I’m not sure about anyone else, but I am growing tired of my food going bad and all the money I waste when I have to throw it away.
So, I decided that I should look into what I might be doing wrong. I want my foods to last longer not just for saving money, but also knowing that I will have some food on hand.
What I found was interesting enough that I believe it will help me save food and money in the future. So, I thought I would share it with others.
One thing I learned is that it isn’t always just “keep refrigerated” or not, but sometimes where in the fridge it should be placed that will make a difference.
Related: 23 Foods You Should Never Store In A Refrigerator
Milk
Of course, in the fridge. But, if you keep your milk on the door’s shelf for convenience, you might be surprised that it’s not a good place for it at all.
Sure, it makes it easier to grab. But, it could spoil so much quicker, because that is the warmest area in your fridge when it’s exposed to warm air every time the door opens.
Now, imagine a teen and the door opening often, and staying open until they can figure out what they want, if they ever do. Yes, I have a teen.
If you drink the milk in 2 days or less, then it’s not a problem. But, if it takes you longer to go through a container of milk, then place it towards the back of the fridge instead. In fact, the top shelf near the cooling vents would be best.
Raw Meat
How many of you keep raw meat on the top shelf of the fridge? I admit, I have several times. Mainly because I want to remember it’s there so it doesn’t go to waste by forgetting it.
However, unless it’s wrapped really well or in a sealed container, juices from the meat can seep out and drip down onto other foods, contaminating them without even realizing it.
I have noticed this before and now store it on a plate, which can be placed on any shelf.
But just as with milk, it should not be right in the front getting exposed to warm air coming in. Make yourself a note that it’s there, if you fear that you will forget it.
Onions
I used to place my fresh onions in the crisper drawer in the fridge, thinking I was doing the right thing to keep them fresh and last longer. But, I was wrong. They kept going bad on me far quicker than I thought they should.
Related: 10 Foods You Should Never Store Together
So, now I keep them on the counter, out of the sun, until I cut them. Once I cut them, I place them in a special onion container, then in the crisper drawer.
Also, don’t place them next to the potatoes, to save both from spoiling quicker. Speaking of potatoes…
Potatoes
I don’t put raw and uncut potatoes in the fridge, but I think I just got lucky in being “right” about this one. I simply don’t have room in the fridge. But, as it turns out, refrigerating potatoes will turn the natural starch into sugar.
I guess if you like sweeter tasting potatoes, this might work for you. Then again, it also alters the texture, and not in a pleasant way. I mean, if you want gritty, just buy grits, right?
If the potatoes are cooked, or cut, they should be stored in the fridge. For example, if you cut them a day or ahead of using them, place them in water, then in the fridge to avoid discoloration.
Fresh Produce
There are several items of fresh produce that should never be stored next to each other, due to spoiling much quicker.
For example, I mentioned potatoes and onions earlier. But, here is a list of other foods to maybe reconsider how and where you store them:
● 
Cucumbers – alone, and on the counter at room temperature.
● Root Vegetables – if you don’t have a root cellar, store them in a brown paper bag.
And, keep them away from onions, which will cause them to rot much sooner.
● Apples – Keep them away from oranges, but both can be kept in the fridge or on the counter.
● Celery, Carrots, and Asparagus – they shouldn’t be stored together, but they should be stored similarly. To keep them crisp, cut them into sticks, then submerge them in water in a glass or plastic container, then place in the fridge.
Tomatoes
In the refrigerator? Nope. Unless you want less flavor, which doesn’t make sense. The cold air will also alter the texture by making the tomatoes quite mealy.
For best results, just keep them on the counter at room temperature. And, let them get some air.
Also, don’t layer them in a bowl or plate, because if one spoils, it will hasten the spoiling for the others. Spread them out.
Bread
I have never been one to store bread in the refrigerator, with the rare exception of once or twice when I bought too much. But, what I noticed is that it was quite dry when I went to use it.
Related: How to Make Matzo Bread With a Long Shelf Life
Bread is best when it’s stored on the counter, or in a bread box. If it’s going to be longer than 3 or 4 days, store it in the freezer. But, wrap it in at least a couple layers, such as a couple bags.
When ready to use, unwrap the frozen bread, then bake it at 350°, for about 35-40 minutes. In fact, yum. I just might do that anyway.
Butter
I struggle with this one, but butter can be left (covered) on the counter, especially if it’s just for a couple days.
If you aren’t going to be using it for a few days, then put it in the fridge. Then, take it out a day or two before wanting to serve it to guests. This will keep it safe, and spreadable.
Avocado
I never even considered putting my avocados in the fridge, until now. But, not all of them. They are best when stored on the counter at room temperature, unless they are at their peak ripeness, or just before that stage.
Once that happens, place them in the fridge to slow down the ripening process.
Bananas
I have also never placed bananas in the fridge. I knew they didn’t need to be, and I just don’t have the extra room for a bunch in there. But, I learned that the peels will blacken when refrigerated, and the actual banana will not ripen.
Storing bananas at room temperature is best. So, keep your bundle together and on the counter. You can then tightly wrap the stems with plastic wrap to help lengthen the shelf life.
If they start to ripen too much, wrap them up and throw them into the freezer for breads and muffins when you are ready to bake.
Also, keep them away from other foods (especially fruits and veggies) that are left on the counter. It will speed up the ripening process, leading to premature spoilage.
Related: 17 Forgotten Preservation Hacks that Will Save You Money
Corn
I have been doing this one wrong. If you are not going to eat corn on the cob right after picking or purchasing, it’s best to store in the husk, and in the fridge. I have always kept it out on the counter.
Also, keep the corn…even in the husk, away from other fruits and veggies. It will spoil the corn rapidly.
Ketchup & Mustard
This one I learned and shared before, but continue to forget. My ketchup and mustard are still in the fridge, even though I know there is no need for them to be in there.
There is no harm in keeping them in there, but it does free up some space in there, if you simply keep them in the pantry. Yes, even once they are opened.
If you have doubt, the next time you go into a restaurant…take note of the condiments that are left out on the tables.
Mayonnaise
No, I’m not going to tell you to keep your opened jar of mayo in the pantry. Opened containers need to be stored in the refrigerator.
But…like milk, don’t store it right in the front of the fridge to be exposed to warm air each time you open the doors.
Olive Oil
I have kept my oils near the stove, even olive oil. I will make sure that I don’t from now on though. Apparently, many olive oils are sold in dark containers for a reason. Light and heat can cause oxidation, which causes the oil to either lose its flavor, or turn rancid.
Keep it in a dark container, in the pantry and away from heat and light. Actually, it’s best to store all oils this way.
Hard Cheese
I had this one wrong too. Don’t store your opened hard cheeses in the wrapping it came in.
It seems as though you should be able to, right? But, now that I found out, it makes sense.
Once the wrap is opened, it rarely closes tightly on it again, which exposes the surface of the cheese to air. This will just lead to your cheese drying out and losing it’s texture and flavor.
It’s better to cover it with wax paper, then foil, then place it in an airtight container…then finally, in the refrigerator. Sounds like a lot to do, but cheese can be costly and not used quickly. Better to take the extra steps to preserve it the best you can.
Basil
I got this one wrong too. I just assumed that this would be better in the crisper, like many other herbs. But, basil will wilt and darken in cold temps.
It’s best to store fresh basil by snipping the ends, then placing the herb in a glass container, like a mason jar, of (room temperature) water. And, just keep that on the counter.
Related: How to Grow Medicinal Herbs On Your Windowsill
Dried Fruits
At a glance, dried foods have seemed to be indestructible just in a bag on the counter. At least to me, they do.
However, that’s not an accurate assessment. They can easily become contaminated if not stored properly, when moisture is allowed to seep in.
Dried fruits should be packaged while they are not warm, because warm fruits will sweat, producing unwanted moisture. The container you choose should be dry and airtight, such as freezer bags, canning jars, plastic freezer containers, or a vacuum-sealer container or bag.
Then, place the sealed fruits in a dark and cool area, or the freezer. If left unopened, they should last for up to a year without issue.
Flours and Sugars
If you use your flour and sugars frequently, then it should be fine to keep them in the original packaging, even after opening. The packaging is typically meant for storage.
However, if they are going to sit for a while, especially after opening, it would be best to transfer the unused foods into an airtight container such as a mason jar or sealed plastic container. This will keep it fresh much longer, and keep pantry moths out.
Dehydrated Meats
Dehydrated foods should be stored in airtight containers, such as a mason jar or sealed plastic containers. If you place it in your pantry, it should stay for about 2 weeks, as long as it’s cool, dark…and dry. However, it can be stored in a freezer for up to a year.
Refrigerating dehydrated meats is somewhat debated. Some say that it’s cool, sure. But, it’s not dry in the refrigerator. So, it’s probably even more important to make sure the container is completely airtight if you are going to store it in the fridge.
Yes, my counter might be getting more full in the near future. But, my fridge is going to have more room. It’s a wash, I guess.
Hopefully, I shared some information with you that is new, in hopes that it will help keep some of your foods fresher and tastier, for longer. I’m all about saving money and space, as well as letting nothing go to waste!
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Good article. I had several reactions while reading. The first one was that the article, although well written, was giving advice most anyone (particularly preppers) would already know. Next, I thought it might be useful for the uninitiated so I became more tolerant. Then, I had a few “damn, I didn’t know that” encounters. Thanks for reminding me we never get too old to learn something new.
Bananas…. can be frozen. They keep well for a month, or more!
Just please, always PEEL BANANNAS BEFORE FREEZING?
Then, wrap each bananna in parchment paper before enclosing in aluminum foil and/or a Freezer Ziploc bag.
(Btw: personally, i avoid letting aluminum foil touch food directly; & do not cook using aluminum pots/pans, either….)
Frozen bananas can be thawed before eating…but not necessary;
Can just drizzle organic honey w cinnamon/clove spice over & eat.
(BONUS: BANANNA W/HONEY SEEMS TO BE A NATURAL SLEEP INDUCER!.)
A good read! But, I’m Always wondering who draws the red circles on the lead picture to many of these articles and why what’s in the circles is never addressed in the article itself. It’s a mystery? I’m always looking for a connection!
Store your homemade bread in a linen bag.Not a cotton bag.
Read the full article on Prepper Website 11-10 -21
The only thing that stands out for me is milk. While it’s nice to have fresh milk on hand but if you have a prepper mentality why not have either milk powder on hand or canned condensed milk.
Canned condensed milk is nasty. 😀 I keep powdered milk on hand for when I need it for cooking since we don’t use all that much milk with the kids grown.
Stockpile raw milk in the freezer. The goats go dry before the new kids are born, so if I want my lunch smoothie, need the stockpile.
Armin, Have you found a brand of canned milk that tastes okay to you? The last time I tried canned condensed milk might have been Carnation. It sure was not something that I could tolerate even a little bit in my coffee. I was wondering if you had found a brand that is easier to tolerate.
I do have some standard powdered milk on hand that tastes somewhat okay but resembles plaster of paris powder. The manufacturers have changed their processing as the powder used to be creamier.
Hi, Lin. My go to is Carnation. Don’t know why everyone hates it so much. I love the stuff. As I don’t drink coffee I have no need to use milk in my coffee. Nor condensed milk. But I’m a teatotaller. Most of the time. Wink. Do like my occasional nip of brandy though. Purely for medicinal reasons of course. 😉 It’s no use for me to even get a quart of milk. I don’t use it that much. Not even in cereal so usually half of it goes bad. Don’t like the taste. Hence the condensed milk. You can get used to anything. Love my thick cream and no I’m not trying to be naughty. 😉 There really is such a thing. I think it’s also by Carnation. If my body could handle it I’d eat a whole small can of it at one time. But usually I just eat a small teaspoon of it at a time. I usually like it better in the cold weather. Would be very handy in a SHTF situation if you needed the extra calories. Can also be used in baking. So delicious. I use Carnation condensed milk mostly for custards and puddings. Works fine for me. I just add the appropriate amount of water so that it’s not quite that thick and then I’m good to go. Haven’t tried it for pancakes yet. That’s my next experiment. It’s too bad I can’t give you an alternate Lin. I figure most condensed milks are more or less the same. As far as I know condensed milk and evaporated milk is the same thing. Condensed milk is just sweeter by the addition of sugar to it. When I make the fake mashed potatoes from a package like Betty Crocker I add a couple of tablespoons of Coffee Mate to it and it gives it as much fuller taste. Been doing it for years and it works fine for me. Last but not least the best advice I can give all of you is PREP! PREP! PREP! As much as you can. The time grows short. Keep only enough money in your bank to cover your bills and a little extra for emergencies. Convert as much of your worthless fiat currency into as many tangible goods as you can while the getting is still good. Food. water. Gold. Silver. Guns. Ammo. Good luck to all of you. God bless all of you. 🙂
Armin, I thought that you were talking about regular unsweetened condensed milk. I absolutely love sweetened condensed milk. When I was a child, we would have it poured over pancakes. Since then, I have used it in various recipes. I just ordered a few cans of California Farms Organic sweetened condensed milk from Swanson’s. I am saving it for when I might need a real treat.
Thanks for the admonishment to prep. I have gotten sidetracked with less efficient food prep lately, such as dehydrating calendula flowers for health products.
So glad we’re on the same page, Lin. Didn’t know there was unsweetened condensed milk. I thought all condensed milk was sweet. I think I’d have to agree with you that if condensed milk wasn’t sweetened it would be one of the most vile things. Cheers!
Here in AU we have Carnation Evaporated milk and then there’s Condensed milk, 2 totally different products. Carnation is slightly thicker than normal milk but has no added sugar, think 1:1 with water is supposed to bring it back to milk consistency. It tastes like UHT milk which I guess is what it is only canned. Condensed milk is very thick, lots of added sugar and is ideal for rice pudding or cooking; kids still like to eat a teaspoon straight out of the can as does hubby lol.
I keep both on hand along with powdered milk and Long Life cartons which is my main supply since we don’t get to the shops regularly. A cow or goat is still the best option in a SHTF scenario and I get to stay here.
Ginny: add some cocoa powder to condensed milk. A touch of vanilla is good. I would rather make yogurt–you knw it’s sweet if fresh, and make it into a cheese for pies and so on. For that, a cow or goat is good, but German kin prefer sheep milk for the higher butterfat. niio
Armin,
When you say “canned condensed milk,” I don’t know if they use the same terminology up north as they do down here in the US, but condensed milk is for cooking specific items, such as creamy pie fillings (think Key Lime pie and Lemon Merengue pie) since it is sweetened. It is not typically used for drinking or pouring over cereal. Evaporated milk can be diluted and served as milk, although my mother used to pour it, straight out of the can, over leftover rice with cinnamon for dessert. Personally, I am not a fan of it but then, I don’t normally drink milk anymore or eat much cereal, either. I have started using Half & Half now because, if you check the label, you might notice that most of it is simply milk and cream without any additives or preservatives. I am trying to eat “clean food” these days.
I have found that Half and Half, heavy cream and lactose-free milk seem to keep longer in the fridge than regular whole milk, and some of the whole milks these days are ultra-pasturized and have “Best By” dates that extend out several months if they remain sealed. Even after opening, they seem to keep well for much longer than milk used to stay fresh. As for long term storage, yes, you should keep some dry milk stashed away, but as long as you can get fresh milk at the store, why would you want to deplete your emergency stock and suffer through trying to drink powdered milk if you didn’t need to? That is worse than skim milk to some of us. Enjoy the “real” stuff while you can get it.
And I couldn’t tell you that either Sabel. Whether canned condensed milk is the same up here as it is down there. I can definitely see it would go great for baking purposes, custards, puddings. Things like that. Key lime pie one of my all time favourites next to a chocolate caramel pecan crème pie. Now THAT”S a little slice of heaven! Soooo good! Definitely wouldn’t drink the condensed milk straight or pour it over my cereal. That’d just be nasty. Might want to try it for rice pudding and that’s another experiment I need to try. Want to try and make a “trifle” for Christmas using the condensed milk. Still have some fruitcake left over from last Christmas. Just bought my Christmas “stolle”. For me Christmas isn’t Christmas without my “stolle”. 😉 And some lebkuchen herzen and of course pfeffernusse. Still have to find some domino steine somewhere and some icy squares chocolate. Then it’ll at least feel like Christmas. Also have different kinds of fruit on hand. Just bought a bottle of brandy. Will soak the cake in some brandy. And other booze that I still have on hand. 😉 I’m not much of a drinker. A bottle of booze lasts me forever. Make some custard. Layer the custard with the soaked cake, different fruits and different types of booze. When I uncover it and start to eat it I’ll just have to make sure there’s no open flame nearby. LOL! It’s going to be an “interesting” Christmas. I only eat one cereal and I don’t know if you guys have it down there but it’s more like a trail mix and it’s called Quaker Harvest Crunch. It’s quite filling and has a fair bit of sugar in it so I generally eat it more in the colder weather. I just put some in a bowl. Add some water and then “nuke” it in a microwave for a minute or so. Presto! Hot cereal. As I say I can’t stand the taste of real milk. It actually upsets my stomach. I don’t think I’m lactose intolerant as I love cheese but I stay away from “real” milk. For whatever reason just doesn’t agree with me. As for powdered milk I think I tried some once. Horrible stuff. Not for me. 🙁 We all have our personal likes and dislikes and have to use what works for us. May not be the same thing that works for another person. That’s why I find Claude’s website so valuable. We’re able to discuss things with each other and learn from each other. No ONE person can know everything. Stay safe and prep for the worst case scenario and hope it never happens. 🙂 They’re trying to destroy your country and the FED has botched it completely. Prepare for the “winter of our discontent”. It’s going to be a son of a gun.
I guess it’s what you get used to. As kids, milk came in glass 1 pint bottles, foil lid and thick cream on top. That was Mum’s milk, no-one used that but Mum in her tea. Dad and us kids had powdered milk for everything. There was a cow earlier but she was gone by the time I came along. None of us died, well not from the powdered milk lol. I still love a teaspoon of milk powder mixed to paste with a smiggin of water. These days hubby and I get a large bottle of unhomogenised milk with the cream on top when we come home from town and when it’s gone we go back to the uht milk. When my kids were young I milked the cow every morning for quite a few years but now it’s just the two of us so no cow. Maybe a goat would be okay. None of my sheep look quiet enough to milk 🙂
BYW I store my powdered milk in the freezer when I have room.
When it was difficult to get out to the markets to shop because of the local pandemic restrictions, I stretched my fresh milk supply by mixing it up with prepared powdered milk so that it was half and half. Doubled my supply. Not bad tasting either.
I think this is something that’s going to be a regional advice so we’ve lived in places on the central East Coast or Northern East Coast and even Tennessee weird bread on the counter was not a problem but like where we are in Central Florida forget about it read is a moisture magnet and will be nothing but mold and no time you guys have to keep in the fridge ain’t no bread box going to work down here.
Side note 4 long-term food storage and savings I’d order some stuff on sams.com last night and I noticed that their 8-count cans del Monte fruits and vegetables are on sale right now it’s like five or six bucks for a 8 count so it’s definitely less than a buck a can I know that was a topic not too long ago. And again if anything seems out of sorts with the text and using Speech-to-Text driving on the road right now
Double check where De Monte gets their fruit from. I have noticed that a lot of our canned fruits are now from China.
Hello again Lin. I don’t have any Del Monte on hand but I have some Dole on hand in plastic containers that are supposed to be BPA free. Supposed to be. I thought they were produced up here in the land of ice and snow but sadly another product that comes from the land of freedom and joy run by the CCP. They’re getting sneaky. You can BARELY see the word China on the package. It’s transparent to the point of almost being invisible. I would rather pay a little extra and support my own country rather than the CCP. Be aware of what’s happening in the world. China covets Taiwan. Belarus is trying to send people through Poland to invade Germany. Russia wants the Ukraine. Iran is threatening Israel. UK troops to the Polish border. Russian paratroopers into Belarus. And then of course the ruling elite trying to destroy the United States. Whew! A lot going on. Be prepared for almost anything. Keep prepping as much as you can.
Armin,
I have been trying to can more fruits, just because we never can tell where things really come from. A few days ago I jarred up some mandarin oranges and some spiced up regular oranges. One of my favorite foods is salmon. Much of the salmon in the stores is listed as a U.S. product and from Alaskan waters. What they don’t tell anyone is that the fish might be from U.S. waters but it is sent over to China to be deboned. After learning that the Chinese slaves who peel garlic wear out their fingernails and sometimes use their teeth to peel the garlic, I planted a bunch of garlic a few weeks ago.
I better go shopping tomorrow. I do have some gaps in what I have around here.
My parents had to flee the soviets during WW2 with only what they could carry. Through a process that took years, they made their way to the U.S. I recently translated some letters that were written by those who were left behind to live under soviet domination. What we see now in the news with various communist countries wanting to expand, is such an unfortunate repeat of history. The current sleepy administration in our country is working very efficiently to make it easy for the CCP to come in and take over more of our country than they already have.
Beware of the little letters :PRC on canned goods as well!!!
(Peoples Republic of China)
The CCP has caught on that we rightfully distrust their canned items (remember how many American dogs died eating their canned dog food?)
RM P,
PRC, Peoples Republic of China is Tiawan, the island that is independent and democratic, nothing to do with Communist China but China is trying to claim it as it’s own. If a war starts that might be the flash point.
Dehydrated meats can do fine in the fridge. It is NOT moist in there with modern frost-free tech. Want proof? Put a glass of water in the fridge for a day and take note of how much evaporates.
Carrots, asparagus and celery in water? Nope. Asparagus, stand them up in a jar with a small amount of water at the bottom, or wrap the bottom (only) with a wet paper towel, then a plastic bag (on the bottom only to keep the paper towel moist. Carrots and celery should only be kept in cold water if you’ve cut them to serve. Carrots need no special treatment, and as a root veggie, don’t really need refrigeration if you have a cool place to store them. Celery, you can treat it like asparagus with the paper towel and plastic bag (or foil) — though most of the web says to just wrap it in foil.
Valerie: If we leave a glass of water on the counter overnight, most is gone the next day. Viva Arizona! niio
So what you’re saying red is that the iguanas come by at night, get thirsty and drink all your water. Sneaky iguanas! LOL!
armin: hmm…4% humidity helps a lot 🙂 Iguanas would be welcome as a food source. But, they don’t like a lack of open water. I guess we’ll have to stick with the devil’s worms, rattlers. 🙂
I was down in Costa Rica for a while, staying in a house with huge rain gutters – big enough to handle the torrential rains that get. The iguanas spent a lot of time up on that roof and in the rain gutters. I tried to get a look at them but they always ran to the opposite side of the house. When the home owners of that house were away, they had given their neighbors permission to climb up there and catch the iguanas for their dinner. This was in Costa Rica but the neighbors were originally from Nicaragua. When asked what the iguanas tasted like, the neighbors said they tasted like chicken but they said that with a wink.
Some RV chef went down there to try iguana. He went to a restaurant that specialized in it, tried it and nearly puked. I never had it, the places in Mexico I go to are in the Sierras, and too cold for them. If summer there is wet, the nights warm, and the pastures verdant, my ex will tell you, vampire bats show up. Her people are fresh air fanatics and live in shallow caves on the north sides of canyons. Each place also has a small wood shack built in the back for nights like that. People sleep in the loft and goats, also vulnerable to the bats, sleep below. In the walls are honey bees, which hate the bats and drive them from their hive. I asked her brother, yeah, but how do they (the bats) taste. He made a face and said very bad, but delicious when you had nothing to eat for a few days. In the 90s, Tarahumara went thru a famine that killed 9,000 people. Liberals news media was told to ignore it because it was caused by Monsanto, which is a major investment by them and soros. People all over Mexico are arming against what’s coming and the socialist government. niio
Get the shelf-stable milk in the quart cartons. After you open it, you can keep it in the door of the fridge even with teenagers. But a note always put it in the fridge a day or to in advance of opening it. We always have a couple of gallons on hand. Since it is good for a year, at least we will always have cold milk on hand. And this milk is safe to drink when warm, just not appealing to most people.
Another option for corn on the cob. Cut a slice off the bottom (just as with cut flowers!), then set the corn (husk and all) standing up in an inch or two of water. Keeps the corn much fresher. Don’t try it for more than 2-3 days–the part in water will get slimy any longer than that–but who’d going to let corn sit that long anyway? It just gives you the ability to buy/harvest several days’ worth of COTC–or until you get around to canning/freezing it.
Throughout my childhood and in my own home as an adult, sticks of butter were NEVER refrigerated unless they got hot enough to melt, in which case the butter dish was put into the fridge. None of us ever got sick. I’m alone now and don’t use much butter, but I still leave the butter dish on the counter and have had no problems with it. However, I refrigerate or freeze the butter sticks that aren’t being actively used.
Me, too. I even bought a glass butter dish with a square/flat lid. I always have it upside down and put the butter in the lid using the base as a cover.
A note about keeping bread in the freezer. We use to buy a few loaves when they went on sale to freeze. The crusts always seemed tough after defrosting until a savvy woman at work suggested to defrost it upside down. I scoffed, tried it and hung my head in shame for scoffing as I am now a believer. It’s still not nearly as good as fresh but it’s far better than my old way.
Another trick is to give that dry bread crust a little spritz of water. It’s also a great way to revive stale Italian bread and crusty rolls. By the way, limp lettuce, and celery can be revived with a simple soak in a pan of cold water
Don’t know if you’ve tried this CC but another way to revive stale or dry rolls or buns is to put them in a wet brown paper bag and throw the whole lot into a hot even for a few minutes. Works wonders. They come out just like new. You could probably do the same thing by putting a pan of water in the oven but I’ve never tried it that way. Might even work like that in a microwave. H’mm. You’ve given me a lot of ideas CC. Thanks!
Mike, I’ve been freezing loafs of bread for years. I place them in two plastic bags and I tie them on opposite sides. This technically places them in three plastic bags since they come in one. Then when I need one, I take it from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator. When I place it in the refrigerator, I place the side that was down in the freezer, up in the refrigerator. I then take the one from the fridge and place the dry side down on the counter. It usually takes about a day or two for the moisture to reconstitute the dry end. Is that what you meant by defrosting them upside down? I will agree it’s not as good as fresh bread but when the one local store is out, it’s over 100 miles round trip for me to get more. I have to freeze them.
Cavalryman, My stores might be a lot closer than yours but I like to go to the outlet store and purchase enough for awhile. Thank you for all the detail regarding the process.
The problem with the food pyramid is it’s upside down. Carnivore is the way to go, and dietitians back that. It was only wealthy big-grain donors that made the dems change and claim a diet should be baced on carbs.
Milk: For adults, too much calcium is worse than too little. Too much causes dowager hump and all problems associated. Get too much, and the body tries to flush it, and will flush it out of bones to keep it from causing a lot more problems. Since we pretty much quit carbs, we can eat most dairy, but not drink milk. Homemade yogurt is easy and sweet. If it gets too sour, then it’s easy to make cheese. A little goes a long way. It’s only of the best things for grain eaters to use to make sourdough.
Meat, agreed. But if keeping it a while, it’s best stored frozen or cooked.
Onions do not belong in the fridge. There, they force fruits and veggies to ripen fast, and spoil. They will rot fast in a fridge. Store them in a net bag hung somewhere. If tey sprout, then you have green onions, which like all sprouts are good for you. Green onions are a good blood cleanser.
Potatoes: We keep what few potatoes we use in a drawer in the fridge. It’s dark and damp, and that potatoes prefer. We’ve kept them for months that way.
Bread stores best, long run, frozen. We don’t eat it anymore, but do like corn chips and tortillas. If they’re made from posole (aka grits) then they should store in the pantry for weeks.
This is egg and butter time in southern Arizona. We stock up on butter and it’ll keep a year in the freezer without extra protection. No off flavors, nada. Eggs, you know the routine 🙂 niio!
Red, I agree that most of us are designed to lean more toward the carnivore side. The type of meat we eat might be more specific to the individual. There are some who will start to lose energy if they don’t get a good piece of red meat once in awhile. Others might be fine with fish and chicken and still have enough energy to get it all done.
So much of the prepackaged prepper food is heavy on the carbs. I would almost think that a package of Tums might be a good item to add to each #10 can of that long term food prep.
Sage: LOL, if I tried to live on carbs, I’d need a #10 can of tums 🙂 What dieticians tell me is, carbs convert to sugar, which blasts the system, causes an overload of insulin. Insulin suppresses testosterone in men but causes a surge in estrogen. And that leads to weight gains. niio
I love a good steak every now and again, Lin, but if I have to I’d be quite happy living on a strictly vegetarian diet. I was a VERY strict vegetarian in my 20’s and early thirties. Even up here in the land of igloos and caribou meat is starting to get quite expensive. To the point where I can’t afford to buy any either weekly or bi-weekly. If I’m lucky maybe once a month or so if the stores have a really good deal going. Right now what meat I have in the freezer I’m saving for “special” occasions. Like Christmas. New years. My birthday. 😉
Yup. Everything in moderation red. We need a little calcium in our diet. I get mine from cheese. I eat a piece of cheese every day. Don’t like the taste of modern day milk. I swear they’ve done something to make it taste so crappy. I’m sure it used to taste better when I was a child. Maybe it’s just a matter of me getting older. Calcium in our diet is much more important than people may realize. Not only for our bones and our teeth but we also need a small amount of calcium circulating in our blood at all times. If it’s not there our heart stops beating. Peace brother.
Armin: Cheese, but also bone broth. Those have the right mix of calcium and phosphorus for bone density. That’s why hard people working often have cravings for dairy. People who consume a lot of animal protein rarely need a supplement. But, I like cheese and yogurt. 🙂 And now can have them because I’m off carbs. niio
Thanks for that concerning how they store bananas red. Just personally I’ve NEVER had any problems similar to what Lin had with bananas so that’s why I question it. I peel ’em, eat ’em and enjoy ’em. Although I have heard one urban legend concerning bananas and that is that there was one case many years ago where someone in a store found a tarantula in a bunch of bananas. That would definitely freak me out although I’ve heard that tarantulas aren’t particularly aggressive. Wouldn’t want to put it to the test. Have also heard that some people have tarantulas for a pet. Thanks but no thanks. I’ll pass. Needless to say if my local store is a bit slow in putting out the bananas and I have to go into a new case I’m very careful to make sure a tarantula hasn’t hitched a ride. I don’t need THAT kind of excitement. LOL! Peace brother.
Armin: Nor have I, just saying it happens. Just ask a grocer. One I knew had a nice collection of dead bugs and pictures from his years as a green grocer. His wife put her food down when he came home with a dead coral snake (about as long as your finger). He said they’ve had to chill the fruit as close to freezing as possible cone they stopped gassing holds of ships for fear of harming terrorists. Liberals, shish. I had tarantulas all over the yard, and be welcome. Then hawk wasps showed up on patrol, now no more tarantulas. niio
Tarantulas are not all that aggressive or God sent his angels to protect me, as there was a short time my family lived on a piece of land with several out there plus a couple of trapdoor spiders out in the field. As a little kid, I would poke at them to prod them along. Not harming them, just playing. As a little child, shoes were something I never wore outside of needing to for school or church but no spider bites.
Actually if you feel like taking a detour deep in The Weeds take a look at the blood type diet.
I was actually amazed because there’s a lot of foods that I have issues with when I eat another foods I crave and I found out later on when my wife showed me this everything that I crave was listed on the blood type diet is what’s beneficial for me and also the things that I have issues with I’m really not supposed to eat and there they were on the blood type diet like you were saying about starches sugar and all that like corn and peas and write those kind of tears my gut up come to find out yeah I really shouldn’t eat those so it’s definitely worth a look
where can I find that? niio
Red whatever search engine you feel comfortable using butters DuckDuckGo or being or Google whatever
Got it, but wow, no can do. I can’t do carbs. My ancestors were carnivore with some veggies and a lot of fruit. But, carbs, even fruit, mess up our blood sugar. It states they were vegetarians. No one in my family was. We’re the people who tell doctors is it ain’t deep-fried, is it food? Low good LDL and usually high good HDL proves that at least for us, carnivore is how to go. Every American Indian I ever met who was dying at an early age was into veganism. God didn’t make us that way, but blessed us with meat. niio
A lot of good points in this article. Something to consider is to make sure that the food is clean before it is stored. Sometimes bananas are wrapped with tape and covered with stickers. All of that is perfect for ‘bugs’ to grow under and if the guy who stuck on the stickers didn’t wash his hands before slapping them on, you might catch whatever he had. Onions are loaded onto big open side-loader trucks. Who knows what might have landed on them during transport. With onion skins needing to be kept dry, they can’t really be washed. Fortunately, most recipes require that the onions be cooked, which will kill the ‘bugs’.
Keeping foods less than clean works out fine if it is all eaten quickly and subjected to heat but for longer term storage, it is helpful to be more conscious of ‘bugs’. Particularly, for our prepper style storage.
A couple of years ago, I was running a lot of errands and had no time for lunch so I just grabbed some highly stickered bananas and ate one while driving. I was down for the count with a serious case of Montezuma’s Revenge for a few days. My guess was that all those stickers collected whatever was around. When this whole covid business first started, I didn’t know what to believe so I was conscious of any cross-contamination that might occur with any food product I brought into my home. It did get me thinking of where the foods have been, such as, just how often did that hairy mouse in the warehouse run over the top of the food container I am placing in my nice clean fridge.
To prevent fruit flies, I always rinse the banana bunch with cold water, paying extra attention to both the bloom and stem ends. That’s where there may be fruit fly eggs waiting to hatch in your fruit bowel. The rinse washes them away.
Are you SURE it was the bananas Lin? Shouldn’t really matter how many stickers are on it. When you peel the banana you’re eating a pristine banana. All the bad stuff gets thrown away. So sorry to hear you had such a bad time with it. Hope it doesn’t happen to you again. Might be a great way to lose weight but it’s…unpleasant. 😉 Have NEVER had any problems with bananas. My favourite combination is a peanut butter and banana sandwich on whole wheat. Almost as good as Reece’s pieces. EVERYTHING goes with chocolate! Just picked up some dark chocolate covered almonds. 70%. Heavenly! Goes great with a little brandy. 😉 Just for your edification (gettin’ dang fancy now! LOL!) did you know that botanically a banana is a berry. Who woulda thunk!
Armin: It happens. Bananas are stored under thatch roofs by hanging them on the stalk. They’re then cut into bunches and packed. They’re not washed at any point. for that matter, all too often neither is the outhouse workers use, if the company is willing to pay to have one dug. Cases are shipped to a warehouse, and rats are bad, always. From there to a grocery, where tropical fruit are stored for an hour or so in the freezer to kill off rats, deadly insects, and other problems. Look up what the governments allow to be eaten by the peasant class. niio
Armin, It is interesting to think of a banana as a berry. I suspected the bananas because I could have touched the fruit inside with my unwashed hand (as I was driving) and there was nothing else around that I had not eat repeatedly. I have seen photos of the big trucks that the green bananas are loaded into and then all the pickers pile on top. I once picked up a banana at the store that was quite warm. The produce guy said that they microwave them to ripen them.
That brandy does sound quite nice with chocolate. I have some Kahlua, for medicinal purposes. 😉
I’ve heard the same thing about tarantulas, Lin, that’s why I said that. They are ugly little buggers but not particularly aggressive. Animals are smarter than we think they are, especially when dealing with children. On some level the spider knew you meant it no harm. Had a good friend many, many years ago that had a tarantula as a pet. Wasn’t impressed. For a while they also had piranhas in a rather large tank. They dared me to put my hand in there. I declined with thanks. 😉 I guess they wanted to push the envelope. I wouldn’t play with either the Sydney funnel web spider or the Brazilian wandering spider. Two of the most dangerous aggressive venomous spiders on the planet. They’re not to be trifled with. They really are eight-legged little horrors. Of course, Lin, that’s the ONLY reason I have booze on hand. Strictly for medicinal purposes. Sometimes I might feel unwell 2 or 3 or even more times per week. Wink. Stay safe. I have a very important message for all of you which I will post separately.
Mike, I’ve been freezing loafs of bread for years. I place them in two plastic bags and I tie them on opposite sides. This technically places them in three plastic bags since they come in one. Then when I need one, I take it from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator. When I place it in the refrigerator, I place the side that was down in the freezer, up in the refrigerator. I then take the one from the fridge and place the dry side down on the counter. It usually takes about a day or two for the moisture to reconstitute the dry end. Is that what you meant by defrosting them upside down? I will agree it’s not as good as fresh bread but when the one local store is out, it’s over 100 miles round trip for me to get more. I have to freeze them.
Hey All,
Where is Mr. Left Coast Chuck lately?
Hope all is well with him and his Wife.
Peace
MadFab
I’ve been worried, as well. I hope he and the Missus are all right. niio
I’m sure he is, red. he takes a little break every once in a while. He’s probably hard at work prepping before prices skyrocket.
I’ve noticed too! Hopefully he and the Mrs are off on a nice vacation.
we vacuum a lot of things sugar’,flour, saly pepper garlic salt and spices after we have dried them. They seem to last nicely but how long can they be stored either in the pantry or in the freezer.
purchased spices similar to Mccormick taco sauces if vacuum packed how long will they retain their flavor
Ok, guys. I really hate doing it like this but I feel that it’s important enough that I HAVE to. I don’t want any of you to panic but you may want to speed up your prepping activities. This is dated Nov. 13th of this year from the Daily Mail Australia. Direct quote. I’m not shouting. I just want you all to pay attention and know that this could potentially have serious consequences.
“CHINA THREATENS AUSTRALIA WITH A ‘HEAVY ATTACK’ AND WARNS ALLIED FORCES ‘BETTER BE PREPARED TO SACRIFICE’ IN DEFENCE OF TAIWAN AFTER PETER DUTTON (Australian minister for defence) CONFIRMED AUSTRALIA WOULD JOIN THE US IN PROTECTING THE ISLAND. Things may be heating up between China and Taiwan. Pls don’t kill the messenger.
Armin: chicoms and the USSR act and think alike. Both rattles sabers, pounded shoes on desks, and ran for cover when told to shut up. The only thing they do well is to slaughter their own citizens and hire others to fight for them. In Vietnam, every 56 the Cong used was paid for with opium money or small children to pedophiles. Every bullet. Every jet. Once the war was over, Vietnam told China to take a hike. The chicoms when faced with anger ran, and did that quite a few times in Vietnam, in India and elsewhere. The only time we have to listen to them shriek and brag is when we have a castri in the national capitol, DC but also goes for Ottawa. Look for masses of Asians to run from the coasts and only then worry. niio
red, respectfully the Chinese and Russians used to have a healthy fear of Americas Military.
After Sir Poopypants and Afghanistan’s Monty Python’s “RUN AWAY,RUN AWAY” not so much.
As that Chinese Curse “May you live in Interesting Times” WE are living in Interesting Times. Chinese owned politicians are the main weapon of the Chicoms.
Marcus Tullius Cicero defined a traitor as the plague over 2000 years ago with these words: “A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly.
Winter is coming, the US Dollar is losing value daily and soon enough we WILL Lose World Reserve Currency. Then we will know England’s Winter of our Discontent that lasted several years. Even now England’s Flagship and only Aircraft Carrier is being used by a US Marine Air Squadron as the English cannot afford aircraft for it.
@red and @Michael I really hope you’re right red. I really do. Last thing we need right now is a global conflict with everything else happening around us.
I really like what you said, Mike. You’re a good guy. The danger is definitely more from within than from without.
I’ve done my job. I’ve passed on to all of you what I thought was really important. What you now do with the info is up to you.
All of you stay safe and do what you can to prepare.
Michael: You’re preaching to the choir.
Traitors come and traitors go. One way or the other, they get neutralized. Jersey is in an uproar over voter fraud. In every state, people demand audits by honest people. They would like to see Dominion and big tech strung up by the short hairs and used for a piñata. And, it’s happening. Let’s go Brandon is being shouted at socialists around the world. In Australia, socialist politicians were forced out of the closet to react with criminal hate against their own citizens. Vietnam, Nicaragua, and other places, people are protesting against socialism. Nations have outlawed soros and wyss from doing anything in their borders. Myanmar confiscated everything organizations built by soros and jailed the leaders. The world is in revolt against the nazi left.
One major horror both chicoms and Russia has is American hate for war, but eagerness to win. When Marquez trotted his troops over the border, he wasn’t nice about it like Villa (by comparison). His men raped and murdered anyone and everyone, till people rose up and wiped him out. Villa was not happy. He wanted to take out that blot on humanity himself.
The dnc has hated this nation since they lost the right to own humans like cattle. Even during the war between the states, they were making deals with France, England, and Germany to invade. After Juarez came to live at the White House, when Lincoln moved in, France tried to assassinate him. Lincoln told them it was a matter of time, but we would get around to them soon. All three backed off. Mohawks turned in the remains of some spies that were French. But, slavery is an issue. Only after Trump announced he would fight slavery did all hell break out.
At one time, Cronkite was the demi god of the news. Even while he lied his ass off, people respected and believed him. Today, used car salesmen, our modern horse traders, are more respected and believed than the average journalist. Look at CNN, dying. Look at NYT, propped up by wealthy socialists. All of them are losing readers and money because none are willing to be more than a mouthpiece for the left, the same as they were in the 30s.
Traitors come and traitors go. We always had traitors and always will. And, yes, most are among the dnc, but there’s plenty of RINOs around. But, as well, today it’s getting easy to expose them, to show what they are to moderates, who then tend to vote for conservatives.
Armin: Continue the work, please. There’s no doubt in my mind that we’re in the deep end of sh*t creek, but not sinking. The same happened under Carter’s depression. It almost happened in 1861.
One major thing all our enemies know is, America corrupts. Our Constitution is old but never dated and they hate that. Our music is always against authoritarianism and they try to outlaw it. They preach Al Gore’s lies and more to the people, and sheep will follow. But the majority, long declared to be idiots because of their silence, is beginning to roar.
Had I gone to Vietnam to teach English, I would have been literally cherished by the landlord and neighbors just because I’m American. The only thing that could make it better was if I were John Wayne’s son. That’s how much people love Americans.
According to Al-Jazeera, Africa went from 50% Muslim to 20% and falling. Why? Partially because people hate that terrorists dare attack their friend, America. Christianity is booming in East Africa while in West Africa, nations are outlawing mosques being built. People the world over are demanding they have the same rights as Americans. Our enemies are terrified of us because Trump nudge people into moving towards democracy. Peace be on you, as a son-in-laws says, then grins and shouts, Īśbara āmērikāra āśīrbāda karuna. God bless America.