigerator/freezer.

3. As items are stacked on top of each other, it is possible to store more food per litre/cu ft.

4. It is considered better for storing large and irregular pieces of meat and large turkeys since there are no shelves to limit space.

5. It usually requires defrosting only once per year.

6. The lid can be used as a work surface in the kitchen.

DISADVANTAGES

1. It takes up proportionately more room than an upright and combination refrigerator/freezer.

2. It can be difficult to find items unless you have worked out a good system.

3. It is more difficult to manage for small or elderly people.

THE UPRIGHT FREEZER

The upright freezer resembles a refrigerator in appearance and will take up a similar amount of floor space. It has a front-opening door, several shelves, often adjustable and/or pull-out baskets so that the food can be seen and easily removed. Some models have a special fast-freeze shelf, drawer or compartment, while in others any shelf can be used for this operation. Again there are a wide range of sizes ranging from around 57 litres/2 cu ft to 566 litres/20 cu ft.

ADVANTAGES

1. Ideal where floor space is limited.

2. Packages are more easily accessible.

3. There is possible work surface on some of the smaller models and some are designed to fit on existing work surfaces if this is more convenient.

4. Sliding baskets are useful on some models and are ideal for those with limited mobility.

5. Many have automatic defrosting.

DISADVANTAGES

1. They are generally more expensive to buy than chest models.

2. They are not always able to take large or awkward-shaped packages on their shelves.

3. There is seemingly less storage space per litre/cu ft than in a chest type.

4. They are slightly more expensive to run than chest types, but not as much as is usually imagined.

THE COMBINATION REFRIGERATOR/FREEZER

Some manufacturers produce 'twin-units', which are two separate front-opening models combining refrigerator and freezer, the refrigerator usually having the same litre/cu ft capacity as the freezer. These may be designed to stand on top of each other or side by side. The upright combination is particularly suitable for limited kitchen space.

The freezer unit has a separate temperature control which can be lowered for fresh and pre-cooked foods, but the freezing capacity is usually fairly small, up to about 198 litres/7 cu ft and capable of storing a maximum of 63 kg/140 lb frozen...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Grub Street Publishing
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2008
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 1898697620
• ISBN 13: 9781898697626
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 160
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: preigu; mail@preigu.de; ; Lengericher Landstr. 19; Osnabrück; 49078; Deutschland