4 Simple Food Storage Rules

This is a guest post from Trusted Pest Management, a modern, technically advanced pest control and termite treatment business that has been established since 2000

I want you to think about your weekly grocery shop; how much food do you end up throwing away at the end of the week? Studies show that out of every five bags of consumables at least one of them ends up in the bin with an average of over $1,000 worth of food being disposed yearly. When you think of that on a world scale, you’d need a considerable amount of landfill to cater to wasted fruit, vegetables, frozen meals, and drink bottles. By making your food last longer, you will help avoid wastage, spend less time in the dreaded supermarket, and slash your grocery budget. Not sure where to start? Follow these handy tips.

Storing in Your Fridge – the Right Way

It’s not what you put in it, it’s how you store. That’s the method you should live by when deciding what provisions should go in your fridge. Believe it or not, your fridge might say five degrees Celsius, but different compartments are running at various temperatures. So where is the best place to put all the food groups? The top shelf generally runs at the warmest temperature and is best reserved for pre-prepared foods including yoghurt, cheese and sauces. The middle shelf is more ideal for cooked meat and leftovers which should be packed in air-tight containers. If there is space on this shelf, store your milk here instead of the usual door rack to help it avoid the warm air when the door is being opened. Naturally, the crisper should hold your fruit and vegetables and the door racks are more suitable for condiments like jam, mayonnaise and juice as they are better at handling the warm air.

Control the Temperature

Your refrigerator temperature gauge isn’t always spot on when giving an accurate reading. Over time your inbuilt thermometer can go on a slight fritz and give you a reading a few degrees higher than what it actually is. If you’re finding that you’re food just isn’t lasting, it can pay to get the thermometer looked at or simple buy one from your local hardware store. A little money on something as simple as a thermometer can save you a lot of money and wastage in the long run.

Use Separate Storage for Those with Allergies

If you have someone in your household who suffers from allergies or celiac disease, it’s imperative that you store food separately and use different sets of utensils for serving and cooking – unless you are following the same diet. This is really important for avoiding cross-contamination and being forced into throwing the contaminated food in the bin.

Never Leave Food To Defrost at Room Temperature

It’s tempting to want to leave a whole chicken out all day to allow it to defrost quickly, however leaving it at room temperature makes it prone to bacteria, rodents, and bugs. Unless you already plan on calling on Trusted Pest Management for your bug problem, thaw your meat out in the fridge.
It may take longer to defrost, but at least it’s safer.

Do you have any food storage tips? Leave them in the comments below.