Storing your food well should be a priority for you especially if you care about your well being. The following tips will show you how to safely store your food. You can read more by visiting this website below
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A complete food storage guide
1. http://www.wikihow.com/Store-Food
It is important for you to know how to store your food properly as a
precautious method against consuming contaminated food.
Poorly handled food or poorly stored food can harbor organisms that cause
food borne illnesses which are a danger to your health. The following food
storage guide will help you to properly handle and store your food.
Choose the right space for your home food store
It is important to identify the storage space that you intend to use as your
home food store. Choose a storage space that is convenient, with sufficient
space for a proper home food store.
The following are some of the qualities and conditions that a proper home
food store should have.
1. The store should be cool, dry and dark. The store should be far away
from rooms that have other heat sources such as the furnace room,
water heaters freezers amongst others. Exposure to direct sunlight will
affect the shelf life of the stored foods.
This is because such appliances and equipment generate heat which will
in turn increase the room temperature affecting your food stuffs.
2. The food home store should be kept dry at all times to avoid creation of
moisture which will affect the stored food.
3. The food homes store should be well ventilated at all times. This means
that the room that you choose as your home food store should have a
good air circulation.
4. Choose a room that is conveniently located near the kitchen to make it
easier for you to access the food that you want to prepare.
2. Classify your foods
The first order of business when planning on how to store your food is to
group it into different classes (dry foods, fresh foods, liquids among others).
Eggs and dairy products
The eggs and dairy products should be kept in their respective boxes in the
fridge.
Make sure that you keep the eggs and dairy products far from any strong
smelling foods. This is mainly because the egg shells are porous and can easily
absorb flavors and smells from other foods in the fridge.
All your butter and bread spreads should be kept in their own separate
compartment in the fridge in properly sealed containers.
Fresh foods (fruits and vegetables)
If you have potatoes, you should keep them in a dry, dark and cool place.
Keeping them in a moist environment will cause them to sprout and spoil.
This also applies to foods such as onions, garlic and any other fresh foods that
don’t have to be kept in the fridge.
Fruits should be kept in a dry and dark place to avoid speeding up the
ripening process. If you have some fruits that you want to ripen, then you
should keep them in a plastic bag for a few days as a way of speeding up the
ripening process.
For fresh leafy greens, wash them and dry them thoroughly using a salad
spinner. Store them in the fridge in a sealed plastic container on a paper towel
base in order to absorb excess moisture.
Tomatoes should be kept out of the fridge in a paper bag in a dry and cool
place for a longer shelf life. You can keep sliced tomatoes in the fridge in a
tightly sealed plastic container.
When you are storing mushrooms in the fridge, remember to keep them in
paper bags as opposed to plastic bags which cause them to become mushy.
3. Meats, poultry and fish
This goes without saying, all meat products should be kept in the freezer
compartment in tightly sealed plastic containers. Avoid storing uncovered
meat products because this is not hygienic at all. Remember to wash the meat,
fish and poultry products well before storage.
Beverages
All your beverages and drinks kept in the fridge should be tightly sealed to
avoid contamination. This is crucial in avoiding spills in the fridge making it to
look messy and smelly.
Cooking oil, spices and condiments
Make sure that you keep your cooking oil in a safe place at all times, given
that fact that most cooking oil is sold in glass bottles. You can dedicate a
plastic container to keep your cooking oil instead of a glass bottle which can
break easily.
Your spices should be kept far from other food stuffs given the fact that their
flavors can be easily absorbed by other foods.
Ensure ample air circulation in the fridge
It is common practice for most people to have so many types of food in their
fridge. This can however cause the fridge to lack ample space for good air
circulation.
It is always advisable to use up all the older stock in your fridge before you
buy more food products.
Clean any food spills immediately
In order to avoid food contamination, you should clean any food that spills
while in storage. Food spills will often attract unwanted rodents and insects
such as rats, cockroaches and ants. Make sure that all your food storage spaces
are clean at all times.
Use proper storage containers
4. When storing food products, you should make sure that you keep all your
food items in tightly sealed containers. Dry food stuffs should be kept in
plastic or metal based tightly sealed containers to prolong their shelf life.
Avoid using plastic containers that previously had chemicals or paint, this is
unsafe for human consumption. You should buy empty containers or use
containers that were previously used in restaurants.
Estimate the amount of food that you consume monthly
A proper food storage guide should include an estimation of how much food
you consume monthly. This information will guide you on how much food you
should keep in your home food store.
You should also bear in mind when storing food the expiry dates of the food
products. Avoid buying too much food that might go to waste or spoil.
Buying food in bulk is economical, but buying excess food that you don’t need
is not advisable. Buy the right amounts of food that you know you will
consume within a certain to avoid food contamination from expired food
products.
Take note of the storage life for the food products
It is important to know the shelf life of the food before storage. This is because
the food’s shelf life is highly determined by the temperature conditions, light
and moisture levels.
When buying food products it is important for you to read the recommended
storage room temperature and conditions for a prolonged shelf life.
The mistakes to avoid with food storage
1. Improper storage containers- Make sure that you store your food in tightly
sealed containers to prolong the food shelf life and avoid the food from
getting contaminated.
2. Mixing different foods in storage- Storing different foods that are exposed
together is a recipe for contamination and spoilage.
5. 3. Lack of proper ventilation in the food store- Most food products should be
kept in a dark, dry, cool place in order to prolong their shelf life.
4. Buying too much than you can consume- You should avoid buying too
much food that you will fail to consume before the expiry dates
recommended for the different foods in your store.