How to Store Your Food So It Lasts Longer

On average, American families trash 14% of the food they buy, often
because it spoils. But you can extend the life of groceries with these
easy storage tricks:

• Organize fruits and veggies: We often
  toss produce into crispers together, but apples and some other fruits
  give off gas called ethylene that speeds ripening in vegetables. So
  store them separate, so vegetables don’t ripen too fast
• Know which need room temperature: We tend to keep most of our
  fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator. But cold temperatures can
  actually damage some produce, like squash, tomatoes and oranges
• Use
  your own packaging: That flimsy package from the butcher won’t protect
  your meat from freezer burn. Put it in a vacuum sealed or sip lock bag
  with the air squeezed out
• Protect your dry goods: Dry kitchen products like flour,
  cornmeal and other grains can attract bugs that make them unusable.
  Instead, stash them in the refrigerator or the freezer where they will
  be safe from pests
• Chill your bananas: Most of us keep our
  bananas on the kitchen counter. But it seems like they spoil almost as
  soon as they ripen. Instead, store them in your refrigerator once they
  have ripened. The skin will turn brown but the inside lasts a lot longer
• Shield leftovers from the air: Many of us end up throwing out leftovers
  because they went bad. To prevent it, don’t just cover the top of the
  bowl with foil or plastic wrap. Instead, transfer your leftovers to an
  airtight food storage container to keep them fresh

So keep it fresh longer. Oxygen damages food, so air tight packaging will help keep things fresh.

Resource: http://www.gomestic.com/Cooking/How-to-Store-Your-Food-So-It-Lasts-Longer.44510

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~ by jackzepplin on September 17, 2007.