Stacks of plastic containers of meal prepped meals

Store Food Smarter

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One of my new years resolutions is to waste less food. We're all guilty of finding forgotten leftovers at the back of the fridge a month later, or opening a container you thought was perfectly fine to see it full of mold. Everyone has different systems for how they organize their kitchen, but not all of these setups are created equal. These are tried and true tips to maximize the shelf life of your food and ensure as little as possible of it goes to waste.

A woven basket full of bags of produce and jars of dry goods

Let’s start with the basics. The major factors in causing spoiled food are heat, excessive cold, air, light, moisture, smells, and pests. Keep in mind what the environment of the area you’re storing food is, and make adjustments accordingly.

Always follow the first in, first out rule. Anything new goes in the back, pushing older items forwards so you don't forget to eat them before they go bad, and use the same principle for any leftovers. According to USDA guidelines, leftovers kept in the fridge can safely be eaten within three to four days while frozen leftovers are safe to eat for up to four months.

When you have lots of different perishable items like fruits and vegetables on hand and no plan for how to use them, it’s easy to let something go bad. Plan your meals for the week ahead of time, and find multiple uses for each ingredient so you don’t end up with a forgotten half an onion or five grapes slowly moldering.

This handy guide goes into far more detail on how to store specific foods and for how long: https://food.unl.edu/free-resource/food-storage/

Pantry

Store your shelf stable foods somewhere dry, dark and cool. To keep your food the freshest, 50-70 degrees F is the ideal temperature range. A cellar is ideal for food storage, but if you don’t have one a cabinet in a cool area of your house works just fine.

What to keep in the pantry:

Condiments such as honey, olive oil and vinegar
Spices
Tip: Keep spices away from sunlight.
Tip: Store your spices in airtight glass jars, labeled for ease of use.
Dry goods like flours, grains, lentils and dry pasta
Tip: store in airtight containers. Label the containers for convenience.
Tip: You can also keep whole grains and flours in the freezer in airtight containers, to maximize their shelf life.

Alliums like garlic, onions, leeks, and shallots
Tip: The humidity and lack of air circulation in the fridge can cause alliums to spoil faster. Instead, keep them in your pantry or cellar. Place them in reusable mesh bags or wire baskets to ensure air circulation.
Tip: Once peeled or cut, store alliums in the fridge in a sealed bag or an airtight glass container and consume within four to five days.
Tomatoes, eggplants, winter squash and potatoes
Tip: To prevent your potatoes from sprouting, don't store them near any onions.
Fruits like apples, avocados, bananas and stone fruits (when firm and unripe).
Tip: Leave on the counter with plenty of airflow
Tip: If they feel ripe and you aren’t going to eat them yet, move them to the fridge and consume within two to three days.

Fridge

Lettuce and other leafy greens
Tip: store in a plastic or silicone bag layered with dry paper or cloth towels. Squish all the air out and replace the towels when they get damp
Berries
Tip: Store in an open bowl lined with towels
Tip: Soak them in diluted vinegar (three parts water to one part distilled white vinegar) for five minutes and rinse thoroughly with water. This reportedly kills bacteria and mold spores
Herbs
Tip: keep in a mason jar with some water in the bottom and cover with a plastic bag. Change the water every two days or so.
Tip: you can also air dry herbs by hanging them upside down in a dry, dark, well-ventilated area. Once dry you can crumble them into a glass jar and use them like any other dried herbs.

Glass jars of dried spices in a pantry cabinet

Milk
Tip: Don’t keep your milk in the fridge door! Milk and other dairy products should be kept in the coldest part of the fridge, which is often the back of the lowest shelf.
Vegetables
Tip: Some fruits and veggies (apples, avocados, bananas, pears, peppers and tomatoes) emit a gas called ethylene which speeds up the ripening process. Storing them nearby other produce that's ethylene-sensitive (broccoli, cabbage, cucumbers, eggplants and spinach) can cause the latter to ripen and rot faster.
Tip: Can’t eat your avocados quick enough? The best way to keep an already cut avocado from turning brown is to store it with a chunk of cut onion.
Mushrooms
Tip: keep mushrooms in an open paper bag to keep them fresh and prevent them from getting slimy. Don’t wash until right before cooking.
Nuts and seeds
Tip: The natural oils of nuts can turn rancid when exposed to heat, light, air or moisture. To keep them fresh, nuts can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to six months or in the freezer for up to a year.

Freezer

Bread ProductsTip: Freeze your bread products if they’re starting to go stale. Rolls, bagels, buns can all be frozen and easily individually reheated as you need them.
Vegetables
Tip: Blanch crucifers, like broccoli, cauliflower and brussels sprouts before freezing them. This will extend their shelf-life for months as well as preserving their color, flavor and nutritional value.
Fruits
Tip: Got overripe fruits? Instead of throwing them out, puree them and freeze them in ice cube trays. These frozen fruit cubes are great for quick smoothies.

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