CHANNEL 11 EXCLUSIVE: Keeping food fresher for longer

Grocery prices are sky high — so you know how painful it is to toss food out because it’s gone bad before you’ve had a chance to eat it.

Channel 11 News Anchor Susan Koeppen walks us through the kitchen with some tricks to keeping food fresher for longer.

The USDA says grocery prices will continue to rise this year and go up 2.5% to 3.5% next year.

Not only are food prices up, but Americans throw away 40% of the food they buy — but there are simple ways to keep your food fresher, longer.

“Milk should never be in the door — it should be up here and at the back of the fridge where it is the coldest,” said Koeppen. “It will last longer. And tomatoes, they should not be in the fridge; they should always be on the counter.”

Meat should be stored on a lower shelf, in the original wrapper and toward the back where it’s colder. If you have lunch meat, like turkey, that you aren’t going to use, you can throw it in the freezer for six months and it will taste just the same, said Koeppen.

Don’t wash your berries until you are ready to eat them.

Lettuce and other greens need to breathe. Put them in a large container with room. Place a paper towel on top to soak up any moisture.

Bread will last longer if you keep it in the fridge.

“And if you have sliced bread, throw that in the freezer and use it as needed,” said Koeppen.

Potatoes should be stored in a paper bag and put away in a cool, dark place.

“You’ve heard the phrase, ‘One bad apple spoils the bunch.’ It’s true,” said Koeppen. “If (an apple) starts to go bad and you leave it in there, it will cause all the other pieces to spoil faster.”

And watch out for bananas. They give off high amounts of ethylene gas that will make everything around them ripen faster, so store bananas alone.

These are some easy steps that can make a big difference.

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