Your Safe Kitchen: Practice safe food storage at home

Once you get recently purchased items home - the importance of food safety is now YOUR responsibility. You can start with safe storage.

Keeping in mind, bacteria can multiply rapidly in a perishable food that is left in the 'Danger-zone' - between 40 and 140 degrees F - for more than 2 hours.
There is potential risk for cold food that rises above 40 degrees F
These is also potential risk for hot food that falls below 140 degree F.
Store leftovers within 2 hours in a clean shallow container - this can help prevent bacteria from multiplying.
Don't fret about this. Just keep cold food COLD and hot food HOT. :)
NOTE: When planning your next shopping trip, remember to do a weather check - should the outdoor temp reach 90 degrees F - refrigerate within 1 hour.

Tools and tips that might help:

PERISHABLES

* Refrigerator thermometer (Your fridge should keep food 40 degrees F or below)
     > Always refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours. This is the "2-Hour Rule".
* Baking soda does help keep odors away from fridge
* Write dates on all foods to be stored in fridge. You'll always know how long it has been in there and you can use the older stuff first.
* There can be a logic to not only HOW your foods are stored, but WHERE they are stored.
For instance, in the fridge, store eggs in the main compartment of the fridge. NOT in the bottom and not on the door. Storing them in their original container helps protect them from harm. Never wash eggs before using.
* Raw meats and poultry should be stored in containers or wrapped in plastic to prevent their juices form dripping onto other food in the fridge (it can cause cross contamination). I keep mine at the bottom of the fridge. Also, if it will not be used within the next day or two - freeze it.
* Wrapping celery in foil helps maintain its crispness. George Economos from Whole Foods Market Palatine says he keeps is in an airtight container.
* When preserving unused avocado portion, retain pit and wrap with plastic or store in an airtight container. It seems to prevent it from going brown as quickly.
* Ever notice where tomatoes are stored when you hit the grocery store?
Tomatoes DO NOT go into the fridge. It affects flavour and texture (negatively).
   

* Freezer thermometer - (Your freezer should keep food 0 degrees F or below)
     > Always freeze perishable food within 2 hours. This is the "2-Hour Rule".
     > Wrap meats and poultry in original package with foil and plastic to prevent moisture lost.
     > Date with the date of purchase
     > Freezing cooked food is awesome. Just remember to thaw the portion you wish to use. This is why it is good to proportion food in smaller parcels before placing in freezer - they will also thaw faster when you are ready to use them. If the whole item is thawed, refrigerate, then re-freeze unused portion.

* Prevent moisture loss in your meats and poultry by wrapping the package with foil or plastic wrap that is recommended for freezer use.

* Prevent freezer burn by (1) date all freezer packages, using older products first (2) wrap items in heavy freezer paper, plastic wrap, freezer bags or foil (3) place the new items towards the back of the freezer - this way, older items are easier to access.


* Cooking thermometer -
     > There are a number of types of thermometers.
     Some dedicated for meat, some for chocolate, some for sugar or deep-frying. Some are remote, some are digital, some are analog. I would recommend getting a general purpose food thermometer. Digital or analog? What ever floats your boat. Just be sure that you are able to calibrate it and it is easy enough for you to do. Check for instructions or ask the people selling it.
      > When using, be sure to take temperature in different spots on the food to ensure consistent, accurate temperatures. If checking the temperature of meats, remember to insert into the thickest part of the flesh and avoid making contact with the bone.

SHELF STABLE STORAGE
* Avoid storing food items above the stove, under the sink or any high-to-low temperature extremes.
* High acid foods (such as tomatoes or fruit) can last approximately 12-18 months.
* Low acid foods (such as meats, veggies, etc.) can last 2-5 years.
* Room temperature (Examples: Canned or dried foods)
     > storage spaces must be clean, dry and not above or beside your stove or on top of your fridge. (Drastic temperature fluctuation may affect the freshness and/or quality of your food product)

* Cool dark (Examples: potatoes, onions, baking powder, etc.)
    > storage place must be clean, dry and NOT have a widely varying temperature range (Drastic temperature fluctuation may affect the freshness and/or quality of your food product).

* Note the 'SELL BY' and 'USE BY' or 'BEST if USED BEFORE' dates.

* Note the Closed or Coded dates. Packing numbers for use by the manufacturer. If a product is not "dated", consume perishable ready-to-eat food soon after purchasing it, and no more than 3 to 5 days after opening it.


BOTULISM
What is it? ---> Overview, Symptoms, Causes and Prevention.


Lastly, it has been said, "Time changes all things"...this includes non-perishables.

I had to add this because of the number of times I've heard the genuine surprise from people when they learn that canned or frozen food can go bad. Not much in the world of food won't expire. If it there is such a thing, I'm not sure I'd want to consume it.
There are other factors to consider about 'non-perishable' food items such as taste, texture, nutritional value - which all can diminish over time.

Interested in learning more about lifespans of food: fresh, frozen and canned?
There is no point in me retyping what already exists in a concise easy to read format.
To learn more about frozen food click, HERE.
To learn more about deciphering the codes on major canned food brands, click HERE. (Someone put in some serious work on that one.)
To learn more about lifespans of popular foods in general, click HERE. (< This is an awesome, entertaining article, btw.)

Should you have anything else to share - any questions, comments, interesting stories tid-bits or links - please do.