Learning how to store food properly is an important part of saving money and securing yourself and your family. You can easily learn to distinguish between foods that need to be kept on the counter, foods that need to be kept cold, and foods that need to be frozen. Stop wasting food and start storing it properly.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Storing Food at Room Temperature
Step 1. Use the FIFO system
“First in, first out” or “first in, first out”, also known by the acronym “FIFO” is a common expression used in restaurant kitchens to ensure food remains fresh, wherever it is stored. Restaurants check the amount of groceries delivered by each truck, this usually means there are only one or two groceries to roll forward. For home meals, this means canned foods, boxed meals, and perishable supplies must be dated when purchased. This ensures that newer ingredients are not opened first.
Keep your kitchen cupboards, refrigerator, and all food storage spaces organized to make sure you know where all your groceries are, and which are the freshest. If three jars of peanut butter are open, one of them will be rotten
Step 2. Store produce on the kitchen counter if they need to be cooked
Fruit should be left to ripen on the counter, either loosely in a plastic bag or open to ripen. When the fruit has reached the desired level of ripeness, place it in the refrigerator to extend the life of the fruit.
- Bananas produce ethylene, which speeds up the ripening process of other fruits, so you can take advantage of this property and store it in a plastic bag with fruit that needs to be ripe. This is an excellent technique for ripening avocados too.
- Do not put the fruit in an airtight container and place it on the kitchen counter, as it will rot quickly. Watch for signs of bruising or overripe on the fruit and discard rotten fruit as soon as possible to prevent other fruit from rotting.
- Watch out for fruit flies, which are attracted to fruit that is rotten or in the process of spoiling. Leftovers should always be quickly disposed of. If you have a problem with fruit flies, start storing fruit in the refrigerator.
Step 3. Store rice and other grains in sealed containers
Rice, oatmeal, and other dry grains can be stored in a sealed airtight container and stored in the kitchen cupboard. Glass jars, plastic tupperware containers, and other lidded storage are great for storing these bulk ingredients on kitchen cabinets or countertops. This container is also suitable for storing dry beans.
If you store rice and other grains in plastic bags, watch out for maggots. Plastic bags can be a great way to store rice, but small holes can allow maggots and moths to breed, spoiling large quantities of food. The best thing you can do to prevent maggots is to always store food in airtight, sealed jars
Step 4. Store the root vegetables in a paper bag
If the vegetables are grown underground, they don't need to be refrigerated. Potatoes, onions, and garlic should be stored in a cool, dark, dry place, not in the refrigerator. If you want to store it in a storage container, then a loose paper bag works great.
Step 5. Store fresh bread in a paper bag on the kitchen counter
If you buy crusty bread that has just been baked, put it in a paper bag and keep it on the counter to keep it fresh. Bread sitting on the counter, properly stored, will stay good for 3-5 days, which is extended to 7-14 days in the refrigerator.
- Storing bread in the refrigerator or freezing it is also a good way, especially soft sandwiches, to extend its life. If you live in a humid place, soft bread will mold faster if you store it outside, and it will be easier to thaw in a toaster.
- If you keep bread on the counter, don't put it in a plastic bag. This can trigger the growth of fungus.
Method 2 of 3: Refrigerating Food
Step 1. Set the refrigerator to the optimal temperature
The refrigerator must be set at or below 4.4 degrees Celsius. The food temperature danger zone, which is the temperature range in which bacteria thrive, is between 5-60 degrees Celsius. Food stored at this temperature is prone to bacterial growth that can trigger food poisoning. Always store cooked food as soon as possible.
Check the refrigerator temperature regularly. Refrigerator temperatures can fluctuate depending on how much food is in the fridge, so it's a good idea to keep an eye on the fridge if it's full sometimes or a little empty
Step 2. Store the food in the refrigerator when it is cold
Some foods can sometimes be kept on the counter and must be refrigerated at other times. Where do you store beer in bottles? Pickles? Peanut butter? Soy sauce? The rule: If you buy something cold, it needs to be stored in the refrigerator.
- Foods like pickles, peanut butter, and soy sauce can be stored in the pantry at room temperature until you open them, at which point they need to be refrigerated. Foods made from oil or vinegar can usually be stored this way.
- Refrigerate canned food after opening in the refrigerator. Any food, be it cooked ravioli or chickpeas, needs to be refrigerated once the can is opened. You can store it in the can, or transfer it to an airtight container with a lid.
Step 3. Cool leftovers before putting them in the refrigerator
Leftovers should be stored in closed containers, either with lids or with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. The looser the packaging, the more likely the food will spread odors in the refrigerator or absorb the aromas of other foods, but it's a great way to store leftovers when they're cooled to room temperature.
- Once the food is cooked, transfer it to a large shallow container instead of a smaller, deeper container. A large container will ensure uniform cooling over a short period of time.
- Meat and meat-containing foods need to be cooled to room temperature before refrigerating. If you put hot meat in a sealed container and store it immediately in the refrigerator, the condensation will cause the meat to rot faster than usual.
Step 4. Store the meat properly
Consume or freeze cooked meat within 5-7 days. If you can't finish the leftover meat right away, consider freezing the remaining meat and thawing it at a later time, when there's less food in the fridge.
Raw meat always needs to be refrigerated, separated from cooked meat and other products, wrapped in plastic wrap. Watch for signs of rot. Rotten meat will turn gray or brown in color and give off an unpleasant odor
Step 5. Store store-bought eggs in the refrigerator
Eggs you buy at the store are sometimes quite old and need to be refrigerated until they are ready to use. Watch for signs of rotten eggs after cracking, always making sure to crack the eggs over the top of the bowl and never on top of the food that is being prepared.
Freshly hatched eggs that have not been washed are very safe to keep on the kitchen counter. If you buy eggs from a breeder, ask whether the eggs have been washed or not and as a guide for storing eggs properly
Step 6. Store the chopped vegetables in the refrigerator
Leafy greens, tomatoes, fruit, and other vegetables should be refrigerated once they have been chopped. To ensure that the vegetables stay fresh for as long as possible, wash and dry them thoroughly, then place them in a sealed plastic container and store in the refrigerator with tea or paper towels to absorb any excess moisture.
Do not store tomatoes in the refrigerator unless they are sliced. In the refrigerator, the inside becomes runny and shortens its life. Sliced tomatoes can be placed in a plastic container and stored in the refrigerator
Method 3 of 3: Freezing Food
Step 1. Freeze food in sealed plastic freezer bags
Any food that will be stored in the refrigerator, the best way to protect it is to store it in an airtight plastic freezer bag that has all the air removed. To prevent the “freezer burn” that occurs when food is frozen and dried, storing it in a plastic freezer bag is the safest and simplest way.
Plastic containers or tupperware containers are also effective for storing some types of food. Moreover, berry juice or cooked meat is sometimes less attractive to store in plastic bags, as well as soups and other foods that are difficult to thaw
Step 2. Freeze the right amount of food
To use food after it has been frozen, you must thaw it in the refrigerator. For this reason, it's usually a good idea to freeze the portioned food you're going to use. So don't freeze whole salmon, freeze it in dinner-size portions, so you'll have what you need when you need it.
Step 3. Date and label the food
Is that on the back of the freezer the blackberries from last summer or the 1994 bacon? If the food is already covered in a layer of ice, then it is difficult to tell the difference. To save your head from identifying everything positively, try labeling and dating the foods you put in the freezer, so you'll be able to identify them quickly and easily.
Step 4. Freeze raw or cooked meat for 6-12 months
The meat should be in the freezer for six months, but it will start to dry out and become less tasty over time. The meat is still safe to eat, because it was frozen, but it will start to taste like frozen ice and not like food that was just put in the freezer.
Step 5. Boil the vegetables briefly before freezing
It is usually recommended that vegetables be cooked before freezing, and not cut into pieces and then frozen raw. It is more difficult to return vegetables to their natural, unfrozen state. Frozen vegetables are easy to make into soups, gravy dishes, and stir-fries, making them a great way to organize produce.
- To boil vegetables, cut them into bite-size pieces and quickly dip them in boiling salted water. No more than a minute or two, and immediately remove from the boiling water and drop into the ice water bath to shock and stop the cooking process. Vegetables still firm, but partially cooked.
- Place serving size vegetables in freezer bags and label and date. Let the vegetables cool completely before freezing.
Step 6. Put the fruit in the freezer for later removal
How to freeze fruit depends on what you plan to do. If you have a bunch of berries to make pies, sprinkle them with granulated sugar to fill the pie before freezing, so it will be a lot easier later. If you're freezing peaches, you'll need to peel the skins off before putting them in the freezer, as the frozen skins will be too difficult to peel later.
In general, you will need to cut a portion of the fruit into bite-size pieces before freezing, so that it freezes evenly. You can put whole apples in the freezer, but they will be difficult to handle later
Tips
- Make sure there is sufficient space in the refrigerator for good air circulation.
- Use older food stocks first.
- Mushrooms should be put in a paper bag and stored in the refrigerator. Plastic bags can make mushrooms soggy.
- If you've opened a food package, store unused tofu in a water-filled container with an airtight lid. Change the water every day. Tofu can be consumed for up to three days.
