Ways to Prevent Food from Spoiling
We’ve all done it, you come home from the grocery store and blindly toss everything in your fridge without rhyme or reason. One or two things are way past expiration – so why not throw anything out that you’re not sure of? It’s hard to avoid in our busy lives, but there are other ways to keep your fridge clean – and weed out the expired food without throwing it all away. There are also ways of helping the food in your refrigerator last longer. All it takes is a realistic system and perhaps a few upgrades to prevent food from spoiling.
Thermometers
Make sure your refrigerator and freezer are set to the correct temperature. To avoid bacteria growth, you’ll need to set your freezer to 0 degrees Fahrenheit, and refrigerator to 38 degrees Fahrenheit (max). Then check the thermometer sporadically to be sure it’s keeping your food fresh!
Location
Each food item should have a specific space it should go in. Showcase the food that will spoil soon by creating a rotation system where newer food goes in the back, and older foods in the front. Milk and dairy products belong on the top shelves since they are the coldest, and your crisper bins are for fruits and vegetables separately. In these bins you can control the humidity levels (veggies should have higher humidity than fruits).
Special Treatment
All foods are not created equal. Each type of food should come with an instruction manual. They all should be kept in different places, at temperatures, and next to certain other foods. For example: When you bring bananas home, you should pull them apart to slow down the ripening process. Keep them isolated from other foods on your counter. Plus, they can be used for cooking even when they are brown. Another example would be your apples: You should be checking apples daily to remove any that are starting to spoil. It’s true what they say- one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch!
Make it Clean
Remove anything that has spoiled, and clean up the spot where it was sitting. Even if the food didn’t leave a mess, it can leave bacteria behind which can spread to the rest of your food. Cleanliness is a great step towards keeping your food longer!
Back-up generator
Power outages are usually not preventable. We recommend getting a back-up generator in case of a power outage to prevent food from spoiling. Back-up generators can be automatic or manual. Unless you’re using your generator for life-support or monitoring machines, you probably don’t need a heavy-duty generator. A manual one would be a great choice. Call Hickerson Brothers Electric Service to discuss your generator options!
We can all understand the frustration of heading to the refrigerator for a snack or to prepare a meal only to find that the ingredients have gone bad. These easy steps can prolong the life of your groceries and prevent food from spoiling. At Hickerson Brothers we are happy to help where we can! If you would like to discuss your generator options as a back up to your power system, please reach out at 703-594-3913.
Hickerson Electrical is your source for all home electrical services. We’re ready and willing to deliver top-quality service to your home at a moment’s notice. So call today at (703) 594-3913.
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