You Might Be Storing Your Food Wrong (And 8 Ways To Do It Right)
Photo: The Home Edit
We talk a lot about storage here on the site. How to maximize it, the best tools to use, and so much more. And when it comes to the kitchen, it’s also important to know how to store food – and where. The last thing you want is items going bad just because you didn’t store them properly. Since Zach is our go-to guy for all things edible, I asked him to share some of his most useful food storage tips. Take it away Zach!
Working in restaurants I learned a lot of tips that I could take home, but maybe the most useful was knowing how to store different types of foods to keep them fresh. Here are a few of my top tips for keeping everything from produce to the pantry lasting longer.
Want to see even more ideas for kitchen storage? Check out our posts Bobby’s Five Favorite…Ways To Un-Clutter Your Kitchen Counters and 13 Products That Will (Actually) Keep Your Kitchen Organized.
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Keep your meat on the bottom shelf or drawer
One of the most common mistakes that I see people make is where they store raw meat, poultry, or fish. It should always be store on the bottom shelf or drawer in the fridge. The reason is that we want to prevent cross-contamination, meaning we don’t want any juices dripping onto any ready-to-eat foods.
Keep your dairy products at the back
Your fridge is never all at one consistent temperature. Every time you open the door it releases cold and lets in heat. Because dairy products can go bad quickly it’s best to keep them at the back, preferably on the top shelf. That’s the spot that will be most consistently cold and keep your dairy lasting longer!
Store asparagus in a glass
To make it last longer, asparagus can be stored upright in a glass of water. You may need to replace the water every few days, but this keeps it alive and from going bad. You can also do the same with herbs or green onions.
Photo: Lemon Stripes
where you put avocados depends on when you want to eat them
Sometimes getting an avocado that’s just right can feel like a stroke of luck, but there are things you can do to help make sure they’re perfectly ripe. They’ll ripen a lot faster on the counter so if you plan on eating it soon then that’s where to keep it. Putting them in the fridge will slow down the ripening process so keep them there until about a day before you’re ready to use them.
Put some paper towels with your greens
Too much moisture will make greens like spinach, arugula, or others go bad faster. By just putting a paper towel in with them you can soak up that moisture and keep your greens green.
Keep your pantry Items air-tight
Dry goods like grains, flour, sugar, and other like items should be kept in airtight containers. Often they come in packages that aren’t resealable and a simple clip or rubber band won’t do. You want to keep the air, and the bugs, out of the food. It’ll not only make them last longer but keep them tasting fresh and delicious!
keep your eggs on the shelf
I’ve seen a lot of people store their eggs in the fridge door, especially when it has one of those handy egg holders. Like I mentioned before, the shelf will stay cooler than the door. So keeping them on a shelf instead will help them last longer.
Don’t let the potatoes touch the onions
It’s best not to even let them get close. Certain fruits and vegetables release ethylene gas that can make other foods spoil faster. Apples are another food that should be kept away from most other produce.
Do apples, potatoes, and onions spoil their neighbors less when in the fridge?
A great tip is to quickly ask Alexa or Google (if you happen to have one in your kitchen) which produce can go with each other. My kids do this as they help put groceries away.
Unfortunately, no. But if you’re going to store a cut onion in the fridge, consider placing it in an air-tight container. xx -B
Love these tip! Happy to see that I’m doing a few things right =) Thank you, Bobby and Zach xxx
Great tips, Bobby1 I have a big problem with bugs in flour, pasta, etc. Living in the country it seems to be an ongoing issue. Have you found any storage containers that really work to keep out bugs?
I find that any storage container that has a vacuum seal does a great job at keeping any sort of unwanted pests from getting inside. I use this set for all my pantry items and it works great. xx -B