The pace of storage of food and foodstuffs has increased markedly, after the closures imposed by the outbreak of the Coronavirus resulted in a reduction in shopping outages. The need for attention to the preservation and use instructions, which ensures that the family's food supply remains healthy, increases with the longest possible period.
Between 25% and 40% of the foods that we spend time, effort, and money in buying may be received in the trash, if we do not improve storing them in ways that preserve their freshness and nutritional value, foremost of which is refrigeration.
According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), “refrigeration slows the growth of bacteria that spread at temperatures above 4 degrees Celsius, and multiply by twice within 20 minutes,” so she advises Food Safety that the temperature is always less than 4. Celsius in the refrigerator, and 17 Celsius in the freezer. "
And the American website Insider recently published information about techniques to store food that may make it last longer, warning at the same time of errors that may damage it or reduce its shelf life.
Easy warnings and solutions
To avoid the shock of finding a product that you bought fresh at the beginning of the week, and then found it bad or damaged in your refrigerator, follow these tips:
- Don't wait for the slices to turn black, especially avocado. A little lemon juice keeps its luster. And do not remove the kernel from the half of the bean remaining in the avocado, if you want to keep it in the refrigerator, the kernel keeps it fresh. If it has not yet cooked, it is not placed in the refrigerator.
- Do not drop the soft herbal ties, such as parsley, coriander and basil, randomly in the refrigerator, cut their stems, dry their leaves and put them in a cup of water, and cover them with a plastic bag, to keep them fresh for two weeks.
- Do not leave raw meat and poultry outside the freezer. According to the US Department of Agriculture, poultry can stay in the freezer for a year, and meat for two months to a year.
- Do not store bread in the refrigerator, unless it is not needed for a while, so it is divided and placed in the freezer. (It is better to keep it in a basket or a box).
- Do not put coffee in the freezer, nor honey in the refrigerator, so place them in a closed container in a dark, dry place. Never store potatoes, garlic and onions in the refrigerator, as is the cucumber and eggplant, as the cold spoils them. As for helium and green onions, they are placed in a cup of water.
- Don't sacrifice leafy greens like kale and lettuce. You can wash it, dry it, wrap it in a paper towel, and put it in a closed plastic bag in the refrigerator drawer.
- Never lose celery sticks by cutting or washing them before storing them. Cover it with tin foil, and it will stay a week.
- Don't waste bananas by leaving their legs naked, and don't put them in the refrigerator. Roll his leg with tin foil, to save it more.
- Don't repeat the common mistake of putting lemon and orange in the refrigerator. Place them on the table, as the cold causes them to dry.
Practical advice
- Stop washing foods before putting them in the refrigerator, as moisture causes them to spoil (best to wash when cooked or eaten), except for berries and strawberries, soaking in water and leaving in a colander in the refrigerator.
- Pay attention to the mistake of mixing different items in the same place, as there are fruits and vegetables that produce gases that may accelerate the damage of other products, so you need isolation (stores high-gas products, such as apples, bananas, and avocados, separately from less gas products such as broccoli and carrots).
- Beware of wrong storage of tomatoes, to avoid losing their flavor and nutritional value. (The green is stored in a paper bag with its legs pointed down. Leave the ripe in the kitchen separate from each other and away from light. As for the ripening, it is kept in the refrigerator, and left a little before cooking to restore its taste.)
- Avoid putting milk on the last shelf of the refrigerator door, as the temperature of this place is often unstable due to the large number of openings and closures. (Put it on the shelves of the middle refrigerator better, you can also add a pinch of salt to the package and shake it to preserve the taste). And avoid storing cheese next to citrus fruits so as not to absorb their smell. (To ensure the cheese retains its flavor, put its containers sealed and upside down in the refrigerator).
- Protect your family from salmonella contamination by avoiding the mistake of laying eggs in the refrigerator door. (Store in a carton in the back of one of the refrigerator shelves.)
- Keep the fresh ginger for a long time in the refrigerator by peeling it and placing it in a closed plastic bag and vacuum. Also, keep the mushrooms in a paper bag in the refrigerator, after washing, drying and wrapping them in paper towels.
- Keep the whole unripe pineapple from the fridge to simmer (after cutting it, put it in the fridge to save its color).
- Always make sure not to mix food and medicine in the refrigerator.
More system to save more
To further maintain household supplies of foodstuffs, Philippa Hudson, a lecturer in food safety at Bournemouth University in the UK, advises against keeping metal cans open in the refrigerator. (It is best to transfer its contents to an airtight container.)
Also, make sure that the food has cooled down before putting it in the refrigerator. (In order not to overheat the fridge, promote bacterial growth and cause damage). Meat for freezing is well wrapped. (In order to avoid burning her freezer, it damages her). Clean the fridge regularly to reduce food loss.
Also, care should be taken to ensure that all packages used to keep foods safe and secure, with the name and date of each product written on the packaging designated for it.