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.