A lot of times we throw away food just because it rots away too soon; so, here are some tricks and tips to prolong food life.
Meat
Keep meat in the bottom drawer of the refrigerator and be sure to double wrap it.
Apples
These will last ten times longer if they are kept in the coolest part of the fridge in high humidity; which is usually the bottom drawer.
Watermelons
Ripen on your counter top for about a week, and then pop it in the fridge a day before eating.
Tomatoes
Keep them out of the fridge. Tomatoes lose their flavor in the cold.
Grapes
Store in an original ventilated plastic bag, remove bruised or damaged fruit, and wrap with a paper towel to absorb the moisture.
Berries
They should be eaten right away for maximum freshness and nutrients, but washing berries in a vinegar and water mix (about one cup vinegar to three cups water) can extend their shelf life by a couple of days.
Mayonnaise
Store in the fridge door. In the inner part of the fridge, the mayo may get too cold, which will cause it to separate and leave oil at the top of the jar. If kept in the refrigerator door, your tasty sandwich dressing will last two to three months past the purchase date.
Herbs
To keep herbs for longer, treat them like flowers. Make sure herbs are dry, trim off the stems, put them in a glass of water and cover the top of the herbs with a paper towel. Place them in the fridge.
Oatmeal
For packaged and dry mix oatmeal, it should be stored in a cool dry environment not susceptible to temperature change. When items go through temperature changes of cool to warm and vice versa, the moisture in the air tends to condensate inside the packages. This moisture allows mold to grow and your oatmeal to spoil.
Carrots
Baby carrots can go anywhere in the fridge; but for larger carrots remove the leafy tops and store them away from the fruit, as it turns them bitter.
Flour
Keep the whole wheat flour chilled. High oil levels in the wheat germ can make this baking staple go stale if kept in the pantry for too long. If you use it infrequently, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge where it can last two to six months. Be sure to sniff them in order to check the freshness — it should be almost completely odorless.
Leafy Greens
Put the greens in cold water as soon as you get home since the heat is what spoils them. Spin them dry so that the leftover water does not rot them. Take the dried greens and put them into an airtight zip bad. Take a pin or needle and punch holes on either side. This helps the greens last up to four times longer than usual.
Milk
Exposing dairy products to heat for even a short period of time can shorten their shelf life. Keep them on the bottom shelves of the fridge.
Eggs
Raw eggs can last up to five weeks in the refrigerator. Don’t put them on the fridge door. Keep them in the back shelf where it’s cooler and store them in a container.
Cheese
Soft cheese should be eaten quickly, but hard cheese can last longer. Take it out of its wrapping, and then wrap it in parchment paper and tin foil. This keeps it moist and fresh for much longer; a chunk of Parmesan can last months if stored correctly.
It is understood by people that food is not safe anymore when it passes its expiry date; but the expiry date does not necessarily indicate that the food will make you sick, but it only means that that particular food is not considered fresh by the manufacturer after its due date. So eating food that is past its expiry date is not going to be as fresh but, it will not always make you sick.
Contributed by: Ramsha Tofique.
