Store food: How do you store food?

Store food; how do I correct it? Tips for storing food in the refrigerator and indoors. How to store vegetables, fruits, berries, fish, dairy, and meat products. What conditions need to be created? Food storage is an essential point for every homemaker. Knowing the rules of this process will prevent them from getting spoiled and not throwing money down the drain. The main thing here is to create the right conditions for this: to choose the suitable method and determine the temperature, humidity, and other things.

How do you store food?

The most important nuance here is the temperature; you should keep almost Everything in the refrigerator and some in the cellar. The humidity level in the room is not allowed to exceed 70%. Separate storage of various products is also essential. Otherwise, their smells may mix, affecting the taste.

Do not ignore the expiration date, which is always indicated on the packaging. If some food has already disappeared, it cannot be refrigerated.

When storing food, you should pay attention to the following nuances:

• Place … The space for a standard classic refrigerator model is divided into 4-5 parts, excluding the freezer. Each of them is designed for specific tasks: raw fish or meat that is planned to be cooked in the next 1-2 days is stacked on the lower shelf, the upper one is for dairy products, and the middle one is prepared dishes. On the side shelves, there are various sauces, oils, and eggs, for which there is almost always a separate container.
• Shelf life … Here, we are not talking about what is written on the packaging but the actual shelf life. Most of all, this is the period of preservation, which can be put in the refrigerator and the cellar. It includes various salads, purees, and sugar. Here they can stay for up to a year. Perishable foods (milk, kefir, raw fish) will be suitable to eat for 2-3 days, but after that, the smell will be unpleasant.
• Way … There are two options here – storing raw and frozen products. The latter solution applies to various fruits, vegetables, berries, meat, and fish. This technique is not suitable for eggs, milk, kefir, etc. In the first case, you can also use ice, which will lower the temperature of the food.
• Package … Shpould pack all loose materials in a glass or plastic container that must be closed with a lid and placed in a cupboard in the kitchen. It prevents food spoilage and insects from entering.

It is not allowed to store food in tight plastic bags, as food quickly acquires an unpleasant smell. Before loading them here, rinse Everything well (berries, fruits, etc.). Under no circumstances should vegetables and other cleaning products be stored without skins for more than 24 hours.

Important! Do not forget the presence of unique bags and containers for storing food.

Tips on how to store food

Food storage methods differ for fish, dairy, bakery products, meat, eggs, sausages, vegetables and fruit, and bulk products. The latter includes flour, tea, coffee, sugar, salt, spices, and grains. The most challenging situation is semolina and millet, where centers start very quickly. That’s why banks with them are permanently closed.

Storage of bulk products

The pickiest are sugar, various spices, salt, and tea, which may not spoil for many years. Even if they lay down for several years, their taste, smell, and appearance will hardly change. They do not need much cold or warmth, so they are not put in the refrigerator. But despite this, each representative of the grocery store should provide its capacity.

Storage instructions vary by product:

• Grains … For them, you should buy plastic or glass containers with a volume of 0.2 to 1 liter. Before use, they must be washed well and dried, turned upside down – it is not allowed to pour buckwheat, semolina, etc., into wet containers. The roughs need to be cleaned if there are black inclusions and debris. Nevertheless, they must be closed with a clothespin if it is in open bags.
• Wheat … can be eaten for 6 to 12 months, depending on the type. It is preferable to store it in a cloth bag with a volume of 1-5 kg. As a last resort, you can leave this ingredient in paper bags, but you have to be careful not to get it wet. Whichever choice is made, must tie the wrap with rope. It is necessary to maintain humidity in the room at 60% and the temperature in the range + 5-18 ° С. You cannot keep this type loose in places where rodents are found; otherwise, it will, over time, acquire the smell of a mouse.
• Tea … It should be poured immediately into a plastic or glass container and covered with a lid. The raw material is left in its “native” packaging if there is no particular container. Still, the polyethylene inside is tightly packed and tied so that moisture does not enter. It is stored in direct sunlight, preferably in a cupboard.
• Coffee … It is highly recommended to buy this drink more than 2 weeks in advance. Otherwise, its taste and aroma may change for the worse. So that it is not saturated with other smells, you can pour it into a plastic bag or a jar immediately after purchase. The latter should have a tight lid with a silicone gasket. You can store this type of food in the cereal cabinet in the kitchen, but you can’t put them in the refrigerator and even more so in the freezer.
• Salt … It, regardless of type, is filled with a bit of extraordinary chaos, and the rest is in natural packaging. If it is made of thick cardboard, it is packed so that moisture does not enter. You’ll need a clip that goes over the cut edge if it’s a plastic bag.
• Spices … Everything is straightforward with them – there are unique jars for them, which can place on a shelf attached to the wall in the kitchen. The main thing is to keep them closed and rinse the lids regularly to prevent spices from accumulating.

Do not store food bulk products in the refrigerator, and even more next to fish, meat, and milk. In the warm season, it is permissible to put them in a dry cellar, where they can store Everything in a plastic container. If the product gets wet, it must be dried immediately by spreading it on a baking sheet and placing it on the open door of a lighted oven. Do not take out the grain with a wet spoon; otherwise, moisture will get into it, and it will start to disappear. Ideally, you should not buy more than 1-2 kg of each species and only restock when necessary.

Storage conditions for dairy products

Can store all dairy products in a cool cellar or refrigerator. The first option is ideal for hard cheese that can keep for more than a month. Always place milk, cottage cheese, sour cream, and butter in the refrigerator on a separate shelf, usually at the top. At this time, the temperature must be at least 1 ° C. Otherwise, Everything can disappear.

Dry milk is a versatile product that can stay in a kitchen cupboard at room temperature for more than a week. It should be tightly covered with a lid if it is a metal can. The most convenient packaging is in the form of a bag made of dense polyethylene. Should keep it away from sunlight.

The same rule applies to milk powder, which becomes solid in the refrigerator. To store food products in milk powder for a longer time, the cut point must be closed with a clothespin after the package has been opened. Otherwise, moisture will get in, and the powder will start to clump.

If you want cottage cheese to be edible for more than 2-3 days, pour it into an enamel bowl, which is placed on the salt on the bottom and top of the product – a clean cheesecloth dipped in a salt solution, and press down with oppression.

If we are talking about pasteurized milk, pouring it into a plastic container after opening the package is advisable. In the case of packaging in cardboard boxes and bottles, Everything can be left as it is only by closing the lid tightly after each removal.

Rules and shelf life of meat products

This category includes pure meat (beef, pork, veal, chicken, etc.) and various products based on them. It can be cutlets in the form of semi-finished products, raw sausages, sausages, salami, and much more. All this needs a low temperature. Otherwise, it will quickly disappear. Smoked sausage has the most extended shelf life.

Let’s consider in more detail the requirements for the storage of meat products:

• Cooked sausages and sausages … are edible within 2-5 days from the date of purchase, provided they are preserved in the original film. Removing them immediately will develop a complex, dark crust and quickly lose their freshness. Therefore, do not cut too much in advance; if something is left, you must cover the slice with a plate or a bag.
• Smoked sausages … can be stored for up to a year. If these delicacies are bought 1-2 weeks before the intended use, they are stored in the freezer. What you need for today or tomorrow can be left on the top shelf of the refrigerator at a temperature of 4 ° C. In this case, you cannot cut the stick or remove the film from it.
• Clean meat … Fresh, it can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than two days at a temperature of 2-3 ° C. Before doing this, the product should be washed well, soaked in salt water, and dried. Then it is wrapped in food paper and placed on a shelf in the refrigerator. If it is not used for a certain period, it is necessary to freeze it. They cut it, put it in a bag, and send it to the freezer.

Stores vegetables as food

These are relatively delicate foods that can store both at room temperature and in a cold place. Potatoes are well preserved in the cellar, where a particular fence is made for them on the floor. It is poured here in a layer of no more than 20 cm. To prevent it from starting to rot, the room should not be humid, so it should be ventilated regularly.

Let’s make a division based on the type of product:

• Carrot … It can be safe in the basket and the kitchen, but it starts to rot or become moldy with high humidity.
• Onions … Here, the situation is the same as carrots – they can be stored indoors, but the bag cannot be closed well.
• Tomatoes … After being refrigerated, they quickly lose their flavor and aroma. That’s why it’s better to have them on the table without covering them with anything. Before this is done, should wash them well.
• Cucumbers … already need a low temperature because otherwise, they will be soft and moldy. They should be stored in a separate vegetable drawer in the refrigerator.
• Turnips and cabbage … The ideal place for them is the basement, but they also keep a good appearance for a long time in room conditions. After purchase, they must be removed from the packaging and placed in the basket.

How to store fruit as food

Apples, pears, bananas, kiwis – Everything spoils quickly at room temperature, so it is stored in fruit in the refrigerator. Should not mix them; it is better to wrap them in foil and place them separately. You can put cardboard between them by making several lines. First, you should put in solid food, which will not crush at the bottom.

Anything that can flow – peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines – must be stored in plastic containers with holes in the bottom. To avoid staining the fridge, you must put them in bags.

All fruits are pre-washed and dried. If the task is to save them for the winter, you can resort to freezing. To do this, they are poured with boiling water, peeled, covered with sugar, left for 1-2 hours, put in a plastic container, and put in the freezer. Can store dried apples, pears, and apricots directly in bags in the cupboard – nothing should happen to them. Still, it is highly desirable to dry them in the oven at least once a month.

How and how much can store fish products? 

Fresh fish can lie at a temperature from 0 to + 2 ° C for no more than 2 days, after which it emits a disgusting smell. If this period needs to be extended, it should be washed, cleaned, and sprinkled with ice cubes. It will delay product damage for at least 2-3 days.

While live fish can be placed in a bath or a large container and, if necessary, catch it.

Salted mackerel, herring, and shoots are best kept peeled with onions and sunflower oil. But in this case, they must be covered with a lid so that the smell does not mix.

If you need to extend the shelf life, you can soak the fish in vinegar for a few hours and then rinse it with water.

How and how much to store berries

Berries are one of the most perishable foods. Fresh, they can be stored in plastic containers for no more than 1-2 days, after which they begin to juice and lose their taste. They should be on the bottom shelf all this time, but nothing should be placed on top.

If you plan to freeze the berries, they must be washed, placed in a plastic container, sprinkled with sugar, covered with foil, and sent to the freezer.

You can do it a little differently – first, freeze them on the tablet so that Everything happens evenly. Then it is transferred to a container. This form can store the berries for up to one year, but it must not freeze them more than twice.

For even longer storage of berries, you can make jam from them, both raw and cooked. Juice based on them is no less popular.

How to store baked goods

For this, you need to buy a special bread pan. It can be wood, metal, or plastic. It is essential to keep it closed and wipe and dry regularly. This device allows you to avoid damage to bread by rodents if there are any in the house and early hardening. Choosing this method will not linger need the package. The bread box can be placed on the table or hung on the wall. With her help, these products will be edible for 2-4 days.

If you need to extend the product’s shelf life, you can refrigerate it on the top shelf. After that, it may get a little firmer, but it will still be edible.

Another way is to make biscuits, for which you need to cut the bread and leave it in the oven for several hours at the lowest temperature.

Conclusion

Now you know what proper store food looks like, and this information will help minimize or minimize their damage and, therefore, disposal. Nothing is complicated here; the main thing is to follow all the instructions.