Almanac for Homemakers

How Long Can You Keep Fresh Fruits? "Before storing fruits, sort them and either use or discard damaged fruits immediately." Fresh fruit is great until it isn't. Here are some tips from our Almanac to keep fruit fresh: 1. Unripe fruits should be left to ripen in open air at room temp. 2. Melons can be stored at room temp for a few days. 3. Fresh fruits can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. 4. Leave stems on fruit to help keep fresher 5. Citrus fruit will keep better in the refrigerator You can find more tips on how to store fruits and veggies in this article from The Kitchn . (I didn't spell that wrong, that's the name of the site) I know I store my fruits and veg wrong. Part of me just doesn't care ok. There I said it! I'll wash it and put it away, but after that I'm not losing sleep if my bananas are next to the apples. I do feel bad when something goes bad in the fridge. That...

What You Can Learn about Vegetables from Labels "Don't take the label for granted on a can or package of vegetables. The information there should enable you to learn exactly what you are getting - and sometimes to compare prices and values." It is by government regulation that requires certain information is placed on a food label. All food items have to have a Statement of Identity . This is basically "What is in the package?" Am I buying green beans, corn, peas, or what...what is in the can?? There must be a Quantity Statement . How much is this can? We talked package sizes a couple posts ago here . There must also be an Information Panel. The information panel is where the ingredients, nutrition facts, and food allergy labels can be found. These simple regulations are expanded into a 132 page document that can be found here if you ever want to do any light reading. How can knowing the product label help you save m...

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? ... 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. ... 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 ...