The average American throws away more than 20 pounds of food annually.
This is equal to $165 billion going into a landfill every year!
Does that bother you?
I know it kills me watching all that good food and hard-earned money hit the bottom of the garbage can.
You are probably a lot like me and guilty of throwing away many of your groceries almost every week.
It’s time to change things.
The main issue is that we are flat out storing things wrong.
To help you, we have some great storage tricks you can use to get the maximum life out of your food and prevent food waste and put a few more dollars back in your account.
Click to download our Survival Guide book today and ensure you're storing your food correctly to avoid wasting money or food poisoning.
1. Bread
One of the most common mistakes leading to wasting food is refrigerating your bread.
Do not refrigerate your bread unless you enjoy eating stale bread.
While freezing bread is not a bad practice, if you know you need to store it for a little while, you should store your bread in a bread box in your kitchen.
Place on a wooden board or in a paper bag. This is a great way to keep it from drying out!
2. Eggs
Place your raw eggs in their original container in the coldest part of your refrigerator.
The coldest part is the middle shelf.
Ignore those unique egg holders on the door, they may look cool, but they will make the egg temperature fluctuate too much.
Keeping them in their original container will protect the porous shells from odors.
Ready for the best part?
They will stay good 3-4 weeks after the expiration date - giving your more time to eat them and less time to waste the food!
3. Herbs
Herbs are plants, as you well know, and like all plants, they need water to not shrivel up.
Experts recommend treating them like cut flowers instead. Make sure the leaves are properly dry, snip off the ends and place the herbs stem down in a cup or mason jar with water.
Most herbs will keep this way in the fridge, but basil prefers to be kept at room temperature in a jar of water.
When the water that the herbs are standing in gets a bit gross, drain it and add fresh water. Most herbs stored this way will keep for up to two weeks.
Are you storing your food correctly? Download our Survival Guide book today!
Another trick you can use is to wrap your herbs in paper towels to absorb the moisture and place them in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer in your fridge.
Boom! They will last at least double the time.
4. Onions
Onions and potatoes go great together in recipes, but they shouldn’t be stored together. Onions will make the potatoes go bad leading to more food waste.
Potatoes and squash are ideally stored in an open-air wicker or mesh basket in a cool, dark place.
Store all your unpeeled dry onion bulbs in a cool, dry, dark place with airflow, but the big mistake is that most people put them in plastic, don’t do it!
A tremendous unknown tip is to place them on the countertop and away from other produce.
Onions produce gasses that can affect the shelf life and flavor of different fruits and veggies.
Do not expose them to cold and moisture, as this will lead to rotting and rooting.
For most people, when they cut onions, the trick is to chill a whole onion for 30 minutes before cutting to reduce the tears.
5. Tomatoes
Lay your tomatoes face up, at room temperature, out of direct sunlight.
Tomatoes will lose flavor and water stored in a refrigerator or cooler.
The best place to keep them is in a paper bag in the coolest, darkest part of your kitchen.
The cool temperature halts color, flavor, and nutrient development; store them in your fridge once they are bright red!
6. Cheese
Here is a great little tip try wrapping your cheeses in moisture-proof plastic or tin foil.
This will keep it edible for 2-4 full months longer than the sell-by date.
7. Smoothies
Smoothies are a perfect blend of healthy ingredients that will detox your body and skin from aging prematurely in your morning routine.
You would probably have a busy schedule; hence you may resort to making a bulk amount of smoothies and storing them as and when you need them.
But preserving your smoothies the right way is an art in itself, as keeping your smoothies the wrong way in the improper containers will lead to them losing nutrients and going bad.
Using proper specially designed smoothie bottles will lead to them staying edible and full of nutrients for a much longer time.
You also won’t have to worry about preparing your smoothies from time to time.
8. Pass Ketchup and Hold Mustard
Did you know that these are condiments that don’t need to be stored in the fridge?
It’s true, they can be stored outside, and you can get back all that valuable space in the refrigerator. Bet you didn’t know that!
9. Olive Oil
Oil tends to oxidize quickly from the heat and sun.
This makes it lose its unique flavor and even start to taste bad, which is horrible if you use the more expensive oils.
Make sure to store in a dark place that is away from extreme temperatures and sunlight.
10. Leftovers
Make sure that your leftovers make it to your fridge in no less than 2 hours after cooking has stopped.
Choose wide shallow containers, so the food cools down as quickly and evenly as possible.
Don’t keep any of your leftovers for more than 5 days, though.
It is always best to store your food in the refrigerator when possible as this will prevent spoilage.
This will also help you maximize your nutritional properties, retain maximum flavor, prevent wastage and save money!
Conclusion - 10 Foods You're Storing Wrong
There you have it!
10 foods you're probably storing wrong leading you to loose money.
Hopefully with this information, you can prevent food waste and loss of money.
If you consistently struggle with food going bad on you, I would recommend you check out some of our long term food storage options.
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Click here to check out our emergency food kits now and tips in Preparing for Emergencies!
