Ways to Prolong the Shelf Life of your Food

Introduction

From forgotten, not to mention moldy, fruits and vegetables at the back of the fridge to expired milk and cheese. A lot of people don’t realize that they throw away as much food, without realizing it. According to the EPA, in 2018.. approximately around 42.8 million tons of food are being thrown away. A majority of it ends up in landfills..contributing to the level of methane gases in the atmosphere, because of the rotten produce or waste. In addition, it’s also like throwing money out of the window, because the food had already expired before being consumed.

So what are some ways to get the most out of your product or groceries? Here are some ways;

1. Freezing

But do it in batches. Here’s the thing, freezing your food, especially meats such as pork, beef, and chicken, reduce the number of bacteria or other pathogens from growing. The problem is, a lot of people don’t portion their meat, before freezing it. They take the meat out of the fridge, have it sit at room temperature, only taking it out the portion that they want. Then put the rest back in the fridge again. This can cause the microorganisms like bacteria to multiply rapidly. So it’s better to plan ahead and portion your meat products. That way, you reduce the amount of meat getting spoiled, lessen the chance of microorganisms multiplying, and save a lot of money by only consuming only the needed portion size.

2. Explore other methods of food preservation

Besides putting your produce or perishable foods in your trusty fridge, oftentimes things can get a little crowded. And a lot of people buy more than what their fridge can accommodate. So how about exploring the idea of preserving your products through other means. This could be through pickling or canning methods. This could be a solution to freeing up some spaces in your fridge.

3. Know which produce needs special treatment

Just like oil and water, there are some fruits and vegetables that don’t go well together when stored in the same place. Some also lose their flavor, some ripen easily and some don’t do well when exposed to colder temperatures. Take, for example, citrus fruits, like lemon, lime, and grapefruits. To prevent them from drying out, while they look good on display on your countertop, it’s best to store them on your fridge. In the case of fruits like avocados, mango, and papayas. if you plan on storing them for longer periods, it’s better to place them on your fridge, to prevent or reduce the rate of ripening.

4. Keep track of your groceries

This is applicable for homes with a larger fridge. Having a larger fridge means that you could store more produce and perishable goods. This can often get out of hand because the old stocks can be pushed way further back of the fridge. Making it oblivious. Keeping track of what products or goods being purchased ensures that the food is being consumed on time or within the intended period.

5. Invest in appliances

If you can and want to take it a little bit further, how about investing in equipment/s that can help prolong food shelf life. An example would be something like a dehydrator. Which removes moisture. Great for if you want dried tomatoes or dried fruits. Moisture allows bacterial or pathogen growth. So no moisture means no growth. Other machines like vacuum seal can also help prolong the shelf life of some food by removing air out of the picture. Air can also contain moisture and suspended microorganisms which can also spoil some fruits and vegetables.

This is A Blog Written by BioRift
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