Wednesday, March 30, 2011

MONEY MATTERS WITH SHEILA--FOOD STORAGE

Money guru Sheila Conway is back today with ways to keep food lasting longer in the fridge. -- AP

Thanks, Anastasia! Do you often have to toss fruits and veggies because they’ve gone bad before you had a chance to use them? The trick to keeping fresh foods fresh longer is to know how to store them.

Berries should never be washed before storing in the refrigerator. Wash them just before eating or cooking.

Lemons and limes will keep at room temperatures for a week. If you want them to last longer, place them in a sealed plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. They’ll last 2-3 weeks.

Apples should never be stored at room temperature for more than a day or two. Keep them in a sealed plastic bag, to which you’ve added a tablespoon of water, in your crisper drawer, and they’ll last up to 4 weeks.

Store bananas at room temperature, but if they ripen quicker than you can use them, just toss the ripened bananas into the fridge. The skins will turn black, but the bananas will stay ripe.

Keep fresh mushrooms in the refrigerator, first placing them in a brown paper bag covered with a damp paper towel.

Wrap fresh herbs in a dry paper towel. Place in a sealed plastic bag and store in the crisper drawer.

Nuts stored in the freezer will keep longer and shell easier.

Great tips, Sheila! I hate having to throw out food. Readers, do you have other tips you’d like to share? Let’s hear from you. -- AP

1 comment:

  1. As a person who has had many lifeforms growing in her fridge, I appreciate the advice. The apple and mushroom tips I've never heard before.

    I have one tip. Eat the whole cake in two days. It won't have a chance to go stale and you won't have to check it. :)

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