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How to keep your food fresh
If you find yourself throwing out loads of half-used food every week, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve come up with loads of ways to help your food stay at its best for longer.
How many times have your dinner plans been ruined by a salad that’s spoiled too soon? Instead of redoing your menu 3 times a week, we can help you make some small changes that’ll help your food last like never before. For more info on saving food, check out our article here. It’s a simple case of knowing how to store different food for freshness – and once you’ve got it nailed down, you might even do it on autopilot
Stack your fridge right
When you’re unloading the big shop, your first priority is fitting everything in. We get it. Having a carefully organised system can easily come second to getting the job done quickly. But with a couple of extra minutes, you can save yourself some hassle later (when you’re rushing back to the supermarket because your lettuce hasn’t lasted).
Check out our guide on how to organise your fridge freezer for more handy storage tips
Bottom of the fridge – coldest place
This area’s best for fruit, veg, dairy, meat, and fish. If you’ve got a salad drawer, pop your greens in there with your meat and fish on the bottom shelf.
Middle and top shelves – the middle ground
Any cooked leftovers or ready-to-eat items do best here since they don’t go off as easily. It’s also suitable for dairy, so pop your yoghurt and cheese right in.
In the door – warmest place
Food with the longest shelf life is best here, like condiments and drinks. We recommend not storing milk or cheese in the door, since it’s likely to spoil faster.
Create the perfect climate
It’s all too easy to knock the dial inside your fridge as you take something out, so it’s worth checking it’s set to the right temperature every now and then. It should be between 0°C and 5°C to stop bacteria from growing, which spoils your food quicker.
Care for fruit and veg
As some of the most perishable food in your kitchen, taking special care of fruit and veg can make a big difference in saving you a mad dash to the shops after work.
Don’t wash them in advance
If you find your greens go off quickly and you’re washing them before popping them in the fridge, there’s your culprit! We recommend only washing your fresh food right before you’re about to use it to save groceries from excess moisture that can help them spoil quicker. Who knew?
The right storage
Potatoes
These need to be in a cool, dark, well-ventilated space.
Onions
Onions also need to be in a cool, dark, well-ventilated space away from moisture to stop sprouting.
Bananas
Pop your bananas somewhere at room temperature, but make sure they’re away from other fruit as they can cause apples and oranges to spoil more quickly.
Avocados
Your avocados need to be at room temperature to ripen but, once they’re ready, they’re best off in the fridge to slow down the spoiling process. And if you only use half at a time, the other half needs covering well and storing in the fridge.
Use it or lose it
If you notice something’s about to go out of date, there are a couple of ways you can save it from the bin.
- Cook and freeze it, so you can enjoy it later.
- For veggies, you could make a homemade soup that’s easy and great for freezing too. And it doesn’t have to be boring either, we’ve got a great recipe you can try here.
Preserving cooked food
If you’ve cooked a meal for later or have leftovers for lunch tomorrow, pop it in an airtight container and let it cool slightly before popping it in the fridge. Getting it in within 2 hours is the sweet spot to stop bacteria multiplying without raising the fridge temperature and ruining any other food. If you’re taking things really seriously, you could even vacuum seal your food to lock in freshness and keep air out.
Label containers
Ever ended up eating a mystery meal from the freezer? You’re not the only one. Avoid disappointment by labelling everything before you put it away. We recommend putting what it is and the date it went in, so you can keep track of what you have and eat it at its best. And you won’t spend all day looking forward to a chilli and ending up with curry. It’s also a good shout to rotate food, so the oldest is at the front and you can easily use it next
Keep it fresh on the way home
Don’t give your food any time to thaw or overheat when you’re on the way back from the supermarket, pop all your chilled and frozen goodies in insulated bags. That’ll stop meat, dairy, or frozen treats from going bad early.
With all that in mind, it’s not so hard to keep on top of everything by building just a few good habits. Now, you can spend more time cooking and eating your food and less time throwing it away
