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shelf life

Fall Produce Plastic-Free Storage
Cooking Basics

Plastic-Free Ways to Store Fall Produce

I love finding easy ways to make little shifts that make a big difference from the environment.
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I love finding easy ways to make little shifts that make a big difference from the environment. I don't have the space for a compost box, and I do love indulging in a long shower every now and again, but finding a supersimple way to store food without plastic? I'm game. While we consider plastic as positive, plastic is not a biodegradable. And while it can be recycled, many stations are asking us to abstain from tossing plastic bags in our bins. You'll be surprised how easy it is to make a few easy switches that will really help the Earth, without making your life any more difficult. Keep reading for an abbreviated list of the way to store some favorite Fall produce without plastic.

Food Shelf Life and Food Storage Facts
Spring

What's Your Food Storage IQ?

Happy Spring, everybody! The two aspects of this season that have the most impact on you and your kitchen are the oh-so-welcome bounty of Spring produce — and a dreadful but necessary phrase that you may be familiar with, Spring cleaning.
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Happy Spring, everybody! The two aspects of this season that have the most impact on you and your kitchen are the oh-so-welcome bounty of Spring produce — and a dreadful but necessary phrase that you may be familiar with, Spring cleaning.

Along with those kitchen appliances that need to be stowed away and the cabinets that are waiting to be wiped down are probably a number of pantry items and refrigerated goods that have long surpassed their prime.

After all, what exactly is the shelf life of that bottle of ketchup, anyway? Before you get to that major project of deep cleaning your kitchen, brush up on your food storage knowledge.

Let's get started, shall we?

How long will . . .

Take the Quiz
Australian Scientists Develop Apple With Long Shelf Life
News

Coming Soon: Apples That Don't Rot?

Can you imagine leaving a piece of fruit in the crisper and being able to take a bite out of it after four months?
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Can you imagine leaving a piece of fruit in the crisper and being able to take a bite out of it after four months? That's the idea behind a new variety of apple that's being tweaked by researchers at Queensland Primary Industries. The RS103-130, as it's called, can stay fresh for at least 14 days without refrigeration, and keep in a refrigerator for four months.

Scientists are touting many benefits behind the fruit's longevity, which comes from incorporating a gene from a black-spot resistant apple. For one, the RS103-130 requires less fungicides; it would also need less cold storage, cutting down on energy costs.

As far as the most important factor — taste — is concerned, developers say the fruit is very sweet, and has come out on top in preliminary taste tests. Does the RS103-130 apple sound convenient, creepy, or both?

Burning Question: What's the Best Way to Store Coffee?
Tips

Burning Question: What's the Best Way to Store Coffee?

Coffee drinkers all differ in their opinions about the best way to store beans, and insist on doing everything from freezing coffee to storing it whole in glass canisters.
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Coffee drinkers all differ in their opinions about the best way to store beans, and insist on doing everything from freezing coffee to storing it whole in glass canisters. So what is truly the best way to preserve the flavor of coffee grounds?

According to the National Coffee Association, coffee's biggest enemies are air, moisture, heat, and light — in that order. Contact with air causes coffee to lose flavor; moisture will make it deteriorate more rapidly; heat will spoil it; and sunlight will cause beans to taste stale.

Transfer coffee grounds to a container with an airtight seal, and store them in a cool, dark, dry place, where they will keep for as long as two weeks. When possible, buy valve-sealed (not vacuum-sealed) whole beans, and grind them right before brewing them.

Generally, coffee shouldn't be frozen — the extreme cold will break down the bean's oils, and the very porous grounds will easily absorb other flavors in the freezer. If you've got a surplus of coffee, however, you can freeze it in a pinch. But know that you shouldn't return it to the freezer after it's been removed — and never place it in the refrigerator.

Got a burning question? Contact us.

Source

Shelf Life of Raw and Hard-Boiled Eggs
eggs

How Long Do Raw and Hard-Boiled Eggs Keep?

The answer to this question may surprise you: while uncooked eggs typically last four to five weeks when properly refrigerated, hard-boiled eggs will only last about a week.
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The answer to this question may surprise you: while uncooked eggs typically last four to five weeks when properly refrigerated, hard-boiled eggs will only last about a week. This is because egg shells, which are highly porous, are sprayed before sale with a thin coating of mineral oil that seals the egg. Boiling the egg washes this coating away, however, leaving the shell susceptible to bacteria.

Got a burning question? Contact us.

Source

Burning Question: Does Soymilk Need Refrigeration or Not?
Eco

Burning Question: Does Soymilk Need Refrigeration or Not?

Soy milk, once opened, requires refrigeration and should be consumed within five days.
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Soy milk, once opened, requires refrigeration and should be consumed within five days. Prior to being opened, however, soy milk actually doesn't require chilling, and has an unrefrigerated shelf life of at least one year. Then why, might you ask, is some soy milk is sold refrigerated in the milk aisle while other brands go unrefrigerated next to rice milk? To find out, read more

Can You Guess Your Food's Shelf Life?
Quiz

Do You Know How Long Your Food Will Keep?

After a massive trip to the grocery store last night, I spent an hour trying to rearrange my fridge so everything would fit.
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After a massive trip to the grocery store last night, I spent an hour trying to rearrange my fridge so everything would fit. Unfortunately, I discovered many surprises along the way — namely, food items that were way past their prime.

In light of that, I thought I would put together a quiz testing your shelf life knowledge. Can you guess the lifespan of the following products?

Source

Take the Quiz
Look at Shelf Life on Food Items to Determine How Healthy It Is
preservatives

Healthy Eating Tip: Look at Shelf Life

A lot of us are trying our best to eat as healthy as possible, but sometimes it's hard because there are so many factors to consider.
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A lot of us are trying our best to eat as healthy as possible, but sometimes it's hard because there are so many factors to consider. One simple tip on how to determine how healthy a food really is for you is to check out its shelf life. The longer it lasts on the shelf, chances are the worse it is for you. Think about it: organic fruits and veggies hardly make it home before going bad but a loaf of white Wonder Bread can sit in your pantry for a month without the first trace of mold.

Fit's Tip: This rule does not necessarily apply to frozen foods as a bag of frozen veggies or fruit can sit in your freezer for over a month.

Source

Condiments Periodically Go Bad
condiments

Condiments Periodically Go Bad

My friend sent me a link to this great Table of Condiments that Periodically Go Bad - which is pretty much like it sounds - a table listing out the shelf-life of different condiments.
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My friend sent me a link to this great Table of Condiments that Periodically Go Bad - which is pretty much like it sounds - a table listing out the shelf-life of different condiments. The site that posted the table found it in some "weird day planner from 1997" and they're not claiming the info to be fully accurate, but it looks like decent advice. If anything, I think most of these are underestimated (I'm pretty sure honey lasts longer than 8 months). Either way, it's pretty fun to check out.