How to store food and keep it healthy for longer –

You go to the supermarket, buy the foods you like, get home and it’s time to store them. But are you doing it the best way? For remove all doubts about how to store each food group, we spoke with nutritionist Gisela Savioli, from São Paulo, and professor of Food Engineering at PUCPR Márcia Rapacci. Check out the expert tips below.

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vegetables

Vegetables (lettuce, arugula, cabbage and leaves in general) are very perishable foods, as they have a lot of water in their composition and, over time, they end up losing this liquid to the environment. Because of this, they also lose their physical and nutritional characteristics. To store them, clean them right after purchase, dry all the leaves well and store in a pot in the lowest parts of the refrigerator. In general, this type of food lasts for a week under these conditions.

“Leaving vegetables exposed in the refrigerator causes them to lose water faster to the environment and wither. Furthermore, the importance of keeping them dry is to avoid what we know as ‘moldy’, which is when the leaves deteriorate and end up turning yellow and with a slimy appearance”, explains Márcia.

Vegetables

Not all vegetables need to go in the fridge. “A potato should not be refrigerated, as the low temperature causes it to undergo an enzymatic process of starch breakdown, which leaves it with a sweet taste”, says Márcia. Vegetables such as carrots, cassava, cucumber, broccoli and chayote, for example, can be kept in the refrigerator to increase their shelf life.

fruits

In general, fruit should be stored in the fruit bowl at room temperature. However, some of them have the so-called breathing rate higher than others. This reaction refers to the exchange that food makes with the environment and that influences the speed of its maturation. Papaya, persimmon and tomato are some of the fruits that ripen faster and, therefore, can be kept in the refrigerator to last longer. but attention: the banana also has high respiration, but it should not be refrigerated, as it suffers damage from the cold and gets black spots.

“After the fruit has been cut, it needs to go into the fridge to be preserved. This happens because the peel is the natural protection that prevents it from oxidizing and spoiling. The fruits can also be frozen to last longer and be used as pulp for juices”, says Gisela.

Another tip when preserving these foods is to pay attention to which of them are stored together, as some fruits emit a hormone called ethylene during respiration, which accelerates the maturation process and it can also influence the maturation of others when placed very close. Avocado and banana are some of the fruits that release this substance. So don’t leave them close to other fruits.

Meat

Meat, whether red or white, is highly perishable and can remain stored raw and unseasoned in the refrigerator for a maximum of 48 hours. After that, the action of the bacteria starts to compromise the quality of the food. In addition, they should never be exposed in the refrigerator, but stored in a glass jar. If the meat is bought frozen, it must go straight to the house’s freezer.

Grains and dry foods

Because they have less water in their composition, foods such as coffee, quinoa, oats and nuts, for example, have a longer shelf life and do not need to be kept in the refrigerator. “The best way to store them is in closed glass jars and inside the cabinet. It is essential that they are protected from contact with oxygen and water in the environment so that they preserve their characteristics”, says Márcia.

Canned

The cans must be kept in the closet while closed and, after they are opened, the tip is to transfer their contents to a glass jar and put them to refrigeration.

What can and cannot be frozen?

Raw meats must be frozen to preserve their shelf life longer. In addition to them, vegetables can also go into the freezer. However, before they are frozen, the tip is to do the pre-cooking them to preserve flavor and physical characteristics. Quickly place the food in the boiling water for two or three minutes, then plunge it into the cold water to stop the cooking. Then they are ready to go into the freezer. Frozen fruits are also an alternative to avoid waste and can be used to make natural juices.

Foods that have already been cooked can also be frozen to preserve them for longer. The ideal is to divide them into portions so that they can be defrosted gradually, according to need.

When it’s time to thaw…

“Raw meat can be defrosted in the fridge overnight. For foods that have already been prepared, the ideal is to direct defrosting in the pan“, says Gisela.

Getting to Know the Fridge

The refrigerator has three different heights and the temperature inside varies between them. The topmost shelf, which is next to the freezer, has a temperature of about 4 °C, while the last, lowest, is at 10 °C. Therefore, sausages, cheeses, meats and foods that deteriorate faster need to be in the highest divisions. Vegetables, on the other hand, can be harmed by excessive cold and should be kept in drawers or on the bottom divider.