AFTER YOUR SHOP
Keep food fresh and safe with these tips.
Keep Food Fresh and Safe
You’ve planned well and shopped smartly. Now, it’s time to store and prepare the food.
Follow these guidelines:
Refrigerator
- Refrigerate (or freeze) perishables right away.
- Keep refrigerator temperature at or below 40°F
- Keep refrigerator door closed tightly.
- If refrigerator is full, turn down thermostat a tad. This will help refrigerator stay cold enough.
- Store raw meat and poultry on bottom shelf so it doesn’t touch or drip on other food.
- Pay attention to “use by” date.
Cupboard or Pantry
Do:
- Keep dry foods in sealed bags or containers. This helps food stay fresh and protects it from pests.
- Keep storage area dry and cool.
Don’t:
- Store food or drinks near cleaning products or other chemicals.
- Use old food containers to store household chemicals.
- Store food in containers that have been used for other purposes.
- Store food on floor because it can attract mice, ants and other pests.
- Store food in opened tin cans.
- Reuse a can to store food.
Freezer
- Food that is properly handled and stored in freezer at 0°F will remain safe.
- Freezer burn does not mean food is unsafe. It is a food-quality issue, not safety issue.
- Avoid freezer burn by using moisture-proof, zip-top plastic bags and wrap. Remove air from bags before sealing. Store soups and stews in freezer bags, which can be placed flat.
- Use permanent marker to label container with name of dish, volume or weight if measured, and date it went in freezer.
Cook With Care
- Always use meat thermometer for most-accurate results.
- Cook raw beef, pork, lamb and roasts to internal temperature of 145°F
- Cook ground beef, ground pork and ground lamb to internal temperature of 160°F
- Cook poultry to internal temperature of 165°F
Use Leftovers Well
- Leftovers can be thawed in refrigerator, cold water or microwave. Thawing in refrigerator is safest; however, it is also slowest.
- To thaw in cold water, place leftovers in leak-proof package or plastic bag to prevent contamination from air or water. Change water every 30 minutes to speed up thawing.
- Leftovers should be reheated to 165°F
- Soups, sauces and gravy should be brought to rolling boil.
- Stir foods in middle of re-heating.
- Let foods stand for a few minutes afterwards. Heat will continue to distribute.
Avoid “Danger Zone”
Bacteria grows rapidly between 40oF and 140oF and can cause foodborne illnesses.
- Keep hot foods at 140°F or above.
- Refrigerate leftovers within two hours of cooking.
- Keep perishable food at 40°F or below.
- When storing cooked food, such as soup, divide into shallow containers to ensure it cools quickly.
Additional Tips
- Keep track of food costs. Put receipts in envelope to review purchases.
- Package your own treats, juice and snacks instead of buying on the go. On-the-go items are usually less healthy and always more expensive.
- Buy large package of snacks and baggies to make individually wrapped packages at home.
- Cut up fruit and vegetables to speed up dinner and lunch preparations and provide healthy snacks ready to grab and go.
- Clean out refrigerator and pantry once a month. Use what’s on hand before buying more.
