Tips for storing and keeping food fresher/longer

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colonialgirl
Posts: 1835
Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2015 2:01 am
Location: Central Illinois

Re: Tips for storing and keeping food fresher/longer

Post by colonialgirl »

Great idea for a thread Patty.

I am no help with potatoes. I am thinking of taking old panty hose and knotting them individually and then hanging on the back of the basement door. No way I am walking to the basement every time I need a potato.

The best tip I have ever found is for fruit and some vegetables. It came from a cooking blog. With my berries, apples, grapes, etc. I rinse them quickly then put in a batter bowl or mixing bowl with 1/3 to 1/2 cup of cider vinegar (depending on the size of the bowl) and water. I let them soak for 15 minutes and then pull them out and spread out on a dry towel and let them air dry. When dry I put a paper towel in the bottom of a glass container with a cover and refrigerate them. Make sure they are completely dry before packaging them.

This method has doubled or tripled the amount of time they last. I also have used it effectively for celery, green peppers, and mushrooms. The vinegar inhibits bacterial growth and leaves no taste. I too wrap the celery in aluminum foil and it lasts a long time.

Looking forward to other's tips.
ohjodi
Posts: 1444
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 3:57 pm

Re: Tips for storing and keeping food fresher/longer

Post by ohjodi »

ALSO! I've been trying to pay better attention to what foods i already have open and need to be used, before they get forgotten or lost in the fridge.

I now have a dry-erase board on the side of my fridge, and I've written down what food
is opened, left overs, etc. Right now I have ham, hummus, cream cheese, apples, a big meatball, butternut squash soup, kiefer, and my open almond milk should be used by 1/22, bagged salad. I also listed crackers and english muffins, onion, garlic. They're not in the fridge, but I'm likely to forget about them. I know apples keep in the fridge forever, almost, but i overlook the crisper drawers all the time. I don't list things like mustard, jam, mayo, etc.

I've been doing this a few weeks and I LOVE it, not only because I'm wasting less food, but I can decide what to eat for any meal or snack by just looking at the side of the fridge, and not having to open the door and root around looking for lost things.

Anything that MUST be eaten within a day I put a star by it.

www.eatbydate.com as i mentioned before is a great site to see how long your food is good for.
ohjodi
clemencia2us
Posts: 11445
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 9:21 am

Re: Tips for storing and keeping food fresher/longer

Post by clemencia2us »

I keep my potatoes in the fridge. Last a long time

Today's potatoes aren't like the ones of old. They are "bred" to be in cold storage. couldn't think of another word besides bred.
clemencia2us
Posts: 11445
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 9:21 am

Re: Tips for storing and keeping food fresher/longer

Post by clemencia2us »

chocolite wrote: Mon Jan 15, 2018 3:45 pm
MackerelCat wrote: Mon Jan 15, 2018 2:34 pm I refrigerate Irish potatoes. Yeah, conventional wisdom says not to because the starch starts to convert to sugar, but I have never noticed a taste difference and they don't go bad. Potatoes spoil very quickly in the pantry because our house is warm.
Mackie, do you just put them in the produce drawer loose? I was wondering if they might do okay in a paper bag like the onions...and yes, I've never tried it b/c "they" say not to, lol. I am too compliant sometimes. :-)
I put mine in there loose or leave in the bag since it is mesh type material.

Whoever this "they" is that made this rule about 70 years ago needs to get with the times!
clemencia2us
Posts: 11445
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 9:21 am

Re: Tips for storing and keeping food fresher/longer

Post by clemencia2us »

I've stopped going to the bigger "fancier" store and boy have my costs and waste gone down!

Something about seeing all those products so nicely displayed makes you just want to toss them in the cart.

Our small town store has everything I need, so why drive more and spend more?
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MackerelCat
Posts: 7261
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 9:44 pm

Re: Tips for storing and keeping food fresher/longer

Post by MackerelCat »

I just put them in the crisper drawer loose. They do fine. Because I see them in there, they get used up quickly.
Mackie
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