How to store food
Read the information here and complete the task below.
Tips on storing food to prevent food poisoning, including:
- fridge storage
- "use-by" dates
- freezing food
- storing eggs
- storing meat and poultry
- freezing and defrosting
- using leftovers
- re-using plastic bags
What goes in the fridge?
Some foods need to be kept in the fridge to help slow down germs' growth and keep food fresh and safe for longer.
These are foods marked with a "use by" date and "keep refrigerated" on the label, such as milk, meat and ready meals.
Cool down leftovers as quickly as possible (ideally within two hours), store them in the fridge and eat them within two days.
It is safe to let food cool completely at room temperature before storing it in the fridge.
Avoid putting open tin cans in the fridge, as the food inside may develop a metallic taste.
Follow the manufacturer's instructions or place the contents in a storage container or covered bowl before refrigerating.
Fridge maintenance
Keep your fridge temperature at 5C or below.
If your fridge has a digital temperature display you may wish to check it against an internal fridge thermometer now and again to make sure it's accurate.
Clean and inspect your fridge regularly to ensure it remains hygienic and in good working order.
"Use-by" dates
No food lasts forever, how ever well it is stored. Most pre-packed foods carry either a "use-by" or a "best before" date.
"Use-by" dates appear on foods that go off quite quickly. It can be dangerous to eat foods past this date.
"Best before" dates are for foods with a longer life. They show how long the food will be at its best.
Food can look and smell fine even after its "use-by" date but that doesn't mean it's safe to eat. It could still contain bugs that could make you ill.
Eating food past its "best before" date is not dangerous, but the food may not be good quality.
Freezing food
You can freeze pretty much everything, including:
yogurt
cheese (except soft cheese as the freezing process affects the texture)
milk
meat
fish
eggs, including boiled eggs
bananas: peel and wrap them or place in an air tight container before freezing
baked goods
rice: read our safety tips
bread
Anything with a high water content like strawberries and tomatoes will go squishy but are still fine to cook with.
Place food in an air-tight container or wrap it tightly in freezer bags or similar before placing in the freezer otherwise the cold air will dry it out.
Storing eggs
Eggs are best stored in the fridge as they are kept at a constant temperature.
Eggs can also be frozen.
Two ways to freeze eggs:
crack the egg and separate yolks and whites into separate plastic containers or food bags before freezing. This is handy for baking.
crack the egg into a plastic tub and beat it before freezing - great for omelettes and scrambled eggs.
You can safely store a boiled egg in the fridge for a couple of days. Boiled eggs can also be frozen.
Storing meat and poultry
It's important to store meat safely in the fridge to stop bacteria from spreading and avoid food poisoning.
Store raw meat and poultry in clean, sealed containers on the bottom shelf of the fridge.
Follow any storage instructions on the label and don't eat meat after its use-by date.
Keep cooked meat separate from raw meat and ready to eat foods in general.
Freezing and defrosting meat and fish
It's safe to freeze meat and fish as long as you:
freeze it any time before its use-by date
defrost meat and fish thoroughly before cooking – lots of liquid will come out as meat thaws, so stand it in a bowl to stop bacteria in the juice spreading to other things
defrost meat or fish in a microwave if you intend to cook straight away, or if not, defrost in the fridge overnight so it doesn't get too warm
cook food until it's steaming hot throughout
Make sure meat is properly wrapped in the freezer or it might get freezer burn, which can make it tough and inedible.
Date and label meat in the freezer and eat it within 24 hours of defrosting.
You can freeze meat for a long time and it will still be safe to eat, but the quality will deteriorate so it's best to eat it within three to six months.
Don't worry if it's frozen for longer – try marinating it before cooking to improve texture or use herbs and spices to add flavour.
Re-freezing meat and fish
Never re-freeze raw meat (including poultry) or fish that has been defrosted.
You can cook frozen meat and fish once defrosted, and then refreeze them.
You can re-freeze cooked meat and fish once, as long as they have been cooled before going into the freezer. If in doubt, don't re-freeze.
Frozen raw foods can be defrosted once and stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours before they need to be cooked or thrown away.
To reduce wastage, divide the meal into portions before freezing and then just defrost what you need.
TASK
Suggest 4 useful tips for storing foods based on the articles above. Use the comment section below to respond. Add your name to your comment.
very interesting keep posting.
ReplyDeleteLegacy Food Storage
Never refreeze meat always cool down left over before placing into fridge make sure meat properly wrap to prevent freezer burn and always place meat in a air tight container before placing into fridge.
ReplyDeleteCool meat after cooking before putting in the fridge .
ReplyDeleteStore foods in a container or plastic bag before putting it in the fridge .
Make sure your container or plastic is seal airtight because air can dry out your meat .
Before storing food always check the expire date.
Cool meat after cooking before putting in the fridge .
ReplyDeleteStore foods in a container or plastic bag before putting it in the fridge .
Make sure your container or plastic is seal airtight because air can dry out your meat .
Before storing food always check the expire date.
Foods can be stored many ways, some include: fridge storage, used by dates, freezing foods and freezing and defrosting.
ReplyDeleteFoods that stores in the fridge helps it to slow down germs, it helps to keep food fresh and safe for longer use. Before you store food, cooked food should cool down before they are stored in the fridge and they should be eaten within two days. Other foods are supposed to be used by their expired date, if used later it can become unsafe. They can look and smell fine but still unsafe. You can freeze eggs, milk, meat and fish, however, this should be properly wrapped in plastic freezer bags, if not it can be dried out. Whenever you defrost poultry you should not reuse it, but you can do so with chicken and fish.
Samantha Grant
Kephri Bolton
ReplyDeleteCool meat after cooking before putting in the fridge .
Store foods in a container or plastic bag before putting it in the fridge .
Make sure your container or plastic is seal airtight because air can dry out your meat .
Before storing food always check the expire date.
Shantol Thomas- Most times the best way to save and Preserve your food is to store and fries it's in the freezer.
ReplyDeleteSoma food comes with an expire date, so it's best to check and label items before storing and even after.
Depending on the types of food your storning, food such as banana, meet or cheese. Those food need to be peel and wrap properly in air bag or a container before freezing.
Before storing hot cook food in the fridge, ensure that the food is properly cooled before freezing.