For foods packed in liquid, purees, or crushed fruits, 

 leave about 1 inch head space in cartons or bags; 1 1/2 

 inches with glass jars or tin cans. 



Seal tightly. — After filling a carton or bag, wipe in- 

 side edges with a clean cloth to remove moisture that 

 would prevent a tight seal. Press out all air possible from 

 top of bag. Seal tightly. 



To heat-seal a bag or a box with an overwrap or a 

 special coating, press with a warm iron. Use just enough 

 heat and pressure to hold the edges tightly together. Too 

 much heat may cause an imperfect seal. 



Label plainly. — Even if the package has a "window," 

 you will want to label it with the date it was packed, the 

 variety, and any special treatment. 



Special stamps, labels, tape, and crayons are made 

 for labeling. You can use different colors for different 

 foods, or to indicate dates of storage so foods stored 

 longest can be used first. 



Freeze Quickly 



Freeze foods as soon as possible after they are packed. 

 Keep packages cold in the refrigerator until all are ready 

 for freezing. If you take food to a locker plant, transfer 

 packages to an insulated box for carrying. At the locker 

 plant, have foods frozen in the fast-freezing room, if one 

 is available, before placing in your locker. 



If you have a home freezer, be sure the temperature 

 of the freezing compartment is 0° F. or lower. Follow 

 these rules to speed freezing: 



Don't freeze too many packages at once. The manu- 

 facturer of your freezer can tell you how much food to 



freeze at one time or in a 24-hour period. 



Place packages against freezing plates or coils, but 

 spread them out so air can move between them. 



Remember that thick or heavily wrapped packages 

 take longer to freeze than those of medium size with 

 only enough wrapping to protect the food. 



Store at 0° F. 



After freezing, store food at 0° F. or lower. At higher 

 temperatures, frozen foods lose both eating quality and 

 vitamin values. 



To help you know how many and what kinds of frozen 

 foods are in the freezer, post an up-to-date list near the 

 freezer. List the foods as you put them into the freezer, 

 and check them off as you take them out, so packages 

 won't be lost or forgotten. 



If power is interrupted or freezer fails to operate 

 normally, do not open the cabinet. Food in a loaded 

 cabinet will usually stay frozen for 2 days, even in sum- 

 mer. In a cabinet with less than half a load, food may 

 not stay frozen for more than a day. Covering the top 

 and sides of the cabinet with heavy blankets or other 

 insulation will prolong the time the food will stay frozen. 



If repairs cannot be made in 1 or 2 days, get dry 

 ice, if available, and place in each compartment as soon 

 as possible. Fifty pounds in a 20 cubic foot cabinet should 

 hold the temperature in a cabinet with less than a half 

 load under freezing for 2 to 3 days and in a loaded 

 cabinet 3 to 4 days. If you can't get dry ice, try to locate 

 a locker plant and move the food there in insulated 

 boxes. 



