Knowing some great food storage tips is really important when you are a family on a budget. In order to avoid the £50 monthly food  (£600) a year waste that most UK families have we need to know what we are going to be eating and ensure that we are keeping that food fresh.

Storing food well prolongs its life and stops waste and spoiling. Here are some top food storage tips.

 

20 Useful Food Storage Tips for Families on a Budget

 

• If you have only used half a jar of sauce screw the lid on tight and place it in the fridge upside down. No air can get to the lid so contents will stay fresher longer. Apparently putting a little layer of olive oil at the top of a pasta sauce jar will also stop air getting to it.

 

• You should keep potatoes, onions, and garlic in a cool, dark, airy place. An apple placed with the poatoes and replaced weekly will stop the potatoes budding.

 

• Celery wrapped in aluminum foil will stay fresh in the refrigerator for weeks.

 

• Keep cheese in an airtight container to avoid hardening. Cheese is expensive and families on a budget need to be smart. Simple tips like keeping cheese airtight can really add up.

 

• Freeze a loaf of sliced bread and just take out what you need each day, this will ensure your whole loaf gets eaten.

 

Photo Credit; Wrestilngentropy  

 

• When you thaw frozen bread, the bread seems almost wet. Prevent that by putting a paper towel into the bread bag before freezing.

 

• Put a slice of bread inside a cake tin to keep the cake moist. If the bread gets dried out, replace it with a fresh slice.

 

• Keep apples in the fridge, they will last much longer and stay harder.

 

• To keep carrots fresh cut the tops off then repack them in plastic bags before keeping them in the vegetable drawer

 

• Remove plastic open top containers from the bottom of a fridge and replace with airtight containers to keep food fresher.

 

• Use pegs to close cereal, rice and pasta packets in between use to keep contents fresh.

 

• Keep milk on the fridge shelf rather than in the fridge door. This is because temperatures are higher at the fridge door rather than on the shelves.

 

• Put things like cereal, biscuits and crackers in airtight containers so they keep fresher longer and don’t go soggy

 

• Keep lettuce leaves separate and in a bowl of cold water in the fridge, this will keep them fresh and crispier for longer

 

• I would also advise asking older relatives for their tips; they often have excellent tips for food storage

 

• Move old tins forward and pop new tinned foods at the back of your cupboards so they don’t run past their sell by date.

 

• To retain the flavour of tomatoes, store them outside the refrigerator until they are chopped

 

• Mushrooms keep best in a paper bag in the fridge

 

• Minimise the amount of time chilled items are kept out of the fridge and pop them back just as soon as you can.

 

• Don’t contaminate food  e.g. by using the same knife for jam and butter.

 

If you have enjoyed this article you may enjoy my post on portion sizes and food waste. Another way to keep a budget is through coupons by answers.com .

Do you have any useful or unusual food storage tips? What would you recommend to families on a budget?