With food prices rising exponentially, cutting on food waste is one way to help manage your budget. Putting food in the fridge is the no-brainer way to keep them fresh for longer. However, improper food storage can do more harm than good. Poor food storage in the fridge can make your ingredients spoil faster, causing unwanted wastage and even bacteria contamination. So yes, there is a science to storing food right.
To get the lowdown on food storage tips, Chef Lua Chang Yung, former Culinary Instructor at the School of Business (Diploma in Culinary and Catering Management), Temasek Polytechnic shares ways to keep food fresh for a longer time. In this comprehensive checklist, we cover food storage tips for raw meats, leftover food, fruits, vegetables and dairy products. Not to forget tips to properly store dried goods like dried scallops and strong-smelling foods like kimchi and sauerkraut.
In general…
1. The temperature of the fridge should be kept at 3°c or below to ensure bacteria doesn’t multiply.
2. Rotate food in your fridge so that the first in is also the first out.
3. Always wait for food to cool before storing them in the fridge.
4. Keep your fridge clean! Here are four easy ways to clean this workhorse.
5. Defrost meat overnight in the lowest compartment with a tray to contain any liquids to prevent bacteria growth.
Meat
6. Store meat in the lowest compartment of the fridge as it is the coldest section. This also prevents their juices from leaking onto the other foods.
7. Alternatively, they can be individually portioned and frozen in lowest compartment of the freezer.
8. Try to separate your meat, poultry and seafood to avoid cross contamination.
9. Raw meats can be stored for about four days, cooked meats for about three.
Dairy
10. These should be stored in the upper compartment of the fridge in airtight containers or re-sealable plastic bags. In the case of milk, they can be stored in the re-sealable cartons.
11. Soft cheeses like Brie or mozzarella should be kept in airtight containers once opened. Harder cheeses can be wrapped up in wax or parchment paper then into a re-sealable bag.
Fruits and Vegetables
Some fruits release ethylene gas, which causes vegetables to prematurely spoil. Store fruits and vegetables separately in the upper compartment of the fridge or in the dedicated fruit and vegetables compartments.
12. Store gas releasing fruits like avocados, bananas, peaches, tomatoes and plums out of the fridge.
13. Other fruits can be stored in the fridge but keep them away from the vegetables.
14. Here’s a list of fruits and vegetables that should not be in the fridge:
Bananas: Their skin turns black in the fridge, though the flesh is still fine.
Tomatoes: They lose all their flavour in the fridge as the ripening process is stopped. Their texture is also altered. Keep them on the counter instead.
Unripe avocados: The ripening process is also stopped by the fridge
Potatoes: The fridge converts their starch into sugar more quickly, resulting gritty potatoes. Store them in a cool dark place instead.
Onions: Like tomatoes, the fridge alters their texture. Plus they tend to stink up the area around them.
Garlic: These will start sprouting or turn rubbery in the fridge.
Nuts, Granola and Muesli
15. These should be kept away from light, heat and moisture. They need not be stored in the fridge and freezer but they could be if kept in glass or plastic containers. These can be kept from half a year to a year.
Leftovers
16. These can be kept in the top or middle shelf and in airtight, leak-proof containers. A good tip is to label them with the date so you know when you should get rid of them by.
Dried products
17. Dried foodstuffs like dried shrimp and ikan billis should be inspected regularly for insect infestations and mouldiness, as they are susceptible to such spoilage. They are also vulnerable to moisture re-absorption so they must be properly packaged and stored immediately in clear, dry jars or containers with tight-fitting lids in the fridge.
Tip: Separate them into portions that can be used all at once to reduce exposure of the entire product at once.
Foods with a strong smell
18. Items like fermented bean paste or kimchi should be kept in glass bowls with a sturdy lid, or thick-walled storage containers. These pungent foods should also not be touching anything in the fridge, even if they are stored in containers.
19. Baking soda can be used to keep fridge odour at bay.
In the fridge door
20. This area of the fridge has the highest temperature fluctuations so highly perishable foods should not be stored here. Condiments, juices and more survivable foodstuffs can be stored here.
Contrary to popular belief, milk and eggs should not be kept here even though most fridges have compartments for them: they both should be placed in colder regions of the fridge.
In the chiller
21. If your fridge comes with multiple chilled drawers, use one for vegetables and one for meat. If they’re vertically stacked, use the lower one for meat to prevent contamination via dripping. The drawer used for meat should be cleaned often.
