Safety First When it Comes to Storing Food

You can cook gourmet cooking at home for any meal! You can be the chef or you can buy them already prepared fancy eating is as close as your computer. For premium gourmet eating it's best to go for quality - it might stretch the budget but the superior flavor will be worth the extra money spent.

Keeping food fresh longer is imperative to both your health and
your wallet. If you allow food to spoil your grocery bills will
skyrocket as you throw away spoiled food. If you eat food that
has passed its expiration you may get sick and this defiantly is
not a good thing.

Here are seven simple tips to help you keep your food as fresh
as possible for as long as possible.

* Refrigerator and freezer temperatures are imperative when it
comes to keeping food fresh. Your refrigerator should be set at
40° F and no higher. Your freezer should be kept at 0° F for
proper freezing and food storage.

* When purchasing fresh meat such as beef poultry or fish buy
the freshest meat available. Also wait to purchase until two or
three days before you are going to use the meat. If you are
planning to freeze the meat for use later check the expiration
date and make sure that you freeze the meat before it has
expired.

* Always label and date food as you freeze it. A strip of
masking tape on the outside of the container works wonderfully.
The tape will stick when frozen and remove easily when you are
ready to use the food.

* Go for an airtight seal. By using a vacuum sealer you help to
prevent the growth of harmful bacteria that can cause mold or
spoilage.

* Your vacuum sealer will also work wonders to retard freezer
burn. Freezer burn is not in and of itself harmful but it will
diminish the nutritional value of your food as well as hinder
the taste.

* Store food in portion sizes your family will eat. If you are
a family of two small plastic zipper bags work wonderfully for
larger families plastic storage containers are the way to go.

* When thawing food always thaw in the refrigerator. This is
the recommended method to prevent bacteria growth. It will take
approximately one day for every five pounds of meat to thaw in a
40° F refrigerator.

About the author:
Shauna Hanus is a gourmet cook who specializes in creating
gourmet recipes. She has extensive experience cooking with easy
to find grocery items to create delightful gourmet meals. She is
also the publisher of a no cost bi-monthly gourmet newsletter.
Her newsletter is always fun and informational packed with tips
and trivia you can use everyday. http://www.gourmayeats.com

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