May 18, 2007 10:42 AM
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We all use refrigerator in our daily lives and maximum in summers. Today I will share tips of how to store food in the refrigerator and for how long a particular food item can be stored.
Fresh vegetables and fruits have a shelf life. it cannot be stored more than a given period. We were taught in college so I thought of sharing it with all of you.
*Fresh vegetables have shelf life. i'm mentioning few.
Cauliflower and beans: 1 week( Don't wash before storing for longer life)
Carrot, beet root, raddish: 2 Weeks( remove the head for longer life)
Green peas: 4 days( remove from cover after 3 days and put the peas in the freezer)
Other green salad: 1 week
Mushrooms: 5 days( don't consume after the 5th day as it could cause food poisionoing)
Cucumber: 1 week
Shimla Mirch: 1 week.*
Tomatoes should be refrigerated only for a short time.
*Store the vegetables in the vegetable trays and if the vegetable trays are full then store them in polythene bags to prevent moisture loss.
* Most vegetables should be stored in the
refrigerator to preserve freshness. Except potatoes, sweet
potatoes, onions that keep well in cool rather than cold
storage.
Leafy vegetables, such as lettuce and spinach, should be
placed in polythene bags or airtight containers to reduce moisture loss.
Mushrooms should be stored in paper bags instead of
polythene to save your other vegetables to spoil in the fridge discard that show evidence of decay.
Keep Foods Clean always handle food with clean hands. Keep the refrigerator interior clean
to stop contamination
Once food is cooked, it must be kept hot(above 60ºC) until serving.
Bacterial growth increases more when cooked foods remain at room
temperature for longer than two hours. Avoid cooling leftovers on
the kitchen counter before refrigerating.
Refrigerator and freezer temperatures do
not kill bacteria but, will slow its growth. Colder the food, the
slower is bacteria growth.
Fresh meat/Chicken and cheese
should be stored in the coldest part of the refrigerator to extend
storage time perfect would be freezer.
Crushed pieces decay more quickly and contaminate good pieces so used crushed pieces first than better ones to avoid you other food items to spoil.
At times, fungus develops on the top
surface of cheese just cut off at least little of the cheese round and below the spoiled
area the remaining cheese will still be safe to eat.
Do
not try to save individual cheese slices, soft cheese, paneer, cream,
sour cream, curd or yogurt when fungus appears. It will be dangerous.
Eggs in the shell retain their quality
well when refrigerated. Maximum storage is 4 weeks. Do not use cracked
eggs.
When freezing foods, use a freezer wrap such as freezer bags, aluminum foil
or select airtight containers. Force as much air out of packages or
containers as possible and be sure they are tightly sealed. Trapped air
can cause the food to dry out.
Fresh meats and poultry can be left in the original store wrapping when freezing for less than 2 weeks.
Caution: Do
not repair or replace any part of the refrigerator or attempt any
service unless specifically recommended in user manual that you
understand and have necessary skills to do so.
