06 Food Storage & Preservation Methods to Know
Food storage methods is an important stuff to learn for everyone. Here are the techniques on how to extend the shelf life of staples such as milk, bread, flour, eggs, mince, bananas and more.
Many of us always store most of the food in our fridges and cupboards. Here are some tips which will ensure your staples last as long as possible.Â
Firstly, you don’t necessarily have to throw foods such as eggs, milk or yogurt as soon as they reach the best-by date. There is a difference between use-by dates and best-before dates.
“Foods which have marked a use-by date should always consumed before the end of the date shown in the package. You should not eat them once that date has passed and it is also illegal for shops to sell foods once a use-by date has passed,” says Rachel. Normally we said such product as expired products
On the other hand, foods with a best-before date are less perishable, and this date gives a guide to how long you can expect the food to keep its quality, rather than its safety. Food can be eaten and sold after its best-before date has passed.
Food Storage & Preservation: Milk
Most of the time you keep your milk in the door of your fridge as it is convenient and helps to keep the bottle upright, which helps prevent messy leaks inside the fridge. Milk is best stored at or below 4°C. But door shelves of your fridge can be warmer than that.
Food Storage & Preservation: Bread
Always ensure your bread is wrapped well in paper or plastic. It is more advisable to store bread in a tin. Do not store your bread in the fridge as it is without any wrapping as it will absorb too much moisture and grow hardened more quickly.Â
If you have any bread that has hardened, process it in to fine crumbs by keep it in the food processor and then transfer to a resealable plastic bag for freezing. You can use it later to make schnitzels, meatballs or as a crunchy top for pasta bakes.
Food Storage & Preservation: Eggs
The plastic egg holders are comes inbuilt with your fridge. But it is advisable to store eggs in their original carton: it keeps them safe, slows moisture loss, stops them absorbing food odors and it means you won’t lose track of the best-before date. Fresh eggs can be kept well for about a month in your fridge.Â
Food Storage & Preservation: Flour
After getting your flour from the packet, you should store it in an airtight. Also be sure that your container fit with your cup measurement as it should be put into the container to get the flour as required. A container with a screw top lid is preferred, but any well-sealed lid will work. Some people also swear by their anti-weevil method of adding a bay leaf to your flour.
Food Storage & Preservation: Butter & Cheese
If your fridge has a dairy compartment you may use it with air tight container. That compartment is slightly warmer than the rest of your fridge so your butter will be easier to spread.Â
For the cheese, make sure it’s wrapped well to avoid it being exposed to air and forming a hard, cracked surface. If this happens on a hard cheese, it’s perfectly safe to just cut it off and eat the rest.
Food Storage & Preservation: Meat & Sea Food
Meat and fish will keep for longer and stay in better condition with around zero degrees or bellow temperature. If you do not have freezer aim for the coldest part of your fridge compartment. Generally it’s the area at the back which is less susceptible to warm when the door’s opened. Consider freezing those steaks if you’re not going to be eating them in the next few days.