Get more out of your food storage
Monday, June 8th, 2009
When it comes to storing food, a lot of food is wasted before it’s used. There are a few tips that aren’t taken into consideration to help prevent this food waste.
First and foremost it’s best to use leftovers whenever possible. Leftovers such as hamburger or hot dog buns can be made into croutons by cutting into cubes then drizzle with melted butter, sprinkled with salt and herbs then heated in the oven at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.
You can also utilize eggs that are near expiration by hard boiling them and using them with breakfast or with salads at anytime. Use left over ground beef by cooking it up and refrigerating it to use with taco night or spaghetti night. Also, cooked veggies from the night before can be added to chicken broth in a Dutch oven and combined with beans, seasoning and herbs to make a quick and easy stew.
Storing food is easy if you know what to get into a habit of using before others. Label your fridge shelves. You may think this is silly, but if you have little kids in the house it also helps them to place things back into the fridge with ease. Group items together such as condiments into the door or top shelf, veggies in one drawer, fruits in another and milk, juice or sodas can be placed on the bottom shelf. Be sure and store foods from breakfast, lunch or dinner in clear containers. It’s best to use glass so that you can reheat it if needed. Never store hot items into plastic containers that can leach BPA into the foods. If you store in clear containers you can easily see what you have and what you should use before others.
When you fridge is organized you can then make out a grocery list with easy and not buy multiple items that you already own.
*Click on the label pictured below to help keep track of how fresh a vegetable or other dish is.
