11 March 2018 - Food Safety 101

Good Rules for Storing Food

Do you know the proper ways to store food?

What temperatures should your fridge or freezer be on?

How long should you keep leftovers?

Do you think expiration dates are just guidelines?

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Today's Almanac post is all about knowing how to store your food to keep your family safe and also to help save on your grocery budget!

Let's start with the fridge!
Temperature should be at 40 degrees fahrenheit or lower.

Freezer temps should actually start at 0 degrees fahrenheit.

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Now there is some dated information here.

"Wrapped poultry should be unwrapped, placed on a platter, and covered for refrigeration."

Now let's start by saying this: I am a germ nut when it comes to food.

Culinary Degree...remember?

If you ever have raw uncooked meat in the fridge, yeah it can be unwrapped but there is more to this.

You really want to prevent cross contamination by:
1. Placing raw uncooked meat at the very bottom of the fridge. This prevents juices from dripping on to other foods.

2. Place in a container that wont spill or leak. Don't just place on a plate and call it a day. Cover and make sure the container is large enough to hold the food item.

3. Don't leave unwrapped food in the fridge for long periods of time. Bacteria can still start to grow even at low temps.

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Let's talk about leftovers.

For some reason we put food in the fridge and think that it's going to be ok till next Christmas.

NOPE

Low temps do not prevent bacteria from growing on food. It just slows the process.

So leaving your leftovers out on the counter or on the stove at room temp is the perfect breeding ground for dangerous bacteria. When you go to have seconds from lunch, your going to be eating all those yummy germs.

Store away leftovers promptly after they have cooled enough to be stored away.

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Your Pantry!

There is a reason a pantry is kind of out of the way.

Canned items need to be at room temp. Too hot or too cold can interfere with the pressure inside the can and ruin your canned goods.

Invest in some large plastic storage containers or glass jars to put away dry goods after you open form their original container. This keeps them safe from pests and helps them stay away from open air sources to go stale.