Food Storage Guidelines & Safety Tips - How to Store Food at Home
Effective Storing of Food at Home
Properly storing food at home is often something that is overlooked by many of us, but what we don’t realize is that it’s an important aspect of healthy eating. Just stuffing food into cupboards and refrigerators is not good enough to increase their shelf life and prevent contamination. So, how can we store different kinds of food at home? Here are some home food storage tips that can help you do this
Tips for Storing Canned Goods
Canned goods have an expiration date of one year from the manufacturing date. The quality of these foods is questionable after this period. Store canned foods in their original packaging at temperatures between 50-70°F. The humidity level is another factor which should be considered while storing canned foods. Cans stored at humidity levels of more than 60% can become rusty and leaky. If the cans are swollen, rusted, or leaking, discard them immediately.
Tips for Storing Meat, Fish, Poultry and Dairy Products
A refrigerator plays an important part in storing food at home. Dairy products, meats, and poultry spoil easily if not stored at proper temperatures and a refrigerator is of great help here. Ideal temperatures to store these products are between 34-38°F.
Eggs should be stored in their original cartons and kept in the refrigerator. They should be consumed within 4-5 weeks of their packaging date.
Fresh fish should be stored in the refrigerator and consumed within 1-2 days. Frozen fish and seafood can be stored in the freezer for 3 to 6 months. However, frozen shrimp can be stored in the freezer for about 12 months.
Wrap meats in moisture-proof and airtight packaging and store them in the freezer. You can store whole cuts of meat this way for 4-12 months and ground meats can be stored for 3-4 months.
Poultry can also be stored this way in the freezer for about 12 months.
While storing fluid milk, make sure that it is tightly closed before putting it in the refrigerator. Milk can be safely stored for about 8 days. However, its shelf-life can be more depending on the date of manufacturing and the storage conditions at the grocery shop.
Cheese should be tightly wrapped in moisture-proof wrappers and stored in the refrigerator at temperatures below 40°F.
Tips for Storing Fruits and Vegetables
Your refrigerator also plays an important role in storing fruits and vegetables. Mostly fresh vegetables can be stored in the refrigerator for about 5 days at a temperature of 40°F and humidity levels of 95-100 %. Frozen vegetables can be stored in the freezer for about 8 months. Storing fresh fruits in ventilated covered containers in a separate storage area in the refrigerator helps in extending their shelf life and prevents them from absorbing odors from other foods. Dried fruits can be safely stored at room temperatures for about 6 months if unopened.
Here are some addtional tips on storing potatoes.
Storing Packaged Foods and Baked Foods
Storing baked foods at home should also be given special attention. Breads can be stored at room temperature for 5-7 days. You can prolong the shelf-life of bread by storing it in the refrigerator since it delays the growth of mold. Bakery products containing eggs, creams, and cheese should not be kept in the refrigerator for more than 3 days.
Packaged food such as flour, sugar, cereals, and rice should be transferred to an airtight container as soon as they are opened. The shelf-life of whole wheat flour and raw white and brown rice can be extended by storing them in the refrigerator.
Additional Food Storage Guidelines & Tips
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Keep food storage areas at home clean and dry.
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Packaged foods stored at room temperatures should always be stored about 6 inches from the ground and away from the walls.
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If there are any doubts about the storage or expiration of foods, especially canned foods, discard them immediately.
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The freezer temperature should always stay at 0°F or below.
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Do not overload the refrigerator and maintain the temperature around 38°F.
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Practice FIFO (First-In-First-Out). Placing recently purchased items behind the existing food items can help you practice this principle easily.
Storing food at home requires a little planning and a little presence of mind. But a few simple steps can prevent the food from getting spoiled, extend its shelf life, and protect the health of your loved ones. So, use these food storage guidelines to effectively and safely store food at home.
