Learn how to keep food fresh – News

It is well known that food spoils faster and more easily in hot weather. By storing food correctly, that is, knowing what the food is and storing it accordingly, we can significantly improve the freshness and durability of the product.

Here are some tips to help you achieve this. You’ll waste less, guaranteed.

But how much do we throw away?

The average Slovak throws away 83 kg of food every year, an amount that could be significantly reduced if fewer products were spoiling on our counters and in our fridges.

Many people are increasingly unaware of how to use their refrigerators properly, especially during the summer months. However, by following these rules, waste can be easily avoided.

Plan Ahead

The first step is to consider what ingredients you have available, what might go perishable, when you want to eat it, and what dish you want to make with it.

When shopping, try to take into account the fact that you don’t need a lot of food. This can be a problem in the summer, for example after a garden party or vacation, when a lot of ingredients or even ready-made meals can be thrown away for no reason.

Food sorting

Not everything you buy has to go in the fridge. This is important to remember, not only because some foods can be damaged by the cold. Another reason is that not filling your fridge to the brim allows for comfortable air circulation. The “uncrowded fridge” approach helps things work more efficiently and keeps food fresher longer.

Vegetables, whether soft or raw tomatoor even though they are hard Potato or onionyou can safely store it in the refrigerator even if the temperature in the house is a few degrees higher than usual.

More sensitive vegetables, like lettuce and fresh herbs, require cool, moist conditions for maximum freshness and flavor.

It is best to think about when you expect to use the food and find the right place accordingly. If your refrigerator has a humidity-adjustable compartment, you should use this feature.

Dairy products like cheese and yogurt should be stored on the middle shelf. And you can also store eggs outside the refrigerator, because the most important thing is to keep them at approximately the same temperature. Sure, the shelf life in the refrigerator can be slightly extended, but the shelf life outside the refrigerator is the same.

Raw meat (including fish) should be stored on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, separate from other ingredients, to prevent cross contamination. Boiled or roasted meat should not drip onto the bottom shelf, so it does not pose a risk and can be placed on any shelf.

Applicable conditions and packaging

Food should be stored in airtight containers or bags. This will make it harder for susceptible foods to dry out and prevent different odors from mixing. For the fresh herbs and salads mentioned above, you can use a form of packaging that maintains low humidity.

The question that often arises is what temperature to set the fridge to. If it’s too hot, vegetables may spoil. If it’s not cold enough, meat is more likely to spoil. If you want to avoid both of these, a temperature of 4 degrees Celsius is recommended.