Food Storage Guidelines

Apricots, mangoes, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums
Ripe: Ripen at room temperature, then store in the fridge.
Storage: Store in a Multix Freezer Bag in the fridge when ripe.
Use Within: 2-3 days

Apples
Ripe: Ripe when picked.
Storage: Store in a Multix Freezer Bag in the fridge.
Use Within: Up to 1 month

Avocados
Ripe: Ripen at room temperature, 4-7 days.
Storage: Speed up ripening process by storing in a paper bag with a banana.
Use Within: 2 days

Bananas
Ripe: Ripen at room temperature.
Storage: May be stored in the fridge when ripe, skin will blacken but the flesh will remain unaffected.
Use Within: 2-3 days (room temp.) 5-7 days (fridge)

Cherries, grapes
Ripe: Ripe when picked.
Storage: Store in a Multix Freezer Bag in the fridge
Use Within: 2-3 days

Oranges, lemons, grapefruit, mandarins
Ripe: Ripe when picked.
Storage: Store at room temperature, or refrigerate in crisper to extend storage.
Use Within: 7 days (room temp.)

Melons, pineapples
Ripe: Ripen when picked.
Storage: Store at room temperature, when cut, cover with Multix Cling and refrigerate.
Use Within: 2-3 days (room temp.)

Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries
Ripe: Ripe when picked
Storage: Remove from punnet and place berries in a single layer on a plate covered with a piece of kitchen towel in fridge.
Use Within: 2-3 days (room temp.)

Asparagus
Storage: Trim base, stand in water, cover using a Multix Freezer Bag , store in fridge.
Use Within:

Beans
Storage: Store unwashed in an unsealed Multix Freezer Bag in the crisper section of the fridge.
Use Within: 4 days

Bok Choy
Storage: Store in a paper bag in the crisper section of the fridge.
Use Within: 2 days

Broccoli
Storage: Keep dry and store in an unsealed Multix Freezer Bag in the crisper section of the fridge.
Use Within: 5 days

Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cucumber, zucchini, leek, lettuce
Storage: Store unwashed in the unsealed Multix Freezer Bag in the crisper section of the fridge.
Use Within: 3 days

Capsicum, eggplant, leek, lettuce
Storage: Store unwashed in the unsealed Multix Freezer Bag in the crisper section of the fridge.
Use Within: 5 days

Carrots, celery
Storage: Store unwashed in an unsealed Multix Freezer Bag in the crisper section of the fridge.
Use Within: 7 days

Cauliflower
Storage: Store unwashed in an unsealed Multix Freezer Bag in the crisper section of the fridge with the heads downwards.
Use Within: 7 days

Sweet corn
Storage: Store unwashed in an unsealed Multix Freezer Bag in the crisper section of the fridge.
Use Within: 1 day

Garlic, onions, pumpkin
Storage: Store in a cool, dark, well ventilated area and wrap peeled and cut pieces in Multix Cling or Multix Freezer Bag and refrigerate.
Use Within: 2–3 months. 7 days once cut & refrigerated

Parsnips
Storage: Store unwashed in an unsealed Multix Freezer Bag in the crisper section of the fridge.
Use Within: 2 weeks

Potato, sweet potato
Storage: Store in a cool, dark, well ventilated area.
Use Within: 7 days

Rhubarb
Storage: Remove leaves and discard, store stalks in a Multix Freezer Bag in the fridge.
Use Within: 4 days

Spinach
Storage: Trim off roots, store unwashd in an unsealed Multix Freezer Bag in the crisper section of the fridge.
Use Within: 2 days

Tomatoes
Storage: Ripen at room temperature, once ripe store in a Multix Freezer Bag in the fridge.
Use Within: 3 days

Cheese
Refrigerator: Use Multix Alfoil to wrap cheese.
Freezer: Multix Freezer Bag. Will freeze for up to 3 months.
Advice: Creamy cheeses will freeze well if over 40% butter fat content.

Meat & Poultry
Refrigerator: Multix Freezer Bag or on a plate or rack covered with Multix Cling Wrap.
Freezer: Multix Freezer Bag then foil. Beef, lamb & poultry can be frozen for 6 months, pork 3 months, mince and sausage for 2 months.
Advice: Be sure to expel as much air as possible to avoid freezer burn.

Vegetables
Refrigerator: Multix Freezer Bag leaving plenty of air surrounding the vegetables. Store in crisper section.
Freezer: Multix Freezer Bag. Vegetables must be blanched before freezing. 3-4 months.
Advice: Can be defrosted and cooked in the microwave without removing from the bag.

Cooked & Casseroles
Refrigerator: Cool completely before covering with Multix Cling Wrap and Multix Alfoil.
Freezer: Multix Freezer Bag. Wrap in foil if storing for extended periods. 2 months.
Advice: Take care when defrosting the bag in the microwave. High temperatures of fat can melt the bag.

Salty/Acidic Foods
Refrigerator: Place in Multix Freezer Bag or Multix Cling Wrap before wrapping in Multix Alfoil to prevent possible deterioration of the foil due to the high acid/salt content in the food.
Freezer: Place in Multix Freezer Bag or Multix Cling Wrap before wrapping in Multix Alfoil to prevent possible deterioration of the foil due to the acid/salt in the food. 3 months.
Advice: Be sure to cool completely before covering.

Bread
Refrigerator: Not recommended as the low temperature will make the bread go stake very quickly.
Freezer: Multix Freezer Bag stops mould growth and keeps the bread fresher for much longer.
Advice: Bread keeps best when frozen as quickly as possible.

Pastry
Refrigerator: Multix Cling Wrap or Multix Freezer Bag.
Freezer: Multix Freezer Bag or Multix Alfoil. Cover pie dishes with a freezer bag. 3 months.
Advice: Allow ample time for thawing in the bag so that the pastry does not get soggy.

Cakes
Refrigerator: Multix Freezer Bag.
Freezer: Multix Freezer Bag. 3 months.
Advice: Only freeze unfilled cakes, or cakes filled with butter icing.

Meats, chicken and fish need to be thawed in the fridge to prevent bacteria growing. You will need to thaw for 24–48 hours depending on the size of the piece of meat. This allows the ice crystals to break down slowly and helps retain the texture of the meat.

Cakes, muffins and biscuits can be thawed at room temperature. Make sure you remove the packaging before thawing, otherwise the ice crystals that form on the surface during freezing will form a pool of liquid as they melt, which can cause cakes and muffins to become soggy.

Foods with a medium moisture content (such as fresh pasta, sliced bread, frozen meals and frozen vegies) can be reheated immediately after being taken out of the freezer.

Did you know that about one in five of all food poisoning incidents can be attributed to mishandling food in the home?*

There are many things you can do to minimise the risk of food borne illness:

• Most food poisoning bacteria grows at temperatures between 5°C and 60°C – the “temperature danger zone”. Keeping food out of the temperature danger zone will slow down or prevent the growth of bacteria.
• When cooking a large batch of food to store and eat later, subdivide it into shallow containers and refrigerate or freeze it immediately. Cooked food should be refrigerated as soon as possible and not allowed to cool at room temperature first. (To cool food quickly, place in a container and stand it in cold or iced water, stirring frequently. Make sure food has cooled completely before covering it with Multix Cling or Multix Alfoil.)
• Don’t thaw food at room temperature or by putting it in hot water. Thaw frozen food completely in the refrigerator, or in the microwave if cooking immediately.
• Cover foods before refrigerating and store raw foods below cooked foods. Multix Cling is ideal for covering foods for storage as it helps prevent the growth of bacteria on the surface of the wrap, before the cling touches your food.
• Check the temperature of your refrigerator – it should be 4°C or below. The freezer compartment should be -18°C or lower.
• Wash hands thoroughly before food preparation, after going to the toilet, and after handling pets or raw food. Use soap and warm water, rubbing for at least 30 seconds.
• Avoid cross-contamination by making sure that bacteria do not have a chance to hitch-hike from raw material onto cooked food. In between handling raw and cooked foods, wash all utensils such as tongs, knives and chopping boards with hot soapy water.
• Use separate chopping boards for cooked and raw foods and for different types of foods. Different coloured boards are now available in most supermarkets to make separation easier.
• Disinfect chopping boards used for raw food at least once a week in a solution of weak bleach (1 tsp. bleach per litre of water), or an anti-bacterial cleaning product. Better still, put them in the dishwasher.

* Food Safety Campaign Group – 1999

Raw Foods

• Mince (beef, lamb, veal, chicken): 3 months
• Mince (pork): 2 months
• Sausages: 3 months
• Cured meats (bacon, salami etc): 1 month
• All other cuts of beef, pork, chicken, lamb: 3-6 months
• Duck: 3 months
• White fish fillets: 6 months:
• Oily fish (salmon, trout): 2 months
• Shellfish: 2 months
• Egg whites: 3 months

Cooked/prepared foods

• Beef & lamb casseroles: 3 months
• Pork casseroles: 1 month
• Soups: 4 months
• Cakes, pies, muffins: 4 months
• Fruit Cakes: 12 months
• Bread and pastries: 8 months