Food Storage

When you start out on your own, you aren't really sure about expiration dates on foods. Your parents generally took care of this, and you are beginning to realize that the food you buy, won't last forever, as you walk into your apartment one day and realize by the smell that most of your food has gone bad. This is a great little cheat sheet that will help you to know how long to keep your food, and when to throw it out.

• First: have a labeling system. Buy a labeler (or just some masking tape), and whenever you buy an item write down the date you bought it. Time can get away from you fast, and with as much food as you may buy, you may forget to throw something out. 
• Apples: 3 weeks: Store them in the refrigerator, unwrapped. Also, don't touch them! 
• Grapes: 1 week: Store in the refrigerator in a vented plastic bag. They often come in bags like these, and for a reason! 
• Berries: 3 days: Keep them in a ventilated container in the refrigerator
• Onions: 2 months: Store in a cool, dry, ventilated place. 
• Carrots: 3 weeks: Remove the green and store in a plastic bag. Limp carrots can be resuscitated by soaking in ice water for 30 minutes.
• Raw Chicken: 1-2 days: Keep refrigerated at 40F or lower. Always observe "use by" dates.
• Cooked Chicken: 3-4 days: Refrigerate in shallow, covered container
• Ground beef: 2 days: Keep refrigerated and observe "use by" date; freeze if use more than 2 days from purchase.
• Eggs: 3-5 weeks: Keep on a lower shelf in the refrigerator- not the door.
• Pizza: 3-4 days: Put in refrigerator within 2 hours of delivery or else throw it out. Keep it wrapped and refrigerated otherwise. 
• Flour: 6-8 months: Store in a sealed container in a cool dry place. Keep out moisture. 
• Dry pasta: Up to a year: Store in a cool, dark place in a sealed container to keep away mold and weevils (tiny, grain-loving bugs)
• Whole Coffee Beans: 1 month: The flavor is best within the first 10 days. Store in a cool dark place in a container.
• Ground Coffee Beans: 2 weeks: same as above.

If you are anything like me, and work retail, and are on your feet for 8 hours, you don't always feel like making anything for dinner. And on some nights money could go to waste if your food spoils in a matter of days. So, if your recipe calls for something that spoils within days, esp meats, pick it up on your way home. You can't know exactly how your day will go, even the day before, so it is best to buy expensive food that spoils fast when you know exactly how you will feel. 

It is best to buy in bulk. You get more for each individual penny. But it doesn't make a difference if you only use about half of it. Don't buy a huge thing of coffee, if you are the only one who drinks it in your house (unless you drink a cup every hour). Gage how much you really use. But always remember these dates in order to eat the freshest possible food, and stay as healthy as possible. 

And for even more go to: www.realsimplereallife.com/television/browse-by-topic/food-recipes/how-long-last-00000000005600/idex.html?iid=rs.comhp