We've seen statistics that show that we Americans waste anywhere from 14% to 30% of food that we buy. Yikes. That is not good. Though not too surprising, as we're guilty of cleaning out the refrigerator every now and then and tossing a bunch of food along the way.
So how can you waste less food (not to mention avoid food poisoning)? The website Gomestic.com provides tips on how to properly store your food to extend its life and keep from becoming unhealthy. Here are a few examples:
On Produce:
- Don't store all of your fruits and vegetables together: "apples and some other fruits give off gas called ethylene that speeds ripening in vegetables"
- "Chill your bananas"
- "Raw fruits tend to lose their vitamins when kept at room temperature, but tropical fruits go downhill quickly when stored in the cold"
- "Avoid storing fresh produce in plastic"
- "Always wait until you are ready to use berries before you wash them. Washing before storing them will make them rot."
On Dairy:
- "Butter and soft cheeses should be wrapped tightly and kept refrigerated. Hard and ripened cheeses needn't be refrigerated. Keep them loosely covered in a cool, dark space."
On Seafood:
- "Shellfish should only be kept in the refrigerator for a few hours...Try to avoid wrapping meat and fish in plastic wrap before freezing."
On Oils:
- "Exposure to light can rob oils of vitamins E, A and D. Store oils in the refrigerator or a cool dark cupboard."
On Leftovers:
- "transfer your leftovers to an airtight food storage container to keep them fresh"
But remember, even if you store food properly, you still have a limited time to eat it. Perhaps we need a foolproof way to remind ourselves about the food we have stored so that we eat it in time? Sounds like we need another tip. Guess that will have to be for another day...
Be sure to check out the two Gomestic.com articles listed below, as they offer up a lot of good tips and information related to food storage.
Got any tips of your own for properly storing food? Share them in the Comments section below.
