Tips for storing food in the refrigerator

Buying meat and fresh produce in bulk and storing it in your refrigerator can save you money, time, and ensure that you have a ready-to-cook emergency at all times.

However, the downside of the refrigerator is that if you do not store it properly, you are still throwing money out the window as usual. Below are the best tips to preserve food, meat, vegetables, cheese most effectively:

1. Do not store meat in the freezer for more than 6 months.

According to nutritionists, you should eat all frozen meats and cheeses within 6 months of putting them in the refrigerator. In addition, the secret to preserving food for a long time is to put them in the freezer as soon as you buy them.

If food is not frozen properly, oxygen and moisture will penetrate and make the food unappetizing. Although it is not dangerous to eat, the meat will lose its flavor, its color will be bland, and it will no longer be rosy and beautiful after cooking. To prevent this phenomenon, invest in a set of standard freezer bags or plastic storage boxes, divide the purchased food into bite-sized portions and put them in bags/boxes to avoid contact with moisture and air.

2. Do not freeze large blocks

Many people are lazy and always put all the food that needs to be frozen in a bag and put it in the freezer. However, this habit is very harmful because when you want to take out a specific food, you will have no way to separate it from the pile of frozen food. Therefore, the advice given is to always separate the types of food right from the purchase, freezing them separately.

3. Immediately remove the foam plastic sheet placed under the food.

The Styrofoam trays that supermarkets often use to store fresh food are actually useless and can actually cause the food to deteriorate. Worse, Styrofoam can stick to meat if you freeze it incorrectly. So instead of putting the meat you just bought in the supermarket in its entirety, take the meat out of the tray and put it in a freezer bag/box.

4. Separate the meat pieces

To properly store meat, wrap each piece of meat in freezer paper/plastic, then place it all in a ziplock bag. The most important thing when freezing anything is to get as much air out of the bag as possible. The easiest way is to seal the bag around a plastic straw, suck the air out of the bag through the straw, and then quickly seal the bag. You can also add sauce to the bag so the meat absorbs the flavor while it freezes.

5. How to preserve agricultural products

Most vegetables will keep for a long time in the freezer. Options like peas, beans, and corn can be stored directly in a freezer bag or container and taken out whenever you need to cook them. However, some produce can no longer be eaten raw after being frozen, such as tomatoes. Once you remove tomatoes from the freezer, use them only in soups, roasts, or stews.

6. Freeze when freshest

You need to store fruits and vegetables when they are at their freshest. If you need to wash them, wash them thoroughly before storing them in the freezer. The best way is to wash them, then soak them in ice water, let them dry completely, and then put them in freezer bags/containers. Almost all vegetables need to be washed before storing, except corn, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, and squash.

7. How to preserve cherries, strawberries and some other fruits

When you buy oranges, lemons, or passion fruits at the supermarket/store, cut or squeeze the juice right away. You can wrap the cut orange/lemon segments in plastic or freeze the juice in an ice cube tray. This way, you will never run out of orange/lemon juice when cooking.

Similarly, if you have too many bananas, peel them, wrap them in plastic wrap, and put them in a freezer bag. You can then use these bananas for baking, yogurt, or smoothies.

Strawberries/cherries are one of the best fruits to freeze because they retain their shape and flavor over time. You can buy them in the summer and enjoy them all year round. All you have to do is wash them and put them in a vacuum bag. It’s that simple. If you don’t want the berries to stick together, freeze them on a baking sheet first to separate them. Then put them in a ziplock bag and store them.

8. Storing cheese

Cheese is expensive, so store it carefully. Cut it into bite-sized pieces, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and place it in a vacuum bag. You can also slice or shred the cheese and place it in a Ziploc bag for later use. If you slice the cheese, make sure the slices are separate by placing a sheet of wax paper between each slice.

9. Preserving herbs

The best way to preserve herbs and spices is in ice cube trays. You can put rosemary, oregano leaves in individual cells in the ice cube tray, then pour water/olive oil over them. In the future, when you need to use herbs and spices, you can just take them out and cook according to the recipe.

10. Storing grilled food

When you make pancakes, muffins, cookies, breakfast sandwiches, or other baked goods, simply wrap them in plastic wrap, place them in a vacuum bag, and pop them in the freezer. You’ll have a last-minute breakfast/dinner or dessert ready to go in the microwave. You can even freeze cooked pasta or rice to save time during the week.

According to VietNamnet