How to Keep Food Fresh – Ultimate Guide

Preserving food is an issue that everyone has to consider. Whether it is fresh fruits, vegetables or leftovers from the previous night’s dinner, nobody wants to discard food that has gone bad. I am here to assist you in understanding how you can store your food so that it can last for a long time. Here are a few tips to help you save your money, cut down on the amount of food wasted and eat tasty meals at the right time. Let’s see how you can make it easy to maintain the freshness and shelf life of the food.

How can Packaged Food be Preserved?  

When you purchase processed foods, you will wish that they last as long as possible. First of all, you should always look at the expiration date before purchasing the product. Select the items that have the latest date. Once you reach home, ensure that you put these foods in the right places to be kept in. For instance, store cereals, pasta and rice in air-tight containers to prevent them from being affected by insects. This helps in keeping moisture and pests from accessing the house. In case you purchase chips or snacks that are contained in a bag with a zipper, ensure that you close the zipper tightly each time you are using the chips or snacks. 

In case you have foods that require refrigeration such as cheese or deli meats, ensure that you only use them when required and keep them well packed in their original packaging. Upon preparation, store them in an airtight container or wrap them in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. This helps to avoid contact with air which leads to spoiling of the foodstuffs. It is also possible to put the date when the pack was opened on the containers so that they do not mix up the new and old food. This assists you in knowing the time that the food has been in storage. 

How to Make Food Long-Lasting

It is not difficult to make food last longer. The only thing that you have to consider is how you are going to store it. First of all, try your fruits and vegetables. It is best stored in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. This drawer is designed to control humidity and this is very important when storing produce. For fruits that require some breathing space such as apples and oranges, it is advisable to use the perforated bags. For green vegetables such as lettuce and spinach, it is recommended that they be stored in bags or containers with a paper towel. The paper towel helps to wipe out the extra moisture so that the greens do not get spoiled easily. 

Meats on the other hand are best preserved by freezing to increase their shelf life. It is also important to portion large quantities of meat before freezing to avoid cases where the entire pack thaws at once. In this way, only the required quantity is thawed while the remaining portion remains in the freezer. Freezer burn is inevitable if one does not use the right bags or containers that are suitable for the freezer. If you have a vacuum sealer, it is even better to use it for added protection to your food. It evacuates all air from the packaging thus preserving the meats for months. 

Storing Food at Home

This is the reason why proper home storage of food plays a crucial role in its shelf-life. Start with your pantry. This is where they should be stored – cool, dark, and dry. Heat and light make foods spoil quickly. Keep canned goods and jars at the back of the pantry because the back is always cooler than the front. Organize the front of the pantry for the foods that are used most often. This helps in preventing foods from going to waste especially when they reach their expiry dates. 

In your refrigerator, store foods in groups in custom food bags with logo. Raw meats should be stored on the lower shelf to avoid cross-contamination with other foods in case the juices drip. Keep dairy products at the middle racks because they are cooler than the lower racks. Eggs should remain in the carton and should be placed on the shelf of the refrigerator and not on the door. The door is usually hot and cold depending on the weather and this makes the eggs go bad easily. 

What Makes Food Stay Fresh Longer?

Several factors define the shelf life of food products. Temperature is one of them. Refrigerate at below 40°F (4°C) and freeze at 0°F (-18°C). This retards the growth of bacteria which leads to spoilage of food products. Also, consider moisture levels. Excessive moisture makes food items such as bread become moldy or fruits become soft and squishy. On the other hand, too little moisture can dry out meats and cheeses and the cold air can spoil the food. Choose the right containers and storage methods that will help regulate the amount of moisture in the food. 

Extending Expiration Dates

Prolonging the shelf life of your food is really a matter of how you store and handle your food. After coming from the grocery store, spend some time storing your food in the right way. Move older stocks to the front of the pantry and fridge so that they are consumed first. This habit assists in cutting down wastage while at the same time ensuring that the foods are used before they become spoilt. 

Think about dividing the fresh vegetables or salad dressing, for instance, into smaller bowls and put them in the freezer. In this way, you can thaw only the required amount of food and reduce the time it takes for the food to go bad. For instance, one can freeze fresh herbs in ice cube trays with a little olive oil. This not only helps to retain their taste but also facilitates the use of the foods at a later time. 

Bottom Line

Maintaining food freshness is not always a complex task as most people tend to think. Ensure that packaged foods are stored correctly, use containers that do not allow air in and ensure that the foods are at the right temperature and not moist. Turn your food around in the pantry and fridge and freeze foods that are easily spoilt. With these tips, you will be able to have fresh foods every day and at the same time be economical. Begin today and you will notice how much longer your foods last and are not spoiled.