DO you constantly find yourself throwing out food that has gone off while sitting in your fridge?
A series of storage tips may help to prolong the shelf life of your groceries.
Which? reported on the top hacks for storing food to make it last longer.
For their first suggestion, the experts recommended ensuring your fridge is on a cold enough setting.
They advised people to keep their fridge temperature between 0 degree Celsius and five degree Celsius.
According to the Food Safety Authority, food is safest to eat when it is chilled below eight degree Celsius or heated to a temperature of 60 degree Celsius or higher.
When setting your freezer temperature, opt for anything between -18 degree Celsius and -20 degree Celsius.
To keep your leafy greens fresh and crispy, set your fridge to three degrees Celsius.
While these may be stored in a crisper drawer, it is important to select the correct shelves for all your food groups.
As butter, cheese, and condiments are less perishable, they should be kept on the top shelf, where the fridge is warmest.
The middle shelf should be used for leftovers, cooked meats, and ready-to-eat meals.
To prevent cross contamination, raw meat, fish, and seafood should be stored at the bottom shelf, where it is coldest.
And while they may share a shelf on the food pyramid, fruit and vegetables should never be stored together in real life.
Fruit is likely to produce ethylene, a natural gas that can over-ripen other fresh food when in confined spaces.
This isn’t a blanket rule, and can work vice versa with certain vegetables, making it best to store them apart.
Also, fruits tend to be kept better in low humidity while vegetables prefer high.
The food experts also advised against keeping a fridge freezer in your garage as they are not designed to run in low temperatures.
Money saving experts at HSBC UK have revealed their top tips to saving cash on your food shop.
1. Set a budget
Creating a budget will help to stretch your budget. Start by working out how much you spent on food over the last three months, then each month you get paid, set aside a certain amount for food.
2. Plan your meals
Make a list of your main meals for the coming week, including the ingredients you need, and stick to it. Don’t get drawn into offers for things that you don’t need. If you already have some food leftover from the week before, try to see what you can do with that first.
3. Think about when and where you shop
It’s best to shop on a full stomach so you don’t get tempted. Shopping less often can help you to think about what you buy and it may help you to stick to your budget.
4. Go online
Shopping online is a good and easy way to manage your budget. It can also help to track expenses, whilst also preventing impulse buys.
You should also avoid stacking the food in your fridge so that it reaches the shelf above as this can prevent the circulation of cool air.
Food should be kept in it’s original packaging when possible and leftovers should be let cool to room temperature before being placed in a fridge.
You should also make sure you don’t leave your fridge door open for too long as hot air can fill up the space quickly.
While they use more energy, the super-cool and fast-freeze settings on your fridge and freezer can help to save foods on the brink of the danger zone.
Modern fridges have smart features, which are designed to help you from overstocking on perishable produce.
You can also minimise your food waste by planning out meals and getting creative with leftovers.
