10 Tips for Keeping Food Fresh

Some experts estimate that Americans throw away up to 15% of the food they purchase, which adds up to well over $1,000 each year. People are always looking for ways to save money, but eating their food before it spoils is something that most of us generally don't think about.

If you are looking for ways to maximize the shelf life of your fresh foods, try these ten tips.

1. Keep raw meat on the bottom shelf. This area is usually one of the coldest spots in the refrigerator, which will help keep your meat fresh for longer. It will also prevent the meat from dripping down and contaminating the foods below it.
2. Store your apples on the counter-top. Keeping apples in the refrigerator makes them lose their flavor and causes them to become soft and mushy. Plus, keeping them in plain sight helps them get eaten faster!
3. Avoid storing milk and eggs on the fridge door. Because of the constant opening and closing of the refrigerator, the door can frequently reach temperatures higher than 40° F. Avoid keeping dairy, eggs, and other foods sensitive to spoiling here.
4. Store fruits and vegetables separately. Most refrigerators come with two separate crisper drawers – you should use one for fruits and one for veggies. The reason for this is that a lot of fruits produce ethylene gas as they ripen, which causes most vegetables to spoil faster.
5. Wrap your head of lettuce in damp paper towels. Without moisture, lettuce will quickly dehydrate and wilt. If your salad greens begin to dry out, soak them in ice water for a few hours to restore some crispness.
6. Know what goes in the fridge and what doesn't. There are a lot of common misconceptions about what is supposed to go in the refrigerator and what isn't – here are 5 foods that many people keep in their fridges, but shouldn't. 
7. Drop a few grains of rice in the salt shaker. Have you ever experienced clumping in your salt shaker? This is due to excess humidity in the air, prevent it from happening by putting a little bit of dry rice in your salt. 
8. Wash berries in water and vinegar. Washing your berries in cold water and a small amount of vinegar (about a 10:1 ratio) before putting them in your refrigerator can extend their freshness by several days. 
9. Don't put your bread in the refrigerator. Putting bread in the refrigerator causes it to harden quicker; for best storage, keep in an air tight plastic bag in a cool, dark place. 
10. Set your refrigerator to the right temperature. One way to guarantee that your food spoils before its expiration date is by storing it in a refrigerator which is too warm. For optimal freshness, you should keep your refrigerator between 34-39° F.

Is your refrigerator failing to maintain a consistently cold temperature? If so, help is just a phone call away with Speedy Subzero!

For more than 75 years, homeowners on Long Island have trusted our licensed technicians to repair their refrigerators, freezers, ice makers, and wine coolers. We keep our vans stocked with spare parts, which allows us to provide one-hour service to anywhere in Nassau County, Suffolk County, and New York City. Call us now to schedule your same-day appointment at 866-782-9376.

Looking for more ways to keep your food fresh? Check out these 37 tips.