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 important point for any housewife. Knowing the rules of this process will prevent them from spoiling and not throw money down the drain. The main thing here is to create the right conditions for this: choosing the right method, determining the temperature regime, moisture and others.
General rules for storing food
The most important nuance here is the temperature regime; almost everything should be kept in the refrigerator, and something in the basement. The humidity level in the room is not allowed to exceed 70%. Separate storage of various products is also of great importance, otherwise their smell may mix, which will affect the taste.
Do not ignore the expiration date, which is always indicated on the package. If something from the food has already disappeared, then it cannot be kept in the refrigerator.
When storing food, you should pay attention to the following nuances:
- A place … The space of an ordinary classic refrigerator model is divided into 4-5 sections, 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 for ready-made dishes. On the side shelves there are various sauces, oils, eggs, for which there is almost always a special container.
- Term … Here we are talking not so much about what is written on the packaging, but about the actual storage time. Most of all, this period belongs to conservation, which can be put not only in the refrigerator, but also in the basement. It includes various salads, compotes, preserves. Here they can stay for up to a year. Rapidly perishable foods (milk, kefir, raw fish) will be suitable for eating for 2-3 days, after which they will have an unpleasant odor.
- Way … There are two options here - storing raw and frozen products. The latter solution is relevant for various fruits, vegetables, berries, meat and fish. This technique is not suitable for eggs, milk, kefir, etc. In the first case, you can additionally use ice, which will lower the temperature of the food.
- Package … All bulk materials should be packaged in glass or plastic containers, which must be closed with lids and placed in a cupboard in the kitchen. This will prevent food spoilage and insects from getting inside.
It is not allowed to store food in tightly wrapped plastic bags, in which food quickly acquires an unpleasant odor. Before loading them here, you should rinse everything well (berries, fruits, etc.). In no case should vegetables and other cleaning products be kept without peel for more than a day.
Important! Do not forget about the existence of special bags and containers for storing food.
Tips on how to store food
Food storage methods differ for fish, dairy and bakery products, meat, eggs, sausages, vegetables and fruits, and bulk groceries. The latter includes flour, tea, coffee, sugar, salt, spices and various grains. Among them, the most difficult situation is with semolina and millet, in which midges start up very quickly. Therefore, banks with them are always kept closed.
Storage of bulk products
The most picky in this regard are sugar, various spices, salt and tea, which may not spoil for years. Even if they lie 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, for each representative of the grocery, its own capacity should be provided.
Storage tips vary by product:
- Cereals … For them, you should buy plastic or glass containers with a volume of 0.2 to 1 liter. Before use, they must be well washed and dried, turning them upside down - it is not allowed to pour buckwheat, semolina, etc. into wet containers. The groats need to be sorted out if there are black inclusions and debris. If it nevertheless remains in open bags, then they must be closed with clothespins.
- Flour … It can be eaten for 6 to 12 months, depending on the type. It is desirable to keep it in cloth bags with a volume of 1-5 kg. As a last resort, you can leave this ingredient in paper bags, but then you will need to be careful not to get them wet. Whichever option is chosen, the packaging must be tied with a rope. It is necessary to maintain the air humidity in the room at 60%, and the temperature within the range of + 5-18 ° С. You can not store this type of loose in places where rodents are found, otherwise, over time, it will acquire a mouse smell.
- Tea … It should be immediately poured into a plastic or glass container and covered with a lid. If there is no special container, then the raw material is left in its "native" package, but the polyethylene inside is tightly wrapped and tied so that moisture does not get inside. It is stored out of direct sunlight, preferably in a closet.
- Coffee … It is highly discouraged to buy this drink in advance, more than 2 weeks in advance, otherwise its taste and aroma may change for the worse. In order for it not to be saturated with a different smell, immediately after purchase it can be poured into a foil bag or into a jar. The latter should have a tight-fitting lid with a silicone gasket. It is possible to store food of this kind in the cupboard for cereals in the kitchen, but you cannot put them in the refrigerator and even more so in the freezer.
- Salt … It, regardless of the type, is filled with small special hodgepodge, and the rest remains in its natural packaging. If it is made of thick cardboard, then it is wrapped so that moisture does not get inside. In the case of a plastic bag, you will need a clothespin, which is worn over the cut edge.
- Spices … Everything is very simple with them - special jars are provided for them, which can be put on a shelf attached to the wall in the kitchen. The main thing is to keep them closed at all times and to rinse the lids regularly to avoid the accumulation of spices on them.
Do not store bulk products in the refrigerator, and even more so next to fish, meat and milk. In the hot season, it is permissible to put them in a dry basement, where all this can be kept in a plastic container. If the product gets wet, it must be dried immediately by spreading it out on a baking sheet and placing it on the open door of a lighted oven. Do not take out the cereal with a wet spoon, otherwise moisture will get into it, and it will begin to disappear. Ideally, you should not buy more than 1-2 kg of individual species, renewing stocks only when necessary.
Storage conditions for dairy products
All dairy products can be kept in a cool basement or refrigerator. The first option is ideal for hard cheese that can be stored for more than a month. Milk, cottage cheese, sour cream, butter should always be placed in the refrigerator on a special shelf, usually located at the very top. At this time, the temperature must be at least 1 ° C, otherwise everything may disappear.
Condensed milk is a versatile product that can stand in a kitchen cabinet at room temperature for more than a week. If it is a metal can, then it should be tightly covered with a lid. The most convenient packaging is in the form of bags made of dense polyethylene. They should be kept away from sunlight.
The same rule applies to milk powder, which becomes solid in the refrigerator. To store food in the form of milk powder for a longer time, after opening the package, the cut point must be closed with a clothespin, otherwise moisture will get inside, and then the powder will begin to clump.
If you want the cottage cheese to be edible for more than 2-3 days, then pour it into an enamel bowl, put a little salt on the bottom of which, and clean cheesecloth dipped in a saline solution on top of the product, and press down with oppression.
If we are talking about pasteurized milk, then after opening the package it is advisable to pour it into a plastic container. In the case of packaging in cardboard packages and bottles, everything can be left as it is, only by tightly closing the lid after each removal.
Rules and shelf life of meat products
This category includes not only pure meat (beef, pork, veal, chicken, etc.), but also various products based on them. It can be cutlets in the form of semi-finished products, raw sausages, sausages, sausages, salami and much more. All this needs low temperatures, otherwise it quickly disappears. Smoked sausage has the longest shelf life.
Let's consider in more detail the requirements for the storage of meat products:
- Boiled sausages and sausages … They are edible within 2-5 days from the date of purchase, provided they are preserved in the original film. If removed immediately, they will develop a hard, dark crust and quickly lose their freshness. Therefore, you should not cut too much in advance, and in the event that something remains, the slicing must be covered with a plate or bag.
- Smoked sausages … Their shelf life can be up to a year. If these delicacies are bought 1-2 weeks before the planned use, then 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 kept in the refrigerator for no more than two days at a temperature of 2-3 ° C. Before this, the product should be washed well, soaked in salt water and dried. Then it is wrapped with food paper and put on a shelf in the refrigerator. If for the specified time it is not used, then freezing is necessary. To do this, they simply cut it, put it in bags and send it to the freezer.
Storing vegetables as food
These are relatively picky foods that can be stored both at room temperature and in a cool place. Potatoes are well preserved in the basement, where a special 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 regularly ventilated.
Let's make a division based on the type of product:
- Carrot … She can safely be in the basket and in the kitchen, but with high humidity it begins to rot or become moldy.
- Onion … Here, the situation is the same as with carrots - it can be stored indoors, but you cannot close the bag tightly.
- Tomatoes … After being placed in the refrigerator, they quickly lose their taste and aroma. Therefore, it is better to just keep them on the table without covering them with anything. Before doing this, they should be washed well.
- Cucumbers … They already need a low temperature, because otherwise they become soft and moldy. They should be stored in a special vegetable drawer in the refrigerator.
- Beets and cabbage … The ideal place for them is a basement, but in room conditions they also retain a good look for a long time. After purchase, they must be removed from the package and put into the basket.
How to store fruits as food
Apples, pears, bananas, kiwis - all of these spoil quickly at room temperature, so they are kept in the fruit section in the refrigerator. They should not be mixed with each other, it is better to wrap them in foil and put them separately. You can insert cardboard between them by making several rows. First, you should put in solid food, which will definitely not crush at the bottom.
Everything that can flow - peaches, plum apricots, nectarine - must be kept in plastic containers with holes at the bottom. In order not to stain the refrigerator, they need to be inserted into bags.
All fruits are pre-washed and dried. If the task is to save them for the winter, then you can resort to freezing. To do this, they are poured over with boiling water, peeled, covered with sugar, allowed to stand for 1-2 hours, put in plastic buckets and placed in the freezer.
Dried apples, pears, apricots can be stored directly in bags in the closet - nothing should happen to them, but it is very desirable to dry them in the oven at least once a month.
How and how much fish products can be stored
Fresh fish can lie at temperatures from 0 to + 2 ° C for no more than 2 days, after which it begins to emit a fetid odor. If this period needs to be increased, then it should be washed, cleaned and sprinkled with ice cubes. This will allow the spoilage of the product to be delayed for at least 2-3 days.
While still living fish can be placed in a bath or in large containers and, if necessary, caught.
Salted mackerel, herring, sprat are ideally stored peeled, with onions and sunflower oil. But in this case, they must be covered with a lid so that the smells do not mix.
If you need to increase the shelf life, then you can soak the fish in vinegar for several hours, then rinse 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 let juice and lose their taste. All this time they should be on the lowest shelf, but nothing should be placed on top.
If you plan to freeze the berries, then they must be washed, put in plastic containers, sprinkled with sugar, covered with cling film and sent to the freezer.
You can do a little differently - first freeze them on the board so that everything happens evenly, and only then transfer them to containers. In this form, the berries can be stored for up to a year, while they cannot be frozen more than twice.
For even longer storage of berries, you can make jam from them, both raw and boiled. Juices based on them are no less popular.
How to store baked goods
For this, a special bread bin must be purchased. It can be wooden, metal or plastic. It is very important to keep it closed at all times and wipe and dry regularly. This device allows you to avoid spoilage of the bread by rodents, if any in the house, and early hardening. By choosing this method, the package will no longer be needed. The bread box can be placed on the table or hung from the wall. With its help, these products will be edible for 2-4 days.
If you need to increase the shelf life of the product, then it can be placed in the refrigerator on the uppermost shelf. After that, it may become a little denser, but it will remain quite edible.
Another way is to make crackers, for which you need to cut the bread and leave it in the oven for several hours at the lowest temperature.
How to store food - watch the video:
Now you know what the correct storage of food looks like, and this information will help to completely or minimize their spoilage and, as a result, disposal. There is absolutely nothing complicated here, the main thing is to follow all the instructions.
