1. Freeze only fresh or freshly cooked food.

2. Allow the cooked food to cool off before freezing. Food that is hot, warm or even tepid is a no-no.

3. Fatty foods have a shorter storage life as compared to lean food.

4. Blanch vegetables, otherwise the protein in them will break down. To blanch, put the vegetables in a pan of boiling water for 2-4 minutes and drain. Plunge into cold water.

5. Containers with liquid should only be filled to within 2 cm of the rim since the liquid expands during freezing.

6. Food that has been placed to freeze should not touch other food. This permits the cold to penetrate the food better. You can stack it once it is frozen.

7. Examples of foodstuff unsuitable for freezing are salad, yoghurt, custards, thick sauces, cheese etc.