Effective Tips for Storing your Food
- By Mary Anne Durkee
- Published 06/23/2009
- Food and Drink
- Unrated
Storing food can always be a frustrating problem, especially if you are a sucker for fresh food. I have been greeted with the disappointing site of rotting food in my refrigerator or pantry a number of times. In spite of the care taken, stored food inevitable rots and eventually gets thrown out. For those like me who could do well with some storage tips, here are a few:
Storing Vegetables
As soon as you bring cilantro or coriander leaves home, keep them upright in a glass of warm water. Later cover the roots with paper and then store them in the refrigerator. Avoid washing the leaves before storing.
Store potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, and garlic in a cool, dark, well ventilated place. You can put an apple with the potatoes to prevent them from budding. Make sure that you change the apple every week.
To retain the flavor of tomatoes, store them outside the refrigerator until they are cut. Except for Eggplants and capsicums, put your vegetables in plastic bags and then store them in the vegetable crisper in your refrigerator. This will prevent the loss of moisture and nutrients.
To keep carrots fresh cut the tops off and pack them in plastic bags before keeping them in the vegetable crisper. Mushrooms should be packed in Paper bags before being refrigerated.
Storing Fruits
Most fruits do well outside the fridge. But Apples and berries should always be refrigerated, so that the crispness of the fruit is preserved. On the other hand, bananas should never be stored in refrigerators as their skins become black. Citrus fruits can be kept at room temperature unless it is very hot.
If you have cut a fruit already, then to preserve it add a few drops of lime juice before returning it to the fridge.
Storing Dairy Products
For diary products it is very important to check the manufacturing date before you purchase them. Make sure that you don't buy milk which will expire in two to three days and once purchased, refrigerate them immediately.
Storing Meat Products
Always keep meat and fish in the coldest part of your fridge. Uncooked food should not come in contact with cooked food. Storing eggs in the cartons they come in. this prevents the loss of moisture.
Other Tips
While preparing food try to eat leave it outside the fridge for the least amount of time. Leftovers should be returned to the fridge as quickly as possible. To retain the freshness of flour, semolina and gram flour store them in the refrigerator. Even the freshness of coffee powder can be retained if you store them in the refrigerator in plastic bags.
I am hoping that these tips will end the days of wasting food. The sooner I start storing food properly the better for my health.
Storing Vegetables
As soon as you bring cilantro or coriander leaves home, keep them upright in a glass of warm water. Later cover the roots with paper and then store them in the refrigerator. Avoid washing the leaves before storing.
Store potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, and garlic in a cool, dark, well ventilated place. You can put an apple with the potatoes to prevent them from budding. Make sure that you change the apple every week.
To retain the flavor of tomatoes, store them outside the refrigerator until they are cut. Except for Eggplants and capsicums, put your vegetables in plastic bags and then store them in the vegetable crisper in your refrigerator. This will prevent the loss of moisture and nutrients.
To keep carrots fresh cut the tops off and pack them in plastic bags before keeping them in the vegetable crisper. Mushrooms should be packed in Paper bags before being refrigerated.
Storing Fruits
If you have cut a fruit already, then to preserve it add a few drops of lime juice before returning it to the fridge.
Storing Dairy Products
For diary products it is very important to check the manufacturing date before you purchase them. Make sure that you don't buy milk which will expire in two to three days and once purchased, refrigerate them immediately.
Storing Meat Products
Always keep meat and fish in the coldest part of your fridge. Uncooked food should not come in contact with cooked food. Storing eggs in the cartons they come in. this prevents the loss of moisture.
Other Tips
While preparing food try to eat leave it outside the fridge for the least amount of time. Leftovers should be returned to the fridge as quickly as possible. To retain the freshness of flour, semolina and gram flour store them in the refrigerator. Even the freshness of coffee powder can be retained if you store them in the refrigerator in plastic bags.
I am hoping that these tips will end the days of wasting food. The sooner I start storing food properly the better for my health.
Mary Anne Durkee
Mary-Anne is a featured member and regular contributor at ifood.tv, a global food network, featuring recipes from all over the world. Other popular recipes videos on ifood.tv include Salad Recipes, Coffee recipes and Beverage recipes
View all articles by Mary Anne Durkee