Four seasons cookery books

To defrost the freezer, switch it off at the mains, remove all the packages and, depending on how many you have, place them in the freezing compartment of the refrigerator, in insulated bags, or sacks (available from freezer-food centres) or wrap in several layers of news- paper and place them all together in a stout box. Place in the coolest spot—a garage, outhouse or spare bedroom. Take out the removable baskets and shelves (if yours is an upright) from the freezer and place a layer of foam plastic or an old sheet in the bottom. Allow the build-up of frost to soften, then, with a plastic scraper gently scrape the frost from the inside walls and immovable shelves of the freezer. Never use a knife or other sharp instrument which would cause damage to the interior of the cabinet. It is also advisable to wear a pair of rubber gloves for this operation. When all the frost has been scraped off and has collected in the bottom, simply lift out the foam plastic or sheet and squeeze it dry. Mop up any remaining water and wipe the interior with a bicarbonate of soda solution (1 tablespoon bicarbonate of soda to 2 pints/generous litre water). Now wipe dry with a clean, dry tea towel. To hasten the defrosting, a bowl of hot water may be placed in the freezer. Close the lid, or door, switch on again and allow the inside of the cabinet to drop to the required temperature—this will take about 1 hour—before re-packing the food into the freezer. See the freezer hints on page 83. If any strong-smelling foods (Brussels sprouts and broccoli, in par- ticular) have been stored in the freezer and you still detect an un- pleasant smell in the cabinet, use the following solution to wipe out the inside: 1 tablespoon bicarbonate of soda, 3 pint/3 dl./l1z cups vinegar to 8 pints/4) litres/9 pints water. If your freezer has an automatic defrosting cycle it is not necessary to empty it for the defrosting process. The defrosting cycle takes place automatically at certain periods, while the freezer is in operation, thus prohibiting the build-up of any frost. All that is necessary is for the tray of water to be emptied. The exterior of the freezer can be kept clean and shiny by wiping it over with white furniture cream or spray-on polish. Tempting as it may be, avoid using the top of a chest freezer as a storage area. Not only will it become scratched, but it makes life difficult to have to clear the top of the freezer before you can, get into it. Freezer hints: When re-packing the food into the freezer after de- frosting, remember to leave areas which are easily accessible for the Christmas stocks which you will be preparing in the coming weeks. If you intend purchasing a frozen turkey and have an upright freezer, you may need to re-arrange the shelves in order to accommodate, it, par- ticularly if you are buying a large turkey. Leave the baskets of a chest freezer and the fast-freeze compartment empty, ready for the new arrivals. Labelling: It is important that every package which is put into a freezer is labelled, but with the Christmas stocks it is a good idea to have a special labelling system. For example, use the same colour labels for all Christmas stocks and for special party fare. Seal packages with special adhesive tape on which you can write the date and contents. A good way of keeping all the Christmas packages together, especially in a chest freezer, is to place them in one basket, batching bag or carrier bag and label accordingly. For clear and easy-to-read labels, punch-printed ones are excellent. The small Dymos which punch out the labels are not expensive to purchase, and as well as labels for freezer packages, they can slso be used to make labels for kitchen storage jars. Different coloured tapes are available so that you can carry out your colour coding system. Freezing ahead for the holidays