Ms. Piggy Bank
Many foods reveal to us through tangible signs that they have spoiled: mold on bread, the pungent stench of milk, and brown apples. Sometimes we don't read the signs
carefully and end up throwing away good foods due to our paranoia with food poisoning.
In today's economy,
there is no room for waste, so I've compiled a small list of ways to keep your foods fresh longer or to know if something is still good.
1. Before emptying that gallon of milk take a slight whiff to ensure that it truly has gone bad. Our olfactory senses exist for a reason. If it doesn't smell sour, you're okay.
2. Just because the date on the top of the carton states your eggs are now bad, doesn't mean this is true. A
great experiment would be to fill a mug or cup with cold water, add some ice-cubes, and then carefully insert the egg. If just floats at the top, toss that sucka in the trash! If it bounces a lot or settles at the bottom, keep it!
3. Many people don't know how to
decode expiration alerts:
a. Sell by - This date refers to how long a store can display a product for sale. Since this isn't mandatory, always take the freshest item with the newer expiration date.
b. Guaranteed fresh - This date is in reference to bread and baked goods, and indicates that though the item can still be enjoyed it won't be as fresh.
c. Use by - This date refers to how long a product can maintain peak freshness.
d. Expiration - This date refers to the last date a food should be consumed.
4. Keep cucumbers fresh by wrapping them in aluminum foil and placing them in the fridge. Keep herbs fresh as well by placing them in a plastic bag, adding a few spoonfuls of water into the bag, and then loosely tying the bad. fruit fresh and from discoloration by placing them in the fridge (except bananas).
5. Invest in quality zip lock bags and Tupperware! They end up saving you more in the long run.
6. Keep ripe fruits away from fresh fruits, and those fruits away from bruised ones because they all honestly do affect each other. The cold air slows down their rotting process. Another good trick is to peel away the ruined skin to see if it's good underneath.
7. If you can't purchase bread fresh everyday, keep it in a dark, cool area of your pantry or just freeze it. The same goes for pizza and certain meats. Just cover it all with aluminum foil and when you need it just remove it, let it thaw out, or toast it.
8. To avoid freezer burn try implementing sturdy glass jars, not over stuffing your freezer since this will lead to poor air circulation, crumpling waxed paper on top of the frozen food, and covering everything air tight!)
9. Clean out your refrigerator on a weekly basis. Make sure it's tidy and everything is placed on it's respective shelf. Brown bag any leftovers.
10. If you still feel you waste a lot, make a proper grocery list before heading to the market so as to avoid buying too much of a certain perishable item. Shop for real life. Don't be swayed by yummy displays and promotions!
Hopefully these suggestions helped or have worked for you in the past. Do you have any other recommendations on how to preserve food staples? What are some of your tricks? What food don't you take any chances with?
Comments (6)
Good tips!
My boyfriend once kept milk for a month after the expiration date. He said it didn't smell bad.. It just tasted more like heavy cream, haha.
That's taking it a little too far for me. =P
hehe
my favourite is to use paper towels to wrap your celery or carrots so they don't go stringy/elastic. it absorbs the moisture that is let out instead of condensing on the side of plastic bags or whatnot:P
great tips. thanks for sharing :)
@TakingxOverxMe@xanga - woooooooow! brave soul.
I like how you explain various food lingo. Thanks!
Sometimes visible clues arent always indicative of the entire item being bad! For instance, if there is a small amount of mold on a block of cheese, you can cut that part off. The rest is still good. But use it quickly and store it in a new bag!
@TakingxOverxMe@xanga - Gross! I also cringed when the picture had the date of 6-17-07!