Updated 19 July 2020; Original 15 January 2019
Food Storage Options
There is an interesting web site that helps define proper storage for food called Save The Food, worth a peak if you have time. In general, I will include storage information in my recipes, so it is listed on the sheet you cook from. Here is a quick list of general guidelines and this list will grow as I add recipes to the site.
There are basically three different types of storage options.
- Dry storage: food that does not need any climate controlled environments, these are pantry, boxed, and processed foods. These are shelf-stable foods.
- Refrigerated storage: food that needs to be kept under 40F
- Frozen storage: food that needs to be kept under 0F
Home Storage Guidelines
Make sure you know the dates of everything, and set your food storage up so that the oldest is placed in front.
Beans: Dry beans can be placed in the pantry, I use a sealed glass jar and date when I added the beans. Older beans (greater than 1 year) often have to be cooked longer. Soaking and using a pressure cooker to cook older beans is great. Cooked beans should be refrigerated in a sealed container and food made with beans can be frozen.
Bread: I put these items in the freezer until I need them. This includes tortillas, flat bread, crumpets, burger buns, pizza crust, etc.
Cabbage: These keep a very long time in the crisper drawer, often all I have to do is peel off the outer leaves and the rest looks just fine. This is true for green or red cabbage, but I do find Nappa Cabbage does not keep as long and should be used first before the other cabbage.
Carrots: Go into the crisper drawer, and they keep for a long time.
Cauliflower: Goes into the crisper drawer too, and it keep for a while, just keep an eye out for brown spots.
Cheese: Hard cheese in the fridge for up to ~10 months, soft cheese for up to a month. But of course cheese never lasts that long in my kitchen anyway.
Eggs: American eggs (processed differently than other countries) can be safely used several weeks past the sell-by date. But keep them in the original container and put in the fridge. Cracked eggs found in the container should be tossed since you know nothing of when it happened. Any eggs you open, but do not immediately use, can be kept in the fridge for a couple of days.
Nuts: Nuts in the Shell keep longer and need not be refrigerated. Raw nuts need to be in the fridge to keep from getting rancid and can last 1-2 months. I always put pine nuts, pecans, and walnuts in the fridge.
Potatoes: I store in a medium temp room away from the sun, a pantry if you will. If I had a colder space I would put them there. These foods, including yams, sweet potatoes, onions, garlic can all stay in a cool, dark pantry for several weeks after bought. I just keep an eye on the food and if I see “eyes” on the tubers I use them up.
Seeds: Raw seeds are best if in the fridge in a sealed container. I always put Hemp hearts in the fridge. They are so expensive I want to be sure that they do not get rancid.
Squash: If storing yellow squash or zucchini in the refrigerator, do not wash the squash before storing and store in a ventilated plastic bag. Fresh squash like butternut can usually be stored in the darken pantry, so long as you protect the skin and rotate them every so often checking for soft skins, for ~1 month. Acorn squash can be stored in the pantry as well and can last a bit longer since their skins are hardened, almost 2 months.
Warehouse Food Storage
There are issues with the places food are stored, midway between the farmer and the store. Some of the recalls we receive is from field sanitation problems, but I have also seen recalls due to warehouse contamination as well. Below are issues that come up from the holding areas.
- Cross contamination
- Never keep potatoes with onions
- Never have uncooked meat with raw veggies or fruit
- Incorrect temperature control
- Do not store dry food in damp facilities
- Maintain proper temperatures by checking
- Pest control problems
- Problems with appropriate sanitation
- Rotation of products
- Water and/or humidity
Indefinite Food Storage
Several foods never really go “bad”.
- White Rice: properly stored, can last 30+ years (1)
- Honey: can last indefinitely, although it may crystalize
- Iodine-free salt: can last indefinitely
- Granulated sugar: properly stored, can last for years
- Maple sugar: can last indefinitely
Storage Pests
Yes there are mice, rats, and other animals. There are also the ordinary and effective bacteria and molds. But also there are insects and worms like roaches, various worms, pantry moths and the like.
I have found pantry moths in my pantry so bad that they were flying all around. We emptied all the food, disposed of any contaminated flours or grains, cleaned with peppermint and eucalyptus oils, and reviewed all of our containers. Where they were not tight, we replaced several jars with containers that provided a better seal.
Remember, we live on a planet that is full of life. And that life needs to eat the very things we eat too, so expect them to show up. Personally, I am not creeped out when I find others living on my food, except for mold, that is awful.
—Patty
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