With soaring food prices, it’s critical to know how to manage the shelf life of your food.
It’s a lot more painful these days to toss a limp head of broccoli or dump a tub of fresh salsa.
These guidelines aren’t just relevant when you’re cleaning out your fridge. Consider them when shopping and cooking so that less food winds up in the garbage.
THE REFRIGERATOR
The door is is the warmest place in the fridge, so keep items here that are less at risk for spoilage.
Best in the door:
Condiments such as mustard, soy sauce, ketchup and salad dressings.
Salsa, tomato sauce, once opened, finish within a week.
DON’T STORE IN THE DOOR:
Milk
Cheese
Cold cuts
BEST FOR THE TOP SHELF
This is the spot for prepared foods.
Chicken salad, egg salad, use within a day.
Soups, casseroles, use within a week or freeze.
Cooked meat and poultry, use within three days.
Best in crisper drawers:
This is the best place for vegetables and fruits that should be refrigerated, such as apples. Line drawers with paper towels to absorb condensation. Fruits and vegetables that don’t fit or are too delicate can be placed in plastic bags or in covered containers inside the fridge for the same effect.
BEST ON BOTTOM, IN THE BACK:
Keep foods that need to stay the coldest in the back, such as raw meat, seafood and milk. Fish and shellfish should always be used within a day. Meat and poultry should be used within two days or placed in the freezer.
Cold cuts: If open, use within four days. Discard at “use by” date.
Eggs: If properly refrigerated can maintain quality up to five weeks past expiration date. But as they get older, the membranes thin and weaken, so they’re best used for cookies, cakes and scrambled eggs rather than souffles or poached eggs.
BEST IN THE CHEESE DRAWER:
The cheese drawer, like the crispers, is designed to be more humid and warmer than the rest of the fridge because cold air is not circulated through it. Principles of cheese storage vary widely depending upon the type of cheese, but most will benefit from being wrapped in waxed paper, then placed in a plastic bag with the top folded over.
BUTTER SHELF:
Butter absorbs other flavors very easily, so it needs to be segregated from other foods. Use within two months.
DO NOT REFRIGERATE:
Tomatoes, because they will become mealy. Keep at a cool room temperature.
Bananas or avocados because they release ethylene, which speeds ripening — and rotting.
Citrus fruits, keep at cool room temperature, use within two weeks.
Potatoes and onions, keep in cool, dark area, use within two weeks or before they sprout.
Basil, keep at room temperature with cut ends in water.
Coffee, because it will absorb the flavors of other food. Keep it in an airtight container on the counter. For best results, grind it yourself, and use within a week.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
