by clairity/ melia flickrI spent my Friday night watching THIS instructional video on how to tell if my food has gone bad. What did you do Friday night?
Aside for the extremely lame way I spent my Friday evening between the hours of 9:00 and 10:00pm I was able to glean some very helpful information (just barely enough to compensate for the time spent) from a very drab presentation.
Formerly I was known as the Queen of waste. I threw EVERYTHING out. If a product even came remotely close to the expiration date, or had the faintest signs of mold, to the trash it went, PARANOIA was stamped on my forehead. With good reason too. Have you ever had food poisoning?!!!! I was surprised to hear that most things when opened had a much shorter shelf life then I would have thought (see last link in post for more details) while other products may have been perfectly fine. Had I know the rules and not been so quick to pitch almost everything in sight I could have possibly saved thousands or at least hundreds of dollars over the years.
First step. Buy a couple thermometers one for the fridge, and another for my meats. The big rule in temperature gauging is that the temperature between 40-160 degrees is the hot zone. It is the zone in which bacteria grows with reckless abandon. Keep foods colder than 40 degrees and hotter than 160 degrees and you should be safe and sound.
Second step. Have a list of food expiration's on the side of the fridge (printable list below). I liked THIS article on how to tell when leftovers go bad. The following section from his article is a keeper.
How Long Will These Common Foods Last?
by hindlbittern flickr
Not all foods go bad after four days in the fridge, and some might not even last that long. Use your own judgment and if in doubt, it’s probably best to throw it out (particularly if your immune system is not up to par). However, here are some common foods along with estimates of how long they typically last in the fridge:
Of course, the fresher your foods are to begin with, the longer you can expect them to last as well. Ideally, choose the freshest foods you can find, and eat them as soon as possible, as some foods, particularly vegetables, lose nutrients after they’re harvested.
Other great expiration date charts HERE & HERE
Third step. Everything gets a date. I started doing this last month and it has really helped. I can never remember when I've opened something and for fear... MAJOR phobia.... of eating something or worse giving something to my kids that has gone bad a quick date label has saved us. (can you get sharpie poisoning, please don't tell me!)
by bhtp flickr
Aside for the extremely lame way I spent my Friday evening between the hours of 9:00 and 10:00pm I was able to glean some very helpful information (just barely enough to compensate for the time spent) from a very drab presentation.
Looks like I need to buy myself one of these.
The thermometer not the meat. Although it does look delicious!
The thermometer not the meat. Although it does look delicious!
First step. Buy a couple thermometers one for the fridge, and another for my meats. The big rule in temperature gauging is that the temperature between 40-160 degrees is the hot zone. It is the zone in which bacteria grows with reckless abandon. Keep foods colder than 40 degrees and hotter than 160 degrees and you should be safe and sound.
40-160 RULE
Second step. Have a list of food expiration's on the side of the fridge (printable list below). I liked THIS article on how to tell when leftovers go bad. The following section from his article is a keeper.
How Long Will These Common Foods Last?
by hindlbittern flickr- Butter: 1-3 months
- Milk: 5 days
- Eggs (fresh): 3-5 weeks
- Ground beef, ground turkey, chicken and fish: 1-2 days
- Beef steaks and roasts and pork roasts: 3-5 days
- Cooked or uncooked veggies: 3-5 days
- Leftovers: 3-4 days
- Mustard, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce: use within 1 year of opening
- Salsa: 1 month
- Ketchup, peanut butter and jelly: 6 months
Of course, the fresher your foods are to begin with, the longer you can expect them to last as well. Ideally, choose the freshest foods you can find, and eat them as soon as possible, as some foods, particularly vegetables, lose nutrients after they’re harvested.
Other great expiration date charts HERE & HERE
Third step. Everything gets a date. I started doing this last month and it has really helped. I can never remember when I've opened something and for fear... MAJOR phobia.... of eating something or worse giving something to my kids that has gone bad a quick date label has saved us. (can you get sharpie poisoning, please don't tell me!)
by bhtp flickr
4 comments:
Did you know that if you store your cottage cheese upside down sitting on its lid it will last longer. The cheese itself creates a better seal, of course you have to make double sure you put the lid on tight so it wont leak out all over the fridge!
OOOOOOO...I love that tip! Keep um' commin'.
I've also heard that you should not store eggs or milk in the fridge door because they can spoil sooner than if they are kept in the main compartment of your fridge.
If you ever see a great deal on Cheese you can wax it and it will last... Ready for this... for up to 7 years on the shelf!
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