Keep Food Fresh Longer

Posted by S&D Ireland 12/30/2021 15:51:26

If you’re going greener, cutting down wasted food is a great start. Recent research says that 65% of UK residents buy too much food and some end up being thrown away. The average household throws out £30 of food every month. That’s £9.7 billion worth of wasted food every year.

Keep Food Fresh Longer

Let’s take a look at how to keep food fresher for longer. That way, it is less likely to end up in the bin!

1. Get your fridge temperature right

To make the most of your food, the fridge temperature must be spot on.

* The ideal fridge temperature is 37°F (3°C) to 40°F (5°C)
* Your freezer temperature should be at or just under 0°F (-18°C)

It takes about 24 hours for your fridge to adjust to changes in temperature so take this into account when checking.

2. Use different shelves for different foods

Your fridge temperature varies between its shelves. Typically, lower shelves have lower temperatures. With that in mind, keep raw meat and fish at the bottom, where the temperature is between 0°C and 3°C. Dairy products such as butter and cheese can be kept closer to the top.

3. Don’t overload the fridge

Give your food space! If you cram it in too tightly, it can stop air from circulating, and prevent everything from reaching the right temperature.

4. Don’t wash your food

You only need to wash your food when you’re ready to prepare it. If you wash fruit and veg first, it reduces its lifespan because adding moisture speeds up decay.

5. Keep things separate

Fruit and veg give off gases as they ripen, spoiling nearby foodstuffs. To avoid this, store bananas, apples and avocados separately. Less gassy stuff like potatoes or carrots can be stored with each other safely.