If you lead a healthy lifestyle, are on a diet, or simply don’t care what goes into your stomach, you’ve probably already read almost everything about the benefits of natural foods. Therefore, you come to the supermarket and fill a cart full of the most delicious and healthy things, without chemicals or preservatives. But it turns out that you will soon throw away at least 14% of these products due to the fact that they have spoiled due to improper or too long storage. The average family wastes about $1,200 a year this way. Agree, it would be much more reasonable to spend this amount, for example, on travel. Therefore, we will learn how to properly store food so that it stays fresh longer.
General Tips
1. Adjust the temperature of your refrigerator. Inside the freezer, the temperature should be kept at minus 18°C, in the refrigerator – plus 3-4°C.
2. Do not store perishable foods on the refrigerator door shelves, although there may be convenient recesses and containers there. It is this place in the refrigerator that is subject to frequent temperature changes.
3. Don't fill the refrigerator to capacity. You must ensure an even flow of cold air to the food, and also be able to see what is in the refrigerator. Otherwise, what is hidden closer to the back wall of the refrigerator compartment is simply doomed to travel to the trash bin.
4. Humidity promotes mold and rotting of food. Dry vegetables and fruits before storing and do not use plastic bags to store them.
5. Always look at the expiration date of products when shopping.
6. Buy locally produced products - they probably contain a lower dose of preservatives and definitely do not sit on store shelves.
7. Grow your own food! Greens, vegetables, berries - all this, collected on your own plot, will be the freshest. If you can’t eat everything you grew, process it, can it, give it to friends and neighbors.
How long to store food: everyday observations
It is worth considering that mono-component products deteriorate more slowly (for example, boiled rice, beans, pasta without dressing). Boiled root vegetables with their skins can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week if not peeled. Among multi-component dishes, those that use vinegar or contain other organic acids can withstand storage for 2-4 days - for example, cooked fish or raw vegetables in marinade, soups with sauerkraut. The most favorable storage place for prepared dishes in the refrigerator is the top shelf or the zero “freshness zone” in advanced models.
The data on expiration dates published below, determined by SanPiN 42-123-4117-86, can be taken into account rather as food for thought. That is, focus on the ratios of indicators that indicate the most perishable products, and not take a specific number of hours as a norm.
Fresh fruits and vegetables
When vegetables and fruits ripen, they begin to release a gas called ethylene. This gas triggers the mechanism of rapid ripening in other vegetables and fruits located next to the already ripe ones. Sometimes this is convenient, but more often than not the family simply does not have time to eat large quantities of ripe fruits and vegetables, and the spoiled food is thrown into the trash.
Ripe bananas, apricots, melons, pears, plums, mangoes and tomatoes emit ethylene very actively. Apples, eggplants, cucumbers, watermelon, potatoes, pumpkins, carrots, broccoli and some other vegetables and fruits are extremely sensitive to ethylene. Therefore, it is logical to keep fresh fruits and vegetables from these two groups away from each other.
If you want to preserve the flavor and freshness of your vegetables and fruits, place them in the warmest zone of your refrigerator.
Greens do not lose their quality for a long time if, before putting them in the refrigerator, they are wrapped in damp gauze and placed in a plastic bag. A bunch of greens will be fresh for a while without refrigeration if you put it in a glass of cold water, like a bouquet of flowers.
Not all vegetables benefit from cold. Tomatoes keep better at room temperature, but if you put cucumbers in a too cold place, then after a couple of days you risk getting a slimy green something instead of a crispy fresh cucumber.
Line the bottom of vegetable drawers with paper towels. They will absorb excess moisture and prevent vegetables and fruits from rotting.
Fresh, peeled and chopped radishes, carrots and celery can be stored in the refrigerator for a very long time if you place them in a container of water.
Bananas will stay fresh for a long time if the base of the bunch is wrapped in cling film or a plastic bag. Store bananas at room temperature - they instantly turn black in the refrigerator.
Helpful tips for storing prepared food in the refrigerator
- An airtight container is a must for storing any prepared food, as oxygen stimulates the growth of bacteria. And to avoid condensation, simply place a sheet of paper towel under the lid and change it from time to time.
- Regularly monitor the temperature in the refrigerator: it should not exceed 4 °C.
- The temperature at the back of the refrigerator is lower than near the door, so think carefully about the placement of containers.
- Be sure to make notes on the container with the time and date of placement, especially if there are people in the family who like to snack individually.
- Do not put containers with hot or warm leftover food in the refrigerator, this increases the rate of spread of bacteria and harms the operation of the refrigerator.
- A small amount of lemon juice added to the dish will prolong its shelf life.
- If you want to preserve the product for a long time, use the freezer. Do this with broths , pouring them into ice cube trays or filling zip bags halfway with liquid.
- If a dish is stored longer than expected, do not freeze it, but throw it away without regret. Take care of yourself and your loved ones!
Store any prepared food in food containers
Meat and eggs
Fresh meat that you plan to use for dinner or soup tomorrow can be kept chilled in the coldest zone of the refrigerator, rather than in the freezer. It should not be wrapped in plastic. It is better to place the meat in a bowl or container and cover with a lid.
It is better to wrap meat intended for long-term storage in the freezer in foil rather than in cling film.
The freezer compartment should not be filled to capacity: there must be space between the products, otherwise they will quickly spoil as they freeze properly.
Ready-to-eat meat dishes must cool down before being put into the refrigerator. Moreover, it is better to cool such dishes quickly, rather than leaving them to simmer for half a day at room temperature.
Store bacon and sausage in the refrigerator, wrapped in parchment (waxed) paper.
Fish can be stored frozen for quite a long time. Just insulate it well with plastic bags, otherwise it will generously share its aroma with other products in the freezer.
Do not keep the eggs on the refrigerator door, but put them in a container and place them on the top shelf. By the way, eggs are protected naturally, and previously in villages they were stored without any refrigerators. You can also experiment, only in this case the eggs must be washed immediately before use, otherwise the protective layer may be damaged. It is easy to distinguish a rotten egg from a fresh one: fresh eggs sink in a bowl of water, while rotten ones float on the surface.
Useful tips: how long can you store food in the refrigerator?
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Kazakh nutritionist Diana Danilova gave some advice on how long you can store meat, vegetables and other products in the refrigerator. Read more in the material.
According to the expert, in order to avoid stomach problems, you need to respect the shelf life of food in the refrigerator.
For example, salads with meat, fish, and poultry without dressing should be stored for no more than 12 hours, as should cutlets, jellies, and jellied meat.
Cakes and pastries with buttercream are stored for 36 hours.
“Roasted meat, duck, baked chicken, rabbit, in general, all types of roasting are stored for no more than 48 hours. Boiled, stewed meat, fried liver, boiled poultry, fish, carrots, beets, eggs - 24 hours,” Danilova said.
If we talk about dairy products , kefir and cottage cheese can be stored for a week, sour cream for seven days, hard cheese for two weeks in a container. Farm milk for two to three days.
Vegetables . White cabbage is stored for two weeks in cling film, cucumbers - seven days, zucchini - up to three weeks, carrots - up to two months in a net, beets up to two months in film, radishes up to seven days in a container, celery - two weeks in foil, cauliflower cabbage for one week in film, eggplants for up to three weeks, fresh mushrooms for two to three days, bell peppers for a week in film or a bag.
“All products in tetrapacks and vacuum packaging should be stored for no more than 24 hours after opening. The optimal temperature in the refrigerator compartment is three to four degrees,” she noted.
Regarding frozen foods. The nutritionist advises paying attention to the cheat sheets that most freezers are equipped with. Typically, pictures with products and shelf life are located on the inside of the door or in the compartments. But you need to understand that these terms are highly averaged.
So, the flesh of the meat is stored in the freezer for four to six months, the bones for up to 12 months.
Minced meat should be stored for three to four months, sausages and sausages - up to two months, a poultry carcass for only a month, and its individual parts for six to nine months.
Lean fish can be stored for up to six months, fatty fish for about two to three months. Seafood can be kept in the freezer for up to two months.
Butter – nine months, margarine – 12 months.
“You should always understand that food, when it gets into your refrigerator, travels a certain path and can be stored for some time at the point of sale. Therefore, try to carefully choose what gets on your table, paying attention to the color, smell, consistency and indicated production times, places of sale and compliance with the conditions for storing products. Do not eat expired products,” warns Danilova.
She also advises not to buy food for future use unless absolutely necessary; it is better to always have it freshly purchased.
In addition, if you decide to freeze foods, then break them into small portions and distribute them into special containers or freezer bags, placing everything in a thin layer so that you can defrost everything quickly without using a microwave.
The nutritionist noted that she herself always makes preparations for goulash in advance, placing everything in a thin layer in a bag and in the freezer. Such a thin layer, according to her, defrosts in 20-40 minutes.
She also advises not to ignore the super-freeze mode, because it ensures quick freezing of products, thereby preserving their beneficial properties.
On June 7, 2021, a nutritionist named habits after eating that will kill your body - read more about it here.
Tags: nutritionistKazakhstanMilkMeatProductsFoodtipscake
Bread and cereals
Bread should be stored in a bread bin, not in a plastic bag. The bread bin is placed in a dry and fairly cool place, otherwise mold or rapid drying of the bread is inevitable.
Bread keeps well in the refrigerator and even in the freezer. At the same time, you can cut it and take as many pieces as you need each time.
After purchasing, place loose cookies in a container or jar with a lid.
Flour can also be stored in the refrigerator. But if you feel sorry for space, put the flour on the balcony in the cold. If there were larvae and bugs in the flour, they will completely die within 4 days. Afterwards, the flour must be sifted and poured into glass jars or plastic containers with airtight lids. Place a bag of salt or rice there as a moisture absorber.
How long does meat last?
If we talk about the whole piece, then you should not keep it in the refrigerator for more than five days. If the meat is not vacuum sealed, it must either be cooked within two days or frozen. Properly frozen, meat can be stored for up to a year. Be sure to place the meat in an airtight package: this way it will not retain any foreign odors or excess moisture. And it will be easier to defrost it later.
Any minced meat can remain in the refrigerator for no more than two days. In the store refrigerator, by the way, too. This product can last up to 4 months in the freezer. In general, try not to buy ready-made minced meat, because in most cases it is made from tits, pussies, sinews, skins and other nonsense. In addition, store-bought minced meat is very watery. Which is not at all strange: water is added to it to increase weight.
Chicken fillet in the refrigerator can be considered fresh for two days. Then it begins to become covered with a slimy film and smell bad. So we either cook it or put it in the freezer.
Cheese and other dairy products
Milk is stored in the refrigerator, in its original packaging. If you purchased fresh, not sterilized or pasteurized milk, boil it with added sugar - this will prevent it from turning sour longer.
The refrigerator door is not suitable for storing milk cartons - the temperature there is too high.
To keep the cheese fresh, use a special container to store it or wrap the cheese in wax paper and foil. Cheese is a “living” product, so do not completely cut off its oxygen, but provide minimal air access.
Butter bought for future use will not lose its taste if stored in the freezer, but not longer than six months.
What is considered spoiled?
We are accustomed to considering a product spoiled only when mold or rot is visible to the naked eye. However, molds are very cunning: they produce poisons to destroy competitors - microorganisms that benefit us. Mushrooms take over territory very quickly. The waste products of the most common fungi are aflatoxins - highly toxic carcinogenic compounds, a type of mycotoxin. Aflotoxins grow and develop due to oxygen and very quickly penetrate deep into the product. They have neither taste nor smell, and are deadly. A dose of just 2 mcg per kilogram of body weight can lead to irreversible damage to the liver: cause the development of tumors, provoke cellular mutations. The most “harmless” property of aflatoxins is a decrease in the body’s defenses.
There is a popular belief that if you “process” slightly spoiled apples, carrots, meat and other products, they will cease to be harmful and will only bring benefits. At the same time, few people know that each individual type of mold dies under its own conditions. For some, five minutes at 650 is enough for complete destruction, while others can withstand a temperature of 900 for an hour and a half. Do you know what mushrooms live in what you are about to cook?
