Check the gasket. To check the seal of your freezer door, insert a dollar bill, close the door, and try to pull it out. If it comes out easily, the seal is no good. If there's tension, the seal is okay. To help seal, put a thin layer of petroleum jelly on the gasket

General maintenance. Keep freezer full, even if you have to fill with jugs of water; that way, if there's a power outage, it helps keep food frozen. It also helps save energy - a fuller freezer uses less energy when you open and close it to maintain temperature. Label freezer foods. Cut brand labels from food and tape to containers so you can tell what's what after they're frozen. You can date labels as well.

Freezing baby food. Freeze baby food in ice cube trays (homemade and store-bought) to keep fresh. A single cube zapped in the microwave makes a quick meal for the baby.

Freezing soups. Frozen soups last up to four months in the freezer. To save space, line loaf pans with a large plastic zippered bag, pour cooled soup in, and freeze right in pan. Once frozen, remove from pan, seal bag, and store as a compact block.

Freezing casseroles. Line casserole dishes with aluminum foil, freeze casserole, remove from dish, and store in freezer so you can keep using the casserole dish.

Freezing vegetables. Store-bought frozen veggies keep up to one year in the freezer. To freeze fresh vegetables, blanch before freezing (put in boiling water for several minutes). This prevents deterioration.

Freezing fish. Oily fish, like mackerel or tuna, keep 1-3 months. Flaky fish, like trout and haddock, keep 3-6 months. To freeze fresh fish, immerse the fish in water in a sealed plastic bag, and freeze the whole thing.

Freezing and defrosting meats. Meat keeps for 3-12 months in the freezer, depending on the type of meat. Beef lasts 6-12 months, sausage lasts 1-2 months, fresh pork lasts 3-6 months, and poultry lasts six months. To defrost, prepare meat marinade ahead of time, and defrost frozen meat in it.

Freezing ice cream and frozen yogurt. To prevent crystals from forming on surface of ice cream, cover with plastic wrap inside its container. It will be creamy the next time you take it out. Store it in the coldest part of the freezer, as opposed to the door.

To contact Heloise with questions or to send her hints:

e-mail her at: heloise@cis. Compuserve. Com

check out her website at: www. Heloise. Com

fax her at: (210) H-E-L-O-I-S-E

write her at:

Heloise P.O. Box 795000 San Antonio, Texas 78279

Mc formatted using Mc Buster br Barb at Pk