Storing your groceries the right way can help you keep them fresh and even extend their shelf life. This way, you won’t also lose the nutritional value of the food or your hard-earned money. Plus, you’ll minimize food waste, which is much better for the environment.
For instance, using reusable ziplock bags helps your food stay super fresh and at the same time reduces the waste associated with disposable plastics.
However, it’s it’s not always easy to tell how to keep food at its freshest. Therefore, we’ve compiled a quick list of ways to store food to help you make it last longer. Read below!
Use Lemon Juice to Preserve Avocados
If you want to use a portion of an avocado to make a salad or some toast for breakfast, you can preserve the rest of it without having to toss it in the bin in a few days.
You can use lemon juice or any other citrus juice and squeeze it on the remaining avocado to prevent it from turning brown. Keeping the seed of avocado intact in the other half can also keep it fresh.
Don’t Wash Fruits and Veggies Prior to Storing in the Refrigerator
It’s ideal to wash fruits and vegetables only when you have to use them. Otherwise, washing and storing them in the fridge can allow them to absorb moisture, therefore accelerating the decaying process. If you use fruits and vegetables to make your own juice, we recommend that you visit How Long Does Fresh Juice Last? as a guide to how long your juiced fruits and veggies will last in the fridge.
Don’t Keep Your Coffee in the Freezer or Fridge
Storing your freshly roasted coffee will ensure the heavenly taste and smell of the coffee beans remain intact. As keeping coffee in the freezer or fridge can lead to moisture absorption, therefore, it’s essential to store it in an airtight jar in a dry, dark place such as your kitchen’s cabinet or pantry.
Store Mushrooms in the Fridge
Mushrooms remain fresher when they are stored at colder temperatures. That’s why your best bet would be storing mushrooms in the fridge.
You should first take the mushrooms out of the container they come in and pat them dry using paper towels. Once they are all dried, you should put them in a paper bag and store them in the fridge.
Don’t Keep Bread in the Fridge
If you use bread every other day, you should never store it in the fridge because it will make your bread drier and harder.
Keeping your bread at room temperature will prevent it from going stale and will ensure its freshness. That said, if you want to preserve the freshness of your bread over the course of a couple of months, you should store it in the freezer then.
Leverage the Crisper Drawer of Your Fridge for Ginger
The crisper drawer of your fridge is ideal for keeping certain fruits and veggies fresh by maintaining optimal humidity levels. Therefore, you should store ginger in the crisper drawer inside of a resealable bag, as the bag will ensure no air is trapped inside.
Don’t Store Dairy Products in the Door of the Fridge
It’s the norm of almost every household to keep milk or other dairy products in the door of the fridge. But this “norm” needs to go if you want to prevent your dairy products from spoiling quickly.
Instead, you should use the middle or bottom shelf of your fridge, as these shelves keep the temperature consistent. It’s the inconsistent temperature swings of the door opening and closing that can spoil your dairy products.
Tomatoes Should Be Stored According to Their Freshness Level
You can’t store all kinds of tomatoes in the same way, regardless of how ripe or unripe they are.
For green or unripe tomatoes, you should keep them in a paper bag until they become ready to consume. Even if they are completely ripe, you should never store them in the fridge because this way, they may lose their nutrients and flavor.
When the tomatoes are completely ripe or over-ripe, storing them in a dark, dry place at room temperature will be your best bet.
When you store food properly, you lower your food waste and make the most of your groceries. These tips should help get you on your way, and if you think you need more, check out 6 Kitchen Hacks I Didn’t Know I Needed Until I Tried Them.
Feature image: Polina Tankilevitch; Image 1: Pixabay