Easy Tips On How You Can Extend The Shelf-Life Of Your Groceries
Easy Tips On How You Can Extend The Shelf-Life Of Your Groceries
We all enjoy having a good meal, isn’t it? Nonetheless, sumptuous dishes can also be a bit painful on the wallet. Food prices are spiraling these days which is why grocery bills have to be monitored properly. Most of the monthly budget will be eaten up just by expenses for food if you’re not careful. Of course, it’s given that most households spend the bigger chunk of their budget on groceries. Still, there are ways to keep those expenses at bay. One of these is to extend the shelf-life of your foodstuffs. This can allow you to have yummy meals for more number of days in the month.
Now how do you go about extending the shelf-life of your groceries? There are practical ways to do this that won’t cost you a small fortune! The first one is to freeze what can be frozen. This isn’t really anything new. Lots of people shove their groceries into the freezer upon getting home. But what you need to do is segregate those items that need to be frozen from those that don’t. For example, canned goods only need to be frozen once they have been opened and you can’t finish everything. The same is true with powdered foods which don’t need to be frozen at all.
The second tip is to be careful of expiration dates. When you do your grocery shopping, always check the label for the expiration date. The expiration dates may differ even if it’s just the same item such as bread. You have to be especially careful with dairy and meat products. They can spoil easily if you’re not too careful. These items have to be stored in the freezer to keep them nice and fresh for a long period of time. Tip number three is to learn the use of airtight plastic bags and containers. These are very useful in extending the shelf-life of your dishes.
There are different brands of airtight plastic bags and containers. Try to select those which are of excellent quality. They may be a tad expensive that the others but they will give you more leverage. You should also go for those that can be reused so you won’t waste so much money. The fourth tip is to blanch your vegetables. These are food items that spoil faster than the rest. Blanch them and freeze thereafter to keep them fresh for longer. The last tip is to be more selective with your groceries. Look for substitutes to other foodstuffs that have shorter lifespans. Making a rough inventory before you shop will certainly help out a lot.
