Dairy

BUTTER: Refrigerate as soon as possible. Keep sealed and away from
strong-smelling foods.
Salted butter will last several weeks.
   Cultured, unsalted and flavored butters will keep less.
   Butter in use should be kept in the butter compartment for easier spreading.

BUTTERMILK: Refrigerate as soon as possible. Store sealed. Should last a week
to 10 days.

CHEESE: Refrigerate as soon as possible. Always seal in plastic wrap, or
bag, or plastic container. It will become dry and moldy if left unsealed.
   Hard cheeses (Parmesan) will last months. Cheddar and similar will keep 4-6
weeks. Soft cheese (Blue Vein) 2-3 weeks. Cottage and Cream, less than ten days.

CONDENSED MILK: Unopened, will keep for months in cool place. When
opened, refrigerate as soon as possible. Use within a couple of days.

CREAM: Seal well before replacing in refrigerator. Should be used within 3-5
days. Store away from strong-smelling foods.

EVAPORATED MILK: Unopened, will keep for months in a cool place. When
opened, refrigerate as soon as possible. Use within a couple of days.

MILK: Refrigerate as soon as possible. (An insulated container left for the
milkman will help between when he leaves it and when you put it in the fridge).
   Will keep at least two days (Up to five, with ideal conditions.)

POWDERED MILK: Unopened, will keep for months in a cool place. Opened
and resealed, will store for a month or so at room temperature. Once moist, will
deteriorate rapidly.

SOUR CREAM: Refrigerate as soon as possible. Store sealed. Should last a week
to ten days.

YOGURT: Refrigerate as soon as possible. Store sealed. Should last a little
over ten days. Excessive handling will break up curds and whey.

Meats

BEEF: Store uncovered or loosely covered  in coldest part of refrigerator. As cold
as possible without actually freezing,
   Will keep a few days only. To keep longer, freeze.

BRAINS: Can be stored in. general refrigerator area for 2-3 days. May be
frozen, but will become very soft.

HAM Sliced ham and silverside — treat as bacon.

CANNED HAM: check label.
   If marked "keep refrigerated", will keep six months, if unopened.
   If unmarked, will keep two years without refrigeration. Refrigerate before opening.
   When canned ham is opened, tip on to plate and keep in general refrigerator.
   Should last a week, but may dry out.
   Do not freeze canned ham in can. It will lose taste, become soft, open and moist. If
it must be frozen, wrap in plastic foodwrap; use as soon as possible.

KIDNEYS: Can be stored in general refrigerator area for 2-3 days.
   May be frozen, but will change in texture and appearance.

LAMB: Store uncovered or loosely covered in coldest part of refrigerator. As
cold as possible without actually freezing.
   Will keep a few days only. To keep longer, freeze.

LIVER: Can be stored in general refrigerator area for 2-3 days.
   May be frozen, but will change in texture and appearance.

MINCED MEAT: Can be stored in general refrigerator area for 1-2 days. To
keep longer, put in deep freezer.

MUTTON: Store uncovered or loosely covered in coldest part of refrigerator. As
cold as possible without actually freezing.
   Will keep a few days only. To keep longer, freeze.

SAUSAGES: Various types of sausages need keeping different ways.
   Fresh raw pork or beef sausages will keep two days in general refrigerator area,
six months in the freezer.
   Cooked sausage that you eat with the skin on will keep about five days in 

general refrigerator area and wrapped in the freezer about four months.
   Those you take the skin off before eating don't need wrapping and will keep
for the same times.
   Continental sausages will keep for months in general refrigerator area. In fact,
they will keep for months without refrigeration in any place which is dry,
ventilated, insect free and cool.
   Mould may develop on the outside during storage, but if the casing is intact,
may be wiped off. If outer casing is broken, damaged portion should be cut off.

VEAL: Store uncovered or loosely covered in coldest part of refrigerator. As
cold as possible without actually freezing.
   Will keep a few days only. To keep longer, freeze.

Poultry 

POULTRY: If plastic wrapper is unbroken, can be held for six months in freezer. 
Unwrapped chilled poultry will keep a short while in general refrigerator area. Do 

not thaw and re-freeze. Cook immediately after thawing.
   Slow thawing will mean a jucier bird.

EGGS: Store in general refrigerator area, point downwards. Store for no longer 

than one week. 
   Store away from strong smelling foods.

Seafood

   Fresh fish, to be eaten within 24 hours, can be .stored safely in the chiller
compartment without any loss of taste or attractiveness. It does not need any
wrapping.

   However, fish to be kept for more than 24 hours should be held in the deep

freeze compartment and should be wrapped in a polyethylene film or sealed in a
polyethylene plastic bag. It can be held in this compartment for ten weeks 

without any loss of taste and attractiveness.

   Fresh whole fish should be gutted, gilled and cleaned before being put in the
chiller. When cleaning, all traces of blood, particularly round the backbone should
be removed. If it is to be put in the deep freeze, it should also be filleted.

   Crabs, prawns and scallops to be eaten within 24 hours can be put in the chiller
compartment. If food is to be kept longer, it should be shelled and put into sealed
polyethylene bags. Crabs can be stored in the deep freeze for three weeks and 

prawns and scallops for ten weeks.

   Re-freezing of any sea foods is not recommended. For this reason, food to be
put into the deep freeze compartment should be divided into meal-size packs so
that only what is needed for a meal is taken out.

   All deep frozen fish can be thawed before cooking. It is suggested that fillets
be washed in a brine solution (one teaspoon salt in 0.5 liters one pint of water) 

before cooking.

   Crumbed prawn cutlets may be deep frozen for long periods. Requirements
for each meal can be taken from the pack, leaving the remainder in the deep 

freeze. No thawing is needed.

   Packets, of deep frozen fresh fish bought from the shops can be held 

indefinitely in the deep freeze.

   All frozen fish taken from the deep freeze should be thawed naturally at room
temperature before washing in a light.
brine solution. Thawing time is usually about six to eight hours. Forced thawing
with hot water or heat is not recommended.