Nutritious food is essential to your body and mind's healthy growth and development. That is why you need to buy and store your groceries in a way that they would last longer and stay fresh. In times when online grocery services have revolutionised how people in India buy groceries, many people need to know how to store their groceries effectively.
Grocery storage is something you should master if you want your groceries to stay fresh for a long time. People who do not store their groceries properly spend more money than those who do. So if you want to get the best returns on your money and stay healthy, here are six grocery storage tips you need to know.
1. Don't be lazy with grocery storage.
Fight your intrusive thoughts of stuffing all the groceries in one compartment. When you order groceries online and receive the delivery, you need to immediately store different groceries in their respective places. That way, the food items that need to be refrigerated, like chocolates, ice cream, frozen food and dairy products, would get spoiled. Apart from that, grains like sweat, rice and legumes often get infested with dust and small insects. Therefore they need to be stored in airtight containers. The airtight containers can help avoid moisture from spoiling the grains. It's always good to have different sizes of airtight containers for storing different groceries.
2. Avoid washing fresh produce before storing it.
Fresh produce like fruits and vegetables need to be stored for prolonged use. But one of the major mistakes people make while storing fresh produce is they first wash it with water. Though it might sound sensible to wash all the vegetables and fruits before eating them, it's best to avoid washing them with water before storing them. The excess moisture stays intact even if you drain the vegetables after washing them. When you store them in a fridge, this moisture can lead to bacteria growth and can rot the vegetables. Therefore it's best to avoid washing fresh produce before storing them. Instead, you can first store it after buying it and then wash it only when you are about to cook or eat them.
3. Store meat, eggs, and seafood in the coldest spot in the fridge
Animal products such as dairy products, fish, and meat spoil faster than other groceries. Therefore they need to be stored efficiently where the chances of them getting spoiled are lower. Storing the animal products towards the back of the fridge can help to improve their shelf life. This section of the fridge is capable of producing colder temperatures than other parts of the fridge. That means the meat, seafood and other animal products are preserved better. Storing these products at the lower sleeves of the fridge is also advisable as other food items like vegetables and fruits can catch the smell of fish or meat. It can also contaminate other food items.
4. Do not store the milk in the fridge door.
You must have seen many movies and TV shows where they store milk cartons in the fridge door. Many fridge models also have compartments to store milk in the door. As much as it sounds sensible to store milk in the fridge door when you can easily reach it, the milk is more likely to get spoiled due to warmer temperatures. Fridge is opened many times in the households throughout the day. The door is the only part that moves when the fridge is opened. The frequent opening of the fridge can lower the temperatures in the door area. It can lead to the milk getting spoiled due to warm templates. Instead, you can store the milk carton on the lower shelves of the fridge. The colder temperatures on the lower shelves of the refrigerator can help keep the milk fresh for longer.
5. Plan your grocery shopping
It's always beneficial to plan your grocery shopping ahead of time. Online grocery services have made it easier to buy groceries. You can use their app or website to search for your required groceries, add them to the cart, make the payment and all the groceries get delivered to your home. Despite this convenience, many people do not plan their grocery shopping. It leads to overspending on groceries, and often the groceries run out before your scheduled purchases. As you need different types of groceries daily, weekly and monthly, it's best to divide your shopping into multiple parts. Daily essentials like breakfast items, eggs, bread, and cereals are needed fresh on a daily basis. You can buy them every other day as you will likely finish them within two days. On the other hand, some grocery items are more likely to last for weeks and months. It's best to buy these items at the end or beginning of the month so you effectively budget the shopping. Items like grains, cleaning products and cosmetics soften and last for months; you can buy them during your monthly grocery shopping. This division of your shopping can also help you create tailored budgets and avoid overspending on your shopping.
6. Read the labels for storage information.
A little awareness can help you go a long way to maintain your health and fitness. Therefore it's always good to read information about the product on its packaging. The product packaging often contains information about the product and how to store them. Most products are advised to keep in cool dark places as exposure to direct sunlight can spoil them. Some products are recommended to store in an airtight container once they are opened. Products like meat, seafood, ice cream, chocolates, beverages, and medicines are supposed to be stored in a refrigerator where the cold temperature prevents them from getting spoiled. This storage information can help prolong the usage time of the items you buy. It can help you make the best use of your groceries and avoid rebuying them as you didn't store them as they are supposed to.
How you store your groceries is equally important as how you buy them. Online grocery shopping has made it simpler and more convenient to buy your groceries, but without proper storage techniques, you are more likely to spoil your food earlier. So keep these tips in mind when you buy your groceries online and make the best of your grocery shopping.
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