Food Preservation Tips & Guidelines

Give us this day our daily bread . . .

It might sound strange to have pages of information on food and food preservation on a home organization website. They really are connected! Part of good organization includes planning as well as storing.

Food is a basic necessity of life. We all have food in our homes. Even bachelors will have a bag of chips and a cold one in the fridge! Knowing how, when and how long to store food will keep you organized and healthy as well.

If you're single, feeding a family or cooking for the two of you, be sure that the food you store is safe and adequate for your needs. Some people find this difficult. Some because they don't enjoy cooking. Others don't know what to do because of lack of instruction.

This page will provide some basic information on food preservation. You will find links to other pages of useful information such as:

• 28 Kitchen Safety Tips
• Food Safety Tips
• Freezer Storage Charts
• Freezer Storage Guidelines
• Dairy Storage Guidelines
• Meat, Fish & Poultry Storage Guidelines
• Pantry Storage Guidelines
• Picking Produce
• Produce Storage Guidelines
• Refrigerator Storage Guidelines

Here are six solutions to common problems people have about food:

1. Variety: Most of us don't have enough variety in our diet or in our pantry. Most people have these items: Flour, Milk, Sugar and Salt. It would be hard to live on just these items! Keep some staples on hand for cooking purposes and in case of emergency.

2. Staples: Keep some dehydrated, freeze-dried and frozen foods on hand. Keep canned good (store bought or home canned) on hand. Consider keeping these staples as well: cooking oil, shortening, baking powder, soda, salt, pepper, corn starch, honey, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, eggs and fresh fruits and vegetables.

3. Comfort Foods & Packaged Meals: Each of us carry fond memories of our favorite foods and meals. Mom's meatloaf -- Dad's B-B-Q. Check with your family and acquire the recipes for these family heritage items. Don't let them become only fond memories.

   Cook meals for 1-2 weeks and freeze them. These meals in a minute will help on the days you don't have time to cook or when surprise company shows up.

4. Balance: Keep a balance of items on hand. Don't over-buy. Keep a paper and pen handy in one area. If you see you're out of something, write it on the list. Organize your list by store before going shopping. Buy only what's on the list. You won't buy duplicates (unless you want to) and you'll save time and gas in the process.
   
5. Containers: If you buy in bulk, purchase quality food storage containers. Otherwise, you're wasting time, money and food! Good quality containers keeps moisture, bugs, and rodents out and nutrients and flavor in.

6. Use Your Storage Space Wisely: Utilize the space you have wisely. Check into the storage tips on this website. Get help to declutter. Find solutions for your storage problem. Get help if you need to. Check with the National Association of Professional Organizers for an organizer in your local area. It will be money well spent!

   Below are links to more information on food storage. I hope you find them helpful!

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   Return to top of Food Preservation
   
   Go to: "28 Kitchen Safety Tips"
   
   Go to: "Dairy Storage Tips"
   
   Go to: "Food Safety Tips"
   
   Go to: "Food Preservation"
   
   Go to: "Freezer Charts"
   
   Go to: "Freezer Storage Guidelines"
   
   Go to: "Meat, Fish & Poultry Storage Guidelines"
   
   Go to: "Pantry Storage Guidelines"
   
   Go to: "Picking Produce"
   
   Go to: "Produce Storage Guidelines"
   
   Go to: "Refrigerator Storage Guidelines"
   
   

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