Home ยป Casual Connoisseur
Casual Connoisseur
Learn to Store Your Food
By Glendaliz Camacho
You're cleaning out your fridge when you pull out a soggy batch of spinach or a moldy container of leftovers. And whew, that smell. Consider another scenario. You have an upset stomach and you haven't eaten anything out of the ordinary but those potatoes you used for dinner looked slightly suspect. Knowing how to properly store food in your home will not only keep your food edible longer, it can also keep you and your family safe from worse ailments than indigestion.
The Basics
Your refrigerator's proper temperature is 40\'b0F (40\'b0C) and your freezer should be at 0\'b0F (-18\'b0C). If your fridge doesn't already have one, buy a thermometer to make sure. Also, write the purchase date on packages of items like cold cuts and eggs to make sure you don't keep anything past its prime. Although it seems like a no-brainer, abiding by the expiration and "best if used by" dates shouldn't be overlooked either.
Meat and Poultry
Keep raw meat, poultry, fish and eggs on the bottom shelf of the fridge, where it's the coldest. They should be sealed either in their original packaging or in zip-seal plastic bags to prevent contamination with other foods. If you're not planning to use them soon after buying, freeze them. Fresh meats like steaks, chops and roasts are good for three to five days in the fridge and vary between four to twelve months in the freezer. Eggs can last up to four or five weeks in the fridge.
Dairy
Milk is highly perishable and should also go on the bottom shelf of your fridge. Wrap and refrigerate cheese in moisture-resistant bags or plastic wrap once they're opened. Surprisingly, small areas of mold on hard cheeses can be removed with a knife and the rest of the cheese is still edible.
Fruits and Vegetables
Generally, fresh fruit should be stored in containers in a separate area of the fridge, like the crispers at the bottom, to reduce loss of moisture but fruits can get tricky. While avocados and bananas should be ripened at room temperature for three to five days (storing them unripe will only make them darken), apples will only soften if they're left at room temperature and should be refrigerated. Remove the air from the packaging of fresh vegetables. Leafy veggies should be wrapped or covered in moisture-proof bags to stop them from wilting. Lettuce in particular, should be rinsed under cold running water, drained, packaged in plastic bags, and refrigerated. Root vegetables like potatoes and sweet potatoes along with other veggies like squashes and eggplants should be stored in a cool, airy place between 50\'b0F and 60\'b0F. Also, remove the tops of carrots, radishes and beets before refrigerating to cut-down on moisture and extend shelf-life. Frozen fruits and vegetables can last in the freezer for eight months.
Grains
Bread can be stored at room temperature and will be fresh
for about a week. Refrigerate it to last longer or freeze it, which will give it a two or three month shelf-life. Store cereals at room temperature but make sure to seal them tightly to keep out moisture. White rice in a closed container at room temperature will last about a year while brown and wild rice will be good for six months. Refrigeration isn't necessary for rice but can make it last longer. Cooked rice may be stored in the refrigerator for six or seven days or in the freezer for six months.
Canned goods
Store canned goods in a dry, cool place. Never place cans above the stove, under the sink or in a damp basement. If the cans are bulging, leaking, or emit a bad odor, discard them immediately. Canned tomatoes or fruit can last up to eighteen months while canned meats and vegetables can go as long as two to five years.
Condiments
Most people store their condiments like ketchup, pickles and soy sauce in the refrigerator door because that's where they take up less room but there's another reason they should be stored there once they've been opened. Condiments are not highly perishable since they've been processed, so they can handle all the opening and closing of the refrigerator door.
Leftovers
According to the USDA, there are bacteria that won't affect the smell or appearance of food, making it hard to discern whether or not it's safe. The general rule is if food has been left out for more than two hours in what they call the "Danger Zone" (between 40\'b0F and 140\'b0F), you should toss it. To avoid unnecessarily discarding food, store meals in the fridge right after cooking but throw out any leftovers after three days. Some foods, of course, will last longer like cooked seafood which can last up to four days or ham which can be good for up to a week. Hot food, like soups or meats, can go right into the fridge after cooking. Store leftovers in a covered container and if it's a large amount divide it into smaller, shallow containers.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have extensive tips and guidelines on their websites about safely storing food (fda.gov and usda.gov, respectively). The USDA even has a free hotline to answer your questions at
1-888-674-6854.