Freezing and Storing
After packing and sealing containers, label them with the name of the food, type of pack (for fruits), and date of freezing. Freeze food soon after packing, placing a few packages at a time in the freezer as you have them ready.
Freeze food at 0°F or below. Do not load the freezer with more food than can be frozen in 24 hours. Usually 2 to 3 pounds of food per cubic foot of freezer capacity can be frozen at a time. Place packages on freezing coils or plates or in fast-freeze section of freezer, leaving a space between each package. Loading the freezer in this manner enables the food to be frozen quickly. Freezing foods too slowly can result in loss of quality.
Once food has frozen, stack containers. Keep freezer surfaces relatively free from frost to insure maximum operating efficiency of your freezer.
Fruits and vegetables stored at 0° F or below will maintain high quality for 8 to 12 months. Unsweetened fruit loses quality more rapidly than sweetened fruit.
Keeping food longer than the recommended time will not make it unsafe to eat, but some quality loss can occur.