Tips for storing food so that it lasts longer and gets wasted less

 Tips for storing food so that it lasts longer and gets wasted less:

 Why worry about preventing wasted food? Although composting is a great way to deal with inevitable food
scraps like banana peels, it is much better to eat the food we can than to compost it. Prevention helps the
environment as well as our budgets. After all, it takes a lot of resources to get food from the fi elds to our homes.
While no one buys food with the intention of throwing it away, based on recent estimates, the average
household in Saint Paul wastes up to $96 worth of once edible food every month!
Storing your food properly can make it last much longer to help you save money and reduce waste. Eureka

Food Storage Tips :

General storage tips to keep in mind:

Keep apples, bananas, citrus, and tomatoes away from other
produce—they give off ethylene gas that makes other produce
ripen/deteriorate faster.
Untie all bunches (herbs, greens, etc .) to allow the produce
to breathe.
The length of time that the food will last depends on how fresh it
was when you bought it. Local, in-season produce will last much
longer than something that has been shipped a long way. For all
perishable food, use your nose and eyes to determine if it has
gone bad. Sometimes, it may just be past its prime for raw eating
but can be cooked—pears, apples, berries, or other fruit can be
made into sauces, crisps, or cobblers. Stale bread can be kept
for breadcrumbs, French toast, or bread pudding.
All frozen things should be in an airtight container with as much
air removed as possible. Air contains moisture that creates
ice crystals that “burn” the food or make it deteriorate faster.
Freezing in a fl at, rectangular, clear, glass container works so
you can see your food and stack containers. Don’t forget to label
when it went in the freezer!
Many of these foods can be dried in a food dehydrator or canned
with a hot water bath canner or a pressure canner. Check out
a dehydrating or a canning guide to fi nd the best recipes for
preserving large quantities of produce.
For best results, keep your fridge between 37° F and 40° F, and
your freezer between 0° F and 2°F.
Use your fridge’s crisper drawer. The higher humidity environment
benefi ts many vegetables by helping them last longer. If you can
adjust the humidity setting on your crisper drawer, set it on high
humidity for leafy greens or on low for non-leafy vegetables like
carrots and cucumbers.