Dicas para conservar alimentos
Food

Tips for preserving food

6 de December, 2024

Learning how to preserve food for longer is essential for anyone looking to save money and combat food waste.

Food, especially fresh food, degrades easily and requires special care when buying and preserving. First of all, when you’re shopping, it’s essential to check the expiry date, but also the condition of the food, namely if it’s been stepped on or dried out (in the case of fresh food), and if the packaging is damaged.

In addition, when you put your shopping in bags, the solids and heavier products should be placed at the bottom and the more fragile ones on the surface. As far as refrigerated and frozen products are concerned, they should be transported in thermal bags to try and maintain the temperature until you get home.

As soon as you get home, store food in the right places. Food that needs to be stored in the freezer and fridge should go first. The rest should be stored in the pantry, which should be cool, dry and out of the sun.

Always pay attention to the storage method indicated on the packaging, as well as the expiration date after opening. In the case of preserves, once opened, if they are not consumed in their entirety, they should be removed from the packaging, placed in a glass container with a lid and kept in the fridge.

Finally, organize the pantry, fridge and freezer according to the expiry dates of the food and put those with the closest expiry date at the front.

Read also: Healthy and economical cooking [eBook]

Food preservation tips

In the fridge

  • Upper area (colder): Yoghurt, cheese, cream, jams and cooked food.
  • Intermediate zone: Meat and fish, ham and other delicatessen products, open preserves and pastries.
  • Bottom shelf: Products in the defrosting phase packed in containers that prevent liquid spillage.
  • Bottom drawers: Fresh vegetables, fruit and legumes.
  • Refrigerator door: Butter, margarine, milk and water.

With the exception of minced meat, which must be cooked within 24 hours, meat can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days. Fish, on the other hand, can be kept in the fridge for 24 hours until it is cooked. Remember not to overfill the fridge, as too much food makes it difficult for the cold air to circulate and prevents the food from keeping properly.

In the freezer

Unlike the fridge, you can place food anywhere in the freezer because the temperature is uniform. However, before you freeze your food, do the following:

  • Vegetables: Wash, remove inedible parts and cut. To destroy enzymes, reduce microorganisms and maintain color, scald for 2 minutes, then rinse in cold water, remove moisture and pack in the necessary portions.
  • Meat: Whenever possible, remove the skin, visible fat and bones.
  • Fish: Remove the scales and entrails, clean and wash.

Freeze portions in labeled, dated and appropriate packaging to avoid changes such as “frostbite”, which dries out the surface of the food and forms a whitish crust. Once defrosted, never refreeze. Bear in mind that the shelf life of frozen food varies according to the characteristics of the food and, over time, it loses flavor, color, texture and nutritional value.

Keeping leftovers

  • After cooking, leave the food to cool at room temperature (no longer than 2 hours) and only then can you put it in the fridge or freezer.
  • Cooked food should be placed in the coldest part of the fridge – the top shelf – to limit the growth of microorganisms.
  • If the food is well prepared, you can leave it in the fridge for 3 days (72 hours). If you don’t plan to eat the food immediately, freeze it.
  • When you want to eat previously cooked and frozen meals, defrost them gradually in the fridge or use the microwave defrost program.
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