50 food storage hacks that’ll make your food last longer

Food is expensive. Fresh produce that is out of season can be ridiculously expensive.

Covid-19 restrictions are in place in many areas, and a lot of people have a reluctance to head to the grocery store as much as they used to. So what can you do to keep your food fresh longer?

It turns out there are a lot of ways—some of them quite surprising—that you can store your food that increases their life span. And there are a lot of ways to store food that are simply smart from a space and time point of view.

So whether you want to utilize the space you have or stretch your food budget a little farther, here are 50 handy tips.

1. Use reusable containers

If you want your food to stay fresh longer it’s a good idea to take it out of its original packaging. Using food-grade plastic or glass containers also makes it easier to store a variety of foods in bulk.

2. Freeze seasonal produce

fresh produce is typically cheap, and this is when it is at its peak in nutrition and flavor. Flash freezing fruit and vegetables properly can help you save money during the colder months.

3. Freeze food scraps for stock

Save all of those scraps that you typically throw away such as the ends of carrots celery, onions, and more. Grab a freezer bag and start filling it with these along with things like mushrooms stems, garlic cloves, and any stray stems from fresh herbs. Once the bag is full it can be used for stock or broth.

4. Freeze homemade stock in cubes

Once you’ve followed the advice above and made some fresh stock, what are you going to do with it? Storing and freezing it in one big container is problematic, so instead, freeze it in ice cube trays and then store in plastic freezer bags.

5. Buy dry beans

Dry beans are very cheap to buy and take up less storage than canned beans. This is a great way to reduce your food bill.

6. Use produce preserving sheets

The purpose of these sheets is to line in the produce drawer in your fridge and help keep your vegetables and fruit fresher up to four times longer. However, they are expensive, so determine whether they are worth the cost.

7. Store butter on the counter

I probably know as many people that keep their butter in the fridge as I do who keep their butter on the counter. Keeping it at room temperature makes it easier to spread, meaning you likely use much less and save more money. You do, however, need to keep in mind how long it is sitting out.

8. Make a cold cellar in the basement

since they are underground, basements tend to maintain a stable temperature. If your basement isn’t completely finished find a cool dark corner to store bulk root vegetables purchased on sale. If you store them in mesh bags this allows air to circulate through them.

9. Store open packages in containers

Instead of trying to deal with unsealed bags piled up, put whatever is remaining in the bag into a container. This will not only help preserve your food but make it easier to store and organize.

10. Organize your cupboards and pantry

If you have a messy cupboard, chances are you can’t find ingredients. If you can’t find ingredients, you’re going to buy them. So keep everything organized and easy to find.

11. Reuse empty jars

A lot of things such as pasta sauce, pickles, and more come in Mason jars. Don’t just throw them out but reuse them knowing they are free of any sort of harmful chemicals.

12. Freeze leftovers for future meals

If you only have a single serving of something left that you have been eating for a few days, you may be tempted to throw it away. Instead freeze leftovers for some time later, when you’re no longer bored with the meal.

13. Freeze premade meals

Life can get hectic, so having meals prepared ahead can be a great idea. Things like lasagna, casseroles, and a variety of other dishes can be made an frozen and then simply reheated when you’re ready to eat them.

14. Keep oil in small jars

Don’t keep your large jar of oil in the kitchen. Instead use smaller jars of oil and then refill them as necessary. Keep the large bottles in a cool dark place.

15. Store whole wheat flour in the fridge

Whole wheat flour still has the wheat germ attached and it spoils in warmer temperatures. Keeping it in the fridge will save it from going rancid.

16. Don’t store spices in the sunlight

Spices should be kept away from direct sunlight and heat as these will damage them. They will lose their flavor and become stale before their time.

17. Store greens with paper towels

Greens have a tendency to start going bad within a few days. Storing them with paper towel will help them maintain their crispness by regulating the moisture level in the package.

18. Store potatoes with an apple

If you want to keep your stash of potatoes from sprouting eyes, store an apple with them. Apples release a chemical that will help potatoes maintain their freshness up to twice as long.

19. Keep bananas separate

If you have a fruit bowl on your counter don’t mix bananas with other fruit. As they release a gas as they ripen which encourages the other fruit in the bowl to ripen ahead of time.

20. Know which fruits to refrigerate

Some fruit needs to go in the refrigerator and some fruit needs to stay on the counter. To reduce food waste leave citrus fruits, tomatoes, and avocados, to name a few, out on the counter. But cucumbers, carrots, and peppers should be stored in the fridge.

21. Keep the pit

After slicing into an avocado be sure to keep the pit in the part you are saving. Once it’s sliced, it begins to oxidize, turning your avocado brown, but keeping the pit slows down the process and keeps your avocado fresh longer.

22. Chill out

Hmm, chocolate. Assuming you don’t eat your chocolate all in one sitting, keep it properly wrapped in the fridge. This will stop it from spoiling and extend its life.

23. Keep your nuts in the freezer

Nuts have a high fat content and can spoil quickly. Keeping them in the freezer saves them from going rancid too soon.

24. Label your containers

If you want to keep your food organized, labeling your containers is essential. And take it a step further by arranging your food container so it’s easy to see the labels at a glance.

25. Invest in Canning supplies

Quality canning equipment goes a long way in keeping your food well preserved. It’s also good for keeping homemade condiments and preserves available.

26. No more soggy celery

If you have a problem with celery going limp and soggy here’s a tip. Keep it crunchy by wrapping your stalks in aluminum foil before putting them in the fridge.

27. Buy a bread box

I personally don’t know anybody who owns a breadbox. It’s fairly common to keep bread in the refrigerator but that isn’t good for it. The best place for bread is in a cool dark place, making a bread box the perfect choice.

28. Use an ethylene gas absorber

The purpose of these products is to help keep fruit and vegetables fresh longer. They’re stored in the crisper drawer in your fridge and absorb the gas that produce emits, which slows down the ripening process.

29. Always have freezer bags on hand

Nearly all foods can be frozen in freezer bags. Having them on hand makes it easy to preserve any extra produce or leftovers.

30. Cheese needs to breathe

If cheese isn’t stored properly it will dry out. The best way to store cheese is in parchment paper, since this allows it to breathe well preserving its flavor and consistency.

31. Reuse food storage bags

Do yourself and the environment of favor and reuse your storage bags. You can wash and dry them multiple times before having to throw them out. Just don’t do this if you stored raw meat in them the first time around.

32. Used stackable containers

Containers that fit together make organizing so much easier. If you can stack or nest them inside of each other, this will maximize on space.

33. Use a vacuum sealer

Using a vacuum sealer means you can store foods much longer. Buy in bulk at lower prices, confident it will keep.

34. Freeze butter

Butter keeps getting more expensive, so when you see it on sale, feel free to pick up extra. It freezes exceptionally well, without losing flavor or texture.

35. Use unused space

Create extra storage space wherever you can. You can add shelving to empty walls, allowing for extra space to store and stack staples.

36. Freeze hot dogs and buns

If you’ve had a backyard BBQ and have a lot of hotdogs left over, freeze them individually. Both can keep frozen for months.

37. Store brown sugar with a marshmallow

If your brown sugar dries out, it can become hard and unusable. Store it in a sealed container with a few marshmallows and it will retain its moisture.

38. Store leftover wine in smaller bottles

When exposed to oxygen, wine goes bad. If you store leftovers in smaller bottles with less air space, this can slow the process down. Even a mason jar will do. It’s not pretty, but that’s not the point.

39. Wrap banana stems in plastic wrap

Bananas are known to ripen fast and often all at once. If you’d like to slow the process down, simply wrap the stems in plastic wrap. If you’d like to slow it down even more, break each banana away from the bunch and wrap each stem individually.

40. Store mushrooms in plastic bags

To keep your mushrooms dry, store them in the refrigerator in a paper bag. This helps to maintain a proper balance of moisture and humidity and keeps your mushrooms firm.

41. Keep the refrigerator at an optimal temperature

If your refrigerator is too cold it can actually freeze your food, especially food in the drawers or the back of the fridge. The opposite of that is if the fridge is too warm, food will spoil faster. So keep your refrigerator set to the ideal temperature, which is between 35 and 38 degrees Fahrenheit.

42. Treat your herbs like fresh Flowers

The best way to store herbs is in a tall glass or vase with a small amount of water in the bottom for the roots to soak up. Then place a plastic bag over the top and store the glass in the fridge.

43. Heat crystallized honey

While crystallized honey is safe to use, it’s extremely hard to work with. To avoid crystals in the first place, store your honey in the cupboard and not the fridge. And if crystals do form, warm the jar of honey in a pan of warm water.

44. Wash your berries in a vinegar and water mixture

Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and a variety of other berries can be washed in a mixture of water in vinegar in a 10 to 1 ratio. This helps them stay fresh and plump for twice as long and also gets rids of any pests.

45. Freeze leftover canned or jarred sauce

If you make a huge batch of sauce, you probably know you can freeze it. But if you have leftover canned or jarred sauce, you can freeze that as well.

46. Store dairy upside down

Items like yogurt, cottage cheese, and sour cream create a seal under the lid when you turn them upside down. This seal helps to prevent oxygen from getting into the container and spoiling the contents. Ultimately this extends the life of your dairy.

47. Infuse your oils with leftover herbs

Fresh herbs can be difficult to store properly and many of them have a very short shelf life. One option is to infuse oil with your fresh herbs which also extends the life and flavor of the herb.

48. Divide up your bulk food portions

Buying in bulk will often save you significant amounts of money but then you have to worry about how to store it. Divide up your bulk foods into smaller portions that maximize storage time but doesn’t compromise freshness.

49. Keep a list

If you store an extensive amount of food, it’s a good idea to maintain a list of what you have. This means you’re not constantly sifting through shelves looking for something.

50. Don’t freeze wet produce

If you’re going to freeze produce, be sure not to freeze it when it’s still wet or damp. Oftentimes this will render your produce mushy and unusable.

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