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Food storage tips – fresh food
Precooked foods and leftovers
These should be stored in suitable, covered containers so that the
food will not dry out.
Storage containers should be shallow to assist in rapid cooling.
Keep for only 1 – 2 days.
Reheat leftovers only once and until steaming hot.
How should cooked meats be stored?
Cover all cooked meats to prevent drying and contamination from raw foods.
Do not put piping hot meats in the refrigerator. Cool left-over cooked meat quickly after cooking,
then refrigerate.
Well cooked roasts will keep longer than very rare roasts.
Leave a roast whole, loosely covered with foil, in a cool place until it has partly cooled. Then wrap
securely with foil and place in the fridge.
Leaving pieces whole prevents meat drying out.
To limit contamination and bacterial growth, do not slice meat until just before use.
Cured and smoked meats are less perishable than fresh meats. Leave pre-packaged items in
their original wrappings or vacuum packs and refrigerate promptly. Once opened, keep tightly
covered in the compartment set on Fridge mode and use before the expiry date.
Herbs and spices
Fresh herbs should be stored using Fridge mode.
Dried herbs and spices, which gradually lose their strength and flavor when exposed to heat,
light and air can be stored using Pantry mode.
You can also seal fresh herbs in a freezer bag and keep them frozen for several months.
Salad dressings and sauces
Store opened jars of commercial mayonnaises on Fridge mode – make sure they are tightly
sealed and they will keep for a number of months.
Products such as mayonnaise, mustard and tomato sauce may develop brown or black crusts
around the rim of the bottle as a result of oxidation. It’s not harmful and doesn’t mean the food is
going off. Just wipe it off before use.
Dried goods
Seal packaging well before placing it into the compartment.
Store dried goods, eg. flour, rice, cereal in Pantry mode in the warm months to reduce risk of
insect infestation.
