How to store food - preservation, pickling and freezing

ELLE - about what to put in the refrigerator and what not

When dealing with products every day, we often don’t know how to store them properly so that they stay fresh for a long time. For example, some fruits and vegetables are best kept at room temperature, and chocolate, contrary to popular belief, should not be put in the refrigerator. ELLE found out about the rules for storing food at home.

Food storage in the refrigerator and freezer

In the refrigerator, all products are stored for a strictly defined time allotted for fresh vegetable products, baked, smoked and cooked meat products, for dairy products, for fish, which everyone has long been aware of. Such storage should be short-term, using containers that isolate odors so that the products retain their freshness and their own aroma, and also protect from drying out - staling, which will reduce the quality and appearance of stored products even in a short time.

For longer and safer storage, you should use quick freezers. Modern freezers are equipped with information about the level at which to store various types of food frozen for long-term storage. Typically, the images on the door panel carry the necessary information.

The freezer is the best household appliance invented by our civilization. 18-degree freezing allows you to store any food for a long, but not unlimited time. For optimal effect, the correct mode of storage should be observed, which we decided to talk about in this article.

The basic rule for storing almost all products in a freezer or freezer is hermetic packaging in special bags or containers that bear the marking of their use for storing food at 18 cold degrees. Conventional food-grade plastic bags can only be used for brief storage, otherwise they can burst and crumble.

Bright-smelling foods need increased insulation so that others can retain their own flavor. Filled containers should be placed at a certain interval for free circulation of cold air. It is appropriate to label containers stored for storage with records of their storage periods. Frozen greens and round berries should also be provided with signatures so as not to confuse grapes with currants, raspberries and blackberries and the like.

The packaging process itself requires it to be compact and tightly filled inside. To exclude air from it as much as possible so that the freezing process is faster and the product is properly stored for the required time.

Order in the fridge

So that the products do not deteriorate and do not lose consumer properties before the expiration date, they must be properly placed in the refrigerator. The entire space of the refrigerator is divided into separate sections, each of which has its own temperature regime and air circulation.

On the lower shelf, where the temperature is +1 ° C, it is recommended to store raw meat and fish. Cooked products can be placed on medium shelves with a temperature of + 3-4 ° C. The temperature regime of the upper shelf is approximately +6 ° C, therefore it is good to store milk on it. The lower containers are specially designed for fruits and vegetables, which are placed separately from each other.

The temperature on the refrigerator door is + 5-6 ° C, but it must be borne in mind that due to the constantly opening door, the products that are here are more in contact with air from the outside. Here you can have drinks, as well as butter and pickled cheeses, which do not need a strong cold.

It is recommended to store bread in a plastic bag only if it is in the refrigerator. In other cases, heat and enclosed space will contribute to the development of harmful microflora.

Clay bread box is best suited for storing bread, in which the product “breathes”, does not dry out, remains fragrant and tasty for a long time. In second place are wooden bread bins and containers made of twigs, followed by the more common metal and plastic bread bins.

You can’t put the bread box on the refrigerator: the condensate emitted by the unit of the device contributes to the rapid deterioration of bread. Wheat and rye bread is best stored in different places.

Optimum storage conditions for plant products

It will be about juicy fruits, vegetables and berries, for example, watermelon, melon, papaya, strawberries, zucchini, eggplant, which, due to low temperature, can, firstly, crack, and secondly, when defrosting, they lose taste, aroma and external attractiveness.

A whole series of vegetables, berries and fruits cannot be frozen at all as a means of storage, because because of their natural juiciness they lose their natural taste, aroma and nutritious appeal. This includes cabbage, cucumbers, celery, lettuce, tomatoes, parsnips, radishes, radishes and chicory, in no case - potatoes, which, like all raw root vegetables, will become sweet, lethargic and watery when thawed.

But cold storage of fresh plant products has not been canceled, because, firstly, it can be stored at low warm degrees in a cellar or refrigerator. Secondly, in order to keep juicy fruits or berries, such as peaches, strawberries, kiwi and others, relatively fresh, you must first place them in a suitable dry and clean airtight jar, add 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar per cup in a cold place, wait until the syrup expires, close the hermetically with a lid, shake for even distribution. This way you can store your favorite fruits in a cool place for up to 9 months. And in special containers, sweetened fruits and berries can even be frozen - after thawing, they can be consumed as a full dessert.

Less juicy and denser fruits: washed and dried apples, quinces, pears - it is better to peel the core, cut into large slices, place in a clean and dry jar, sprinkle them with the juice of one fresh lemon, sprinkle with sugar to taste, 1-2 tablespoons , pour a little cold boiling water, shake everything, close with a tight lid. In this way, you can store dense fruits in the refrigerator for a long time.

Cereals and flour

Many people think that cereals and flour can be stored indefinitely. However, you need to know that millet, oatmeal, oatmeal are stored for no more than 4 months, rice and semolina can be stored for up to six months. Longer shelf life for feather and buckwheat. White wheat flour of the highest grade is stored for up to 1 year, and lower grades - only 2-3 months.

Cereals and flour are best kept in tightly closed glass, earthenware or tin containers. Putting small bags of salt in them will prevent pests. Containers with these products must be placed in a dry place with good ventilation. Do not leave cereal and flour containers open for long periods during cooking.

Sausages and cheeses

The cheese will not go bad for a long time and will not dry out if you place it in a special closed dish - a cheese bowl. But in a plastic bag or in a film to store cheese and sausage is not worth it, these products contain a lot of moisture and quickly deteriorate in such conditions. It is best to wrap cheese and sausages in paper and put on the middle shelf of the refrigerator.

If you want to keep boiled sausages and sausages for a long time, you can put them in the freezer. They can be stored frozen for up to two months.

Eggs should be stored in isolation from other products in a closed container. Due to the porous structure of the shell, they absorb foreign odors well; an infection from raw meat or fish can penetrate into them.

It is recommended to place the eggs in the container with the tip down, so the yolk will be in the center, not in contact with the air layer. In this position, this product can be stored for up to three weeks. Although special egg containers are often located on the refrigerator door, this is not an ideal place to store them. It is better to place them inside on a shelf. Quail eggs can not be refrigerated, but stored at room temperature in a closed container for three months.

Vegetables and fruits

Ideally, most vegetables and fruits should be stacked separately in paper containers. Plastic bags are also acceptable, but care must be taken to ensure that the fruits placed in them are dry.

Tomatoes can be stored in enameled dishes on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Potatoes, beets, carrots, cabbage are well stored in containers at the bottom of the refrigerator. Peeled cloves of garlic can be placed in a glass jar and add vegetable oil. The jar needs to be tightly closed and put on the top shelf of the refrigerator. So you not only save garlic for a long time, but also get aromatic garlic oil for dressing. Cooked salad vegetables are best kept unpeeled.

Place leafy vegetables and greens in a dry, tightly closed container. Dill, parsley and spring onions wrapped in a damp cloth and placed in a container with holes can be stored for up to two weeks on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Rhubarb is stored in the refrigerator by wrapping it in paper.

Many fruits do not need to be refrigerated, especially for tropical fruits: bananas and pineapples. They are best stored at room temperature. Fresh berries should be left in containers on the middle shelf of the refrigerator.

Storage of fermented milk products

Kefir, fermented baked milk, yogurt, cheese lose their taste and even beneficial qualities when frozen. From low temperature, dairy products can even curl, while losing their nutritional attractiveness. And such dairy delicacies as custard, yogurt sauces, cream, when stored at temperatures below freezing, simply stratify, become watery and lumpy, they just need to be thrown away.

Side dishes and bakery products

Finished pasta and rice lose their taste and texture when frozen. But very well tolerated even prolonged storage ready-made pearl barley porridge. It is enough to pack it in small portions - and at any time you will receive a remarkably useful side dish, from which “your heart smiles,” since pearl barley does not lose anything under the influence of subzero temperatures.

A good and useful way to store bread and rolls in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, by putting a piece of paper towel in it to absorb excess condensate so that the product does not mold. This will allow the bread to become stiff to the extent possible and not to lose its useful and tasteful properties, in addition, it can be cut into thin slices - economically and useful.

Meat and fish

Chilled meat and offal can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days, and in the freezer for up to a year. It is better to freeze the meat portionwise to avoid re-cooling.

Lean chilled fish can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days, and in the freezer for up to 6 months. Fatty fish species are stored frozen for only 3 months. Cooked fish can be kept on the middle shelf of the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Do not forget to monitor the freshness of products in your kitchen. Wipe the shelves in the refrigerator and storage cabinets every month. Properly place food according to storage conditions. Throw away spoiled food immediately so that mold spores and putrefactive bacteria do not spread to other foods.

Terms and rules of storage of products in the freezer

Getting acquainted with the instructions for the correct use of the refrigerator and freezer, you will learn about the permissible storage periods for various types of products in them. A case in point is the storage of fatty fish, which after 2-3 months of being even in the cold sharply loses its taste.

These terms are quite specific and limited by time and benefit. As mentioned above, all packages or containers should be provided with clear markers with the name of the product and the date of its bookmark, so as not to unfold and save time and cold.

Allowed shelf life of products in the refrigerator and freezer:

• bird - 9 months
• meat of beef, pork, lamb, horsemeat - 4-6 months,
• fat fish - 2-3 months, and the rest of its species - 6 months,
• seafood - 3-4 months,
• semi-finished products: dumplings, dumplings, pancakes, cabbage rolls, meat cutlets and minced meat - 3-4 months,
• ready meals, as well as: broths, soups, meatballs, sauces - 2-3 months,
• fruits and vegetables - up to 1 year, except for tomatoes - 2 months, sweet pepper - 3-4 months, zucchini and pumpkin - 10 months, apples - 4 months: apricots - 6 months, peaches - 4 months, apples - 0.5 years , fresh herbs - 6-8 months, berries - 0.5 years,
• boiled mushrooms - 1 year, raw - 8 months,
• ice cream - 2 months,
• butter and margarine - 9 months,
• Bread and bakery - 2-3 months

Canning products

Nowadays, with the widespread availability of all kinds of glass containers and tin cans, vacuum and soft lids, it has become one of the most popular ways to store products for long-term storage by preserving them: pickling, pickling, pickling and hot packing. Housewives are subjected to such treatment with vegetables, fruits, berries, mushrooms, and even meat products. All this happens either with the use of vinegar or sugar, or by hot packing in sterile containers. An indispensable condition for the safety and taste of pickled products is the balance of vinegar and sugar, which can be found in many already tried and popular recipes.

Subject to sterility and perfect corking of products, this makes it possible to store them for a sufficiently long time, but not more than 1 year. Longer periods worsen the taste of the product and increase the risk of botulism, and with the content of fruit seeds lead to the accumulation of hydrocyanic acid. If there are a lot of home preservation stocks, then the preservation date must be marked directly on the lid with adhesive tape.

Food Drying

The basis of any drying process is product dehydration. The maximum absence of moisture in the dried product robs the bacteria of fermentation and rotting of their necessary environment. It remains only to properly dry the stocked products and properly preserve them.

• air drying - it is dried in the shade and in a ventilated place by most cereals and legumes, herbal tea preparations (peppermint, rosemary, basil of various aromas), spicy herbs for seasoning (thyme, sage, dill, parsley and others). The technology is quite simple: assemble in bundles, hang in the shade and in the air, and then store in cloth bags or containers for dried grass,
• in a drying oven by dehydration at a certain low temperature - up to +30 C, so that dried fruits or vegetables retain as much of their natural nutritional and taste value as possible,
• smoking in a special device by drying and fumigating meat, fish and seafood.

Food salting

Saving food with salt is the oldest of these methods that mankind has come to from time immemorial. And until now, it remains quite relevant for the storage of meat, poultry, seafood and fish. My home is especially fond of delicious salted lard. The main preservative element of the salting (curing) process is edible salt, which creates an insurmountable barrier for microorganisms with a decrease in the concentration of water, keeping food suitable and tasty for a long time. The amount of excess salt that is unavoidable during curing can be controlled by soaking the product for consumption.

Foods stored by curing are not easy to prepare. Recipes for such conservation can be found on the Internet. They can be magically complex, for example, in the manufacture of basturma and expensive varieties of smoked sausages. Or simple enough - to salt a little and for a short period of storage of raw meat.

There is another popular way to preserve food products - vacuum packaging - this form of storing food for future use is still developing, and the difficulties of its implementation are associated with the availability of the necessary containers, lids, and sometimes trust and experience. The essence of this process is to maximally exclude the presence of air in the used container (bag, container, bottle) in order to create an airtight environment in which the products should be stored out of contact with the microorganism.

Crockery and packaging

The more moisture is in the product, the longer it retains its appearance and freshness. When loading vegetables without packaging into the chamber, in a few days you will get them clipped and dried. This is because the refrigerator draws moisture. On models equipped with the No Frost system, products are quickly weathering.

Important! When bringing goods from the store, do not put them in the cell in a plastic bag. In such an environment, condensation quickly forms, bacteria and mold develop.

В какие емкости помещать запасы, чтобы они не испортились раньше времени:

• Пищевая пленка. Отлично подходит, чтобы накрыть миски с остатками готовых блюд, закусок.
• Пергаментная бумага подходит не только для выпечки. Благодаря хорошей циркуляции воздуха применяется для упаковки сыра, колбасы, копченостей.
• Фольга. It perfectly seals, preventing the product from weathering and losing moisture. Can be used for ready-made snacks, fish, meatballs, slices.
• Antibacterial mat. Allows you to keep vegetables and fruits fresh for longer. It is recommended to wash, dry and put them in the lower drawers, laying a mat. Thanks to the membrane with openings, air circulates freely, saturating the fruits.
• Plastic containers. Allow you to store ready-made snacks and fresh products. When cracks and scratches appear, it is better to get rid of the container.

• Glassware is the safest and most durable option. You can store everything: from prepared meals to meat products, fish, milk.
• Vacuum pans. Able to extend shelf life. Thanks to good sealing, they do not allow oxygen to pass through, they prevent the growth of bacteria.
• Wooden containers store fruits and vegetables well.

In which departments which products are stored

So, the food must be properly packaged. But it’s important to know which shelves to store supplies on. Each compartment has its own temperature regime. Therefore, it is incorrect to lay purchases "wherever one looks." Where can I store the blanks, and where are the fresh products?

The optimum temperature in the general compartment is +5 degrees. The “coldest” one is the shelf under the freezer. The temperature on the shelves can vary from + 1 ° C to + 8 ° C.

Compartment under the freezer

Ideal for perishable dairy and meat products. The temperature norm is + 1-3 ° C.

• Cheese. You can pack it in foil, parchment, but the glass container remains indispensable. Want to keep the taste of cheese longer? Then put in a tray a couple of pieces of refined sugar. It absorbs excess moisture, preventing the product from deteriorating for two weeks.
• Cottage cheese. Often it is sold in vacuum packaging (if you do not take on weight). At home, you need to get the cottage cheese and transfer it to a vacuum or glass tray.
• Butter. Divide the large piece into portions. Set aside one piece in an oiler for daily use. Put the rest in the freezer section.
• Milk. From plastic containers and bottles, it is better to transfer milk into glass containers with a lid.

Important! It is recommended to wipe the eggs and put them in a purchased container (plastic or cardboard). It is unclear why manufacturers continue to make trays on the door: when opened, eggs are poured with warm air, which leads to a decrease in shelf life and the development of salmonella.

Milk products

“Milk” is recommended to be kept in the refrigerator for no more than 72 hours. Much also depends on the timing on the package. Pasteurized milk can last longer than regular milk. See the table for more details:

Meat products

Meat and meat-containing products should also lie on the top shelf. For a large piece, the storage time should not exceed 48 hours. Minced meat is best sent immediately to the freezer, it is most susceptible to the development of pathogenic microorganisms.

How much to store individual products, see the table:

Seafood

Previously, the fish must be cleaned from the insides and washed. For freezing, the scales can not be removed. When placing on the top shelf, fish should be placed in a glass dish with a lid.

Second and third shelves

You can put here:

• Sausage and smoked meats. The whole product can be wrapped in parchment. Slicing is best placed in a glass container and cover with cling film. Do not leave it open, otherwise it will become chapped and become unusable.
• Sweets and pastries: cakes, pies, products filled with cream and jam. They can be wrapped in parchment or placed in a closed container with a lid.
• Suitable conditions for finished products. Liquid dishes can be placed in pots with a lid or pour into jars. It is better to place fish, meat, snacks in separate covered trays.
• Salads without dressing.
• Open canned food is best left in a glass dish. After opening, the tin begins to rust, which affects the quality of the food.

Experts do not recommend consuming products that are stored ready-made for more than 48 hours. They are no longer useful.

Products with a short shelf life

Zero compartment or lower drawers

What shelves are vegetables and fruits on? For them, modern refrigerators include Flex Cool, Fresh Box, Fresh Zone zones. They allow you to maximize the preservation of moisture in the fruits, which contributes to their long-term storage.

• The dry zone is suitable for meat and fish. The temperature here is zero, and the humidity is 50%. Fresh meat can be stored in such conditions for 7 days.
• Wet area. The temperature is also zero degrees, but the humidity in the tropics is 90%. Berries are best placed in a separate container. Fruits, vegetables, greens are washed from dirt, dried, distributed in packages and sent to the box.

Vegetables, fruits, berries

If your refrigerator does not have such zones, here are some ideas for preserving greenery:

• Put the greens in a dry jar and cover. So the leaves will not lose moisture.
• Wrap the bundle in a damp cloth or tissue and then place it in a bag.
• You can simply put the bunch in a jar of water, and place it on one of the shelves.

This is the warmest place since the door is constantly opening and the contents are surrounded by warm air. It is recommended to place sauces, dressings, spices, medicines on shelves. Do not use the door for dairy products and eggs.

Freezer

Not surprisingly, foods are stored longer than usual in the freezer. It is difficult for microorganisms to act at a temperature of -18 degrees. However, there are also rules:

1. You can freeze it only once, otherwise the contents will lose their nutritional value.
2. Meat and fish products should be cleaned and divided into portions. Then pack in bags and send to the camera.
3. Rinse, dry and divide berries and other plant components into portions.
4. As packaging, you can use plastic bags, sealed trays.

What foods should not be refrigerated

Usually we don’t think about which products are stored in the refrigerator, and we put everything that we brought from the store into the chamber. However, there are products that do not need this:

• Exotic, tropical fruits rot quickly in the cold.
• Pears and apples produce ethylene when exposed to cold. It adversely affects the rest of the dishes.
• Bananas quickly blacken.
• Zucchini, pumpkin at low temperatures quickly decay, moldy.
• Cucumbers, eggplant, tomatoes contain a large amount of moisture. If there is no special zone in the refrigerator, it is better not to put them inside.
• Olive oil loses its nutritional properties, begins to be bitter.

• The potato rots quickly. Better put it in a cellar or basement.
• Onions lose moisture and become lethargic.
• Cold destroys nutrients in honey.
• Garlic loves warmth.
• Chocolate during long-term storage is covered with white coating and mold.
• Bread absorbs all odors and substances. Better place it in the breadbox.
• Jam and other preservation is perfectly stored on the kitchen shelf.

Unwanted neighborhood

To avoid spoiling stocks, you need to know that some products negatively affect their “neighbors”. As mentioned above, all dishes should be covered, it is advisable that they do not touch each other.

• Ready meals and raw meat, fish. Raw foods can transmit pathogens to your meal.
• Cheese (and other “milk”) and smoked meats.
• Sausage and fruits / vegetables.
• Fruits and vegetables should also be in separate crates.
• Salads and fruits.
• Oil and spices.
• Eggs with any blanks.

Once a week, be sure to wipe the walls and shelves. If an unpleasant odor occurs, you can add lemon juice and soda to the water.

It is important to keep the refrigerator clean and tidy. It does not hurt sometimes to look into the instructions in order to recall the operating rules from the manufacturer.

Cleanliness is the key to freshness of products

The refrigerator should be kept clean, making it a rule at least once a month to clean it and carry out general cleaning, wiping all the shelves and washing the drawers for fruits and vegetables with soap, in which the most bacteria accumulate. It would also be nice to get a special soft rug for fruit and vegetable compartments - it creates an additional air cushion, providing protection against mold. A similar function will be performed by a simple paper towel.

Each product has its own section.

Proper storage of food in the refrigerator is also a science. No wonder it has several sections with its own temperature regime. Dairy products should be stored on the top shelf, where it is coldest, cooked products in strong glass or plastic containers on the middle shelves, and raw meat, poultry and fish on the lowest. Boxes are usually intended for fruits and vegetables, and side shelves for eggs, sauces, water and other non-perishable products.

Fruits and vegetables

Contrary to common practice, most fruits do not need a refrigerator at all, they can be perfectly stored at room temperature. For example, avocados and bananas are in principle contraindicated, otherwise they will not ripen or even go bad. And tomatoes, which many automatically clean in the refrigerator, lose all their nutrients and often even taste in it. Onions and garlic, potatoes and beets, pumpkin and carrots should also be stored outside the refrigerator.

Apples must be stored separately.

As you know, many fruits and vegetables emit ethylene - a colorless gas that promotes ripening. Sometimes it is useful, and sometimes so strong, as in the case of apples, that you can destroy all other fruits in the basket. That is why it is worth storing apples separately from pears, bananas and grapes - these three fruits are especially susceptible to apple influence and quickly lose their shape in the presence of an aggressive neighbor. Best apples are stored in a plastic bag in the bottom drawer of the refrigerator.

Greens are flowers

When buying greens, you should treat it like a bunch of flowers. As a rule, all greens with stems are supposed to be cut and put in a glass of cold water immediately after purchase. So next time, remove the purchased bunch of dill or parsley in the refrigerator right in a glass of water - so it will live much longer.

Tea and spices

Tea and spices are recommended to be bought in small portions and stored in sealed tin or plastic containers, otherwise they quickly lose both flavor and beneficial properties. You also need to make sure that neither tea nor spices appear in places of increased moisture accumulation - it is their main enemy.

Increasingly, you can hear the recommendation for storing bread in the freezer. Fresh bread immediately after purchase can be put in a paper or plastic bag (although in this bag you can forget about the crisp), and freeze the next day - then it is guaranteed to maintain its softness in the toaster.

Sweet tooth note

It’s a mistake to assume that chocolate bars are the place in the side compartment of the refrigerator. It is not surprising that with such storage on the chocolate an unpleasant white coating quickly appears - this is cocoa butter. It is best to keep it at room temperature and generally eat it quickly. Any failure of the temperature regime spoils the sweet product.

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