Safety First When it Comes to Storing Food

Latest Articles

Eating Junk Food -- The hidden price
You probably are very familiar with the benefits you get from NOT eating healthy. You get to eat food that tastes good, you get to be lazy and sit on the couch and veg out and watch TV. You get to not do all the hard work of exercise. There are many...

Gene Food: Is Biotechnology �Really Friendly�
Copyright 2004 by http://www.organicgreens.us and Loring Windblad. This article may be freely copied and used on other web sites only if it is copied complete with all links and text intact and unchanged except for minor improvements such as...

Some Food For Thought - Could Your Diet Be Killing You!
I must admit that I don't usually write articles with such a chilling headline, so I feel that I should give a little background on a relatively innocent experience which prompted me to write this piece. I would also say quite candidly that...

Keeping food fresh longer is imperative to both your health and your wallet. If you allow food to spoil your grocery bills will skyrocket as you throw away spoiled food. If you eat food that has passed its expiration you may get sick and this defiantly is not a good thing.

Here are seven simple tips to help you keep your food as fresh as possible for as long as possible.

* Refrigerator and freezer temperatures are imperative when it comes to keeping food fresh. Your refrigerator should be set at 40 F and no higher. Your freezer should be kept at 0 F for proper freezing and food storage.

* When purchasing fresh meat such as beef, poultry or fish buy the freshest meat available. Also wait to purchase until two or three days before you are going to use the meat. If you are planning to freeze the meat for use later check the expiration date and make sure that you freeze the meat before it has expired.

* Always label and date food as you freeze it. A strip of masking tape on the outside of the container works wonderfully. The tape will stick when frozen and remove easily when you are ready to use the food.

* Go for an airtight seal. By

using a vacuum sealer you help to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria that can cause mold or spoilage.

* Your vacuum sealer will also work wonders to retard freezer burn. Freezer burn is not in and of itself harmful but it will diminish the nutritional value of your food as well as hinder the taste.

* Store food in portion sizes your family will eat. If you are a family of two, small plastic zipper bags work wonderfully, for larger families plastic storage containers are the way to go.

* When thawing food always thaw in the refrigerator. This is the recommended method to prevent bacteria growth. It will take approximately one day for every five pounds of meat to thaw in a 40 F refrigerator.

About the author:

Shauna Hanus is a gourmet cook who specializes in creating gourmet recipes. She has extensive experience cooking with easy to find grocery items to create delightful gourmet meals. She is also the publisher of a no cost bi-monthly gourmet newsletter. Her newsletter is always fun and informational packed with tips and trivia you can use everyday. http://www.gourmayeats.com
Written By: Shauna Hanus