Keeping Foods Fresh Longer

[Luckybustert]

Have you found a great container, wrap, or gadget that helps keep your foods fresh longer? Throwing spoiled or rotting foods in the garbage is like burning money in the fireplace to me, but sometimes it still happens and I want to put a stop to it to the extent that I can.

I find my food saver is great for meats, but I haven't used it much for things like produce and cheese. For salads, I usually make a big bowl for the week, then I put in a white paper towel, put on the lid and turn the bowl upside down in the refrigerator. This keeps the salad crisper longer, and I change out the paper towel each day when I dish up some of the salad.

Are you doing things like this or using products to help extend the shelf life of your fresh foods?

[Contrary Housewife]

I try to buy only as much as we will eat in a reasonable time, and not buy things that will go bad quickly.

Root vegs last a long time, carrots, potatoes, turnips, beets, etc last for weeks in the fridge. I always have those on hand.

Things like lettuce, cucumber, celery, and bell pepper I only buy if I plan to eat them that week because they just don't last. Likewise, cold cuts have about a 4 day lifespan... except hard salami and pepperoni which can last weeks. So I never buy more than 2 servings of sliced ham or turkey.

I leave things whole as long as possible. Cut up vegetables start to go bad quicker, so I don't cut the pepper or cucumber or tear the lettuce until just before dinner. I leave the tops on beets and turnips.

And I keep stuff tightly wrapped in plastic bags (just the grocery ones). I had a friend in college who didn't cook, because she said her food was all spoiling before she could get to it, I later found out she was just putting loose vegs in the drawer where it would all dry out or go soft within a couple days....

Cheese needs to be tightly wrapped against air, or it dries out and collects bacteria. I wash my hands first to avoid adding contaminants, always use a clean knife and cutting board. White mold on cheese is natural, but it, and even the green kind can be cut away and the good cheese underneath used.

I don't use anything special, baggies, foil, plastic wrap. I just know my limits and plan accordingly.

[Grainlady]

I love my FoodSaver - I've owned and used them for over 20 years.

I can keep freshly-cut leaf lettuce from the garden (or store-bought lettuce) for long periods of time if I vacuum-seal it in a FoodSaver canister (or use a canning jar and a FoodSaver Universal Lid). I've been gone on vacation for a week and picked all the leaf lettuce and romaine lettuce before I left, and it's just as fresh as the day I picked it because it's vacuum-sealed.

Everything keeps better for longer periods of time if you can remove the oxygen, which the FoodSaver is designed to do. Oxygen, heat, light are the enemies of foods. Avoid those and you will keep food longer.

Make sure your refrigerator is colder than 40°F. Warm refrigerators destroy food. If you store your milk on the refrigerator door, it may NOT be cold enough and your milk can sour quicker when the storage temperature is warmer than 40°F. This is especially true if you have heavy use of your refrigerator and the door stands open a lot!!!

I buy cheese in bulk and vacuum-seal it in FoodSaver bags. You can also vacuum-seal oils (olive oil, etc.) and they will keep longer because they don't oxidize from exposure to oxygen. It takes a special attachment.

I vacuum-seal a large portion of dry goods and home-dehydrated foods using canning jars, canning lids and the jar attachment on the FoodSaver. This extends keeping time, especially when kept out of the light and heat.

You can also use Oxygen Absorbers for dry goods, but you have to be very careful how dry the foods are, and they only work well for certain foods. They are typically used for long-term storage, not day-to-day.

[Paws]

Many years ago, DH bought me one of those Food saver vacuum sealers...it didn't work well at all. But I have had limited luck with the the Hefty Fresh Extend bags...although I usually place a paper towel in the bottom of them before placing the veggies or fruits.

I may try one of those Food Savers again one day...I hear a lot of people talking about them, and almost ALL of it's really good...Hhhhmmmm...something to think about.