Always purchase dairy products before the sell-by-date.
All foods require correct handling and storing. Raw and cooked meat, milk, eggs, cheese and dairy products, bread, fruit and vegetables all need to be handled, cooked and stored at the proper temperature to maintain their integrity and ensure their safety for healthy eating. By following simple steps, you can prevent cross-contamination of foods and reduce the risk of food-borne illnesses.
Vegetables
Different vegetables require different storage conditions. Home refrigerators are generally cold and dry (34 to 41 degrees F) and can store vegetables for a short time if they are placed in the bottom drawers or the lowest section of the fridge. Beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, turnips and potatoes require a cold and moist environment (32 to 40 degrees F) for proper storage; a cellar with some ventilation that fits this description would be ideal. Pumpkins and squash are better suited to a cool and dry temperature of 50 to 60 degrees F, and onions keep very well in a cold and dry basement (32 to 40 degrees F). Cucumbers, eggplant, peppers and tomatoes can be placed in perforated plastic bags in a cool spot in a 55-degree F kitchen or in the refrigerator for a few days.
Fruit
After fruit is cut, it should be used promptly and should not sit at room temperature for more than two hours. If the fruit is not to be eaten right away, it should be covered tightly and refrigerated for up to three days. Fresh fruit should not be washed before storing, and produce with skins that are peeled off before eating should also be washed under clean, running water before eating. Apricots, avocados, bananas, coconut, kiwifruit, mangoes, nectarines, papayas, peaches and pears can all be stored at room temperature until they are ripe. Raspberries and strawberries are best eaten fresh, or they can be stored for one to two days in the refrigerator or in sealed containers in the freezer for a couple of months.
Meat and Poultry
Raw meat, poultry and seafood that will be used within a day or two should be kept in the original retail packaging or covered in waxed paper or foil and always stored on the lower shelf of your refrigerator. This will prevent juices from the meat dripping onto other foods, which can result in cross-contamination. After cooking meat, the dishes should be cooled in very cold water to reduce the heat of the container and refrigerated immediately in a sealed container. It should be eaten within three to four days or otherwise transferred to the freezer where it should be used within two to three months.
Bread, Cereal, Flour and Rice
All these food types should be stored in the original package at room temperature in your kitchen or similar storage area. Bread should be used within five to seven days from purchase and may last a few days longer if placed in the refrigerator and up to three months in the freezer. Keep cereals in tightly closed containers and use within two to three weeks. Cooked rice should be kept in the refrigerator for no longer than six or seven days, while raw and white rice can last up to a year in a sealed, moisture-proof container. Brown and wild rice have a shorter shelf-life of up to six months.
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