WHERE
Your food items should always be stored in a cool, dark, dry place for maximum storage time. A basement is preferable. Food should be kept as airtight as possible. Fill storage containers as full as you can to give them less airspace.
TEMPERATURE
Heat is the worst enemy to keeping food good. Food should be stored below 70 degrees, with 40-60 degrees being optimal. For every 10 degree increase in temperature above 70, the shelf life is cut by one quarter.
CONTAINERS
Keep all food stored in tight, clean, metal, plastic or glass insect-proof containers with tight-fitting lids and no open seams. Do not store in plastic or paper bags, and if you keep items in their original plastic they should be put inside another more durable container. Rats can go through the heavy plastic buckets, while mice cannot, and insects can invade any paper, or plastic covering, or anything with even the most minute opening.
CEMENT WALLS AND FLOORING
Do not store any items directly on cement or against cement walls. Always put a barrier of cardboard, plywood, or some other wood between concrete and food. Metal will rust from the cement moisture, and it, as well as other packaging, will absorb moisture and flavors from the cement.
MARKING YOUR ITEMS
Keep a permanent marker handy, and if an item does not already have a pre-stamped expiration date on it, indicate the date of purchase.
SIZE
Do not store items in containers so large that it becomes impossible to rotate them, or the food inside. Rotation is an important part of any food storage.
CANNED GOODS
Canned foods are usable as long as they are unopened and not bulging, but there is a 2 to 5% loss of food value every year. Throw away bulging or leaking cans. These foods are spoiled and are unsafe to eat. Do not buy cans with dents, esp. along the seams or rim. There is a chance a small open crack may have developed, allowing air to enter.
Your food items should always be stored in a cool, dark, dry place for maximum storage time. A basement is preferable. Food should be kept as airtight as possible. Fill storage containers as full as you can to give them less airspace.
TEMPERATURE
Heat is the worst enemy to keeping food good. Food should be stored below 70 degrees, with 40-60 degrees being optimal. For every 10 degree increase in temperature above 70, the shelf life is cut by one quarter.
CONTAINERS
Keep all food stored in tight, clean, metal, plastic or glass insect-proof containers with tight-fitting lids and no open seams. Do not store in plastic or paper bags, and if you keep items in their original plastic they should be put inside another more durable container. Rats can go through the heavy plastic buckets, while mice cannot, and insects can invade any paper, or plastic covering, or anything with even the most minute opening.
CEMENT WALLS AND FLOORING
Do not store any items directly on cement or against cement walls. Always put a barrier of cardboard, plywood, or some other wood between concrete and food. Metal will rust from the cement moisture, and it, as well as other packaging, will absorb moisture and flavors from the cement.
MARKING YOUR ITEMS
Keep a permanent marker handy, and if an item does not already have a pre-stamped expiration date on it, indicate the date of purchase.
SIZE
Do not store items in containers so large that it becomes impossible to rotate them, or the food inside. Rotation is an important part of any food storage.
CANNED GOODS
Canned foods are usable as long as they are unopened and not bulging, but there is a 2 to 5% loss of food value every year. Throw away bulging or leaking cans. These foods are spoiled and are unsafe to eat. Do not buy cans with dents, esp. along the seams or rim. There is a chance a small open crack may have developed, allowing air to enter.
1 comments:
Thank you for doing this Ines. Sweet blog, too! We are closer than I thought!!! Yeah! Let me know what I can do to help.
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