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Less food waste

Fresher and tastier for longer: How to store food

After you have planned your shopping, taking the time to store your food properly is decisive in ensuring it stays fresh. Sorting your purchases once you get home will help to keep your fruit and vegetables, dairy products, bread, pasta and meat fresh for longer. Some foods need to be chilled, while others just need to be kept at room temperature. We’ve put together some tips outlining when and how you can store food so that everything stays fresh for as long as possible.

Why exactly does food go bad?

Whether warm or cold, moist or dry, not all foods like the same conditions. If stored incorrectly, food will lose its flavour and spoil more quickly. This is due to the physical, biochemical, chemical and microbial influences and changes to which products are exposed. Food can also be damaged by pests and vermin.

Microbial spoilage is caused by bacteria, mould and yeasts. They cause food to rot, ferment or develop mould and sometimes develop pathogenic substances as a result. These processes and the storage life of food products depend in particular on physical conditions such as warmth, cold and moisture.

In addition, enzymes within food trigger biochemical changes, such as vitamins, pigments and flavourings breaking down. Fat turning rancid is due to chemical spoilage triggered by chemical reactions within food constituents. External factors such as light and air can accelerate this process.

Hygiene, refrigeration and storage: It all starts with shopping.

Before you get your shopping home and start to put it all away in the right place, making sure that everything is suitably hygienic and chilled starts in the supermarket. Key points to remember:

Check that all packaging is intact.
Make sure that chilled foods are kept cool, such as with reusable cool bags, to prevent germs from multiplying when produce gets warm.
Only put frozen and perishable products in your trolley at the end of your shop, just before heading to the checkout. Speaking of the checkout, soft and delicate produce such as eggs, bananas and grapes should be the last things you place on the conveyor belt. This means they will be at the top of your bag and will not get crushed by heavier items.
After finishing your shop and before sorting out your purchases at home, make sure to wash your hands thoroughly to prevent the spread of bacteria and germs.
Keep storage areas such as shelves, pantries and your fridge clean and wipe them down regularly. The best way is to use warm water with a little detergent. Adding a dash of vinegar essence can prevent mould.

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Freezing effectively: How to store food in the freezer

If you want to store food for a particularly long time, your freezer or the freezer compartment of your fridge is the best option. The low temperature and reduced water activity mean that microorganism reproduction is significantly reduced or even eliminated. However, make sure to clean, wash and blanch fruit and vegetables before freezing them. Ideally, you should pack food as airtight as possible and in small portions. It’s also worth labelling bags with their contents and the date to help you keep on top of things. However, even frozen food cannot be stored indefinitely. Fruit and vegetables will keep for 11 to 15 months, fish and fatty meats will keep for 6 to 9 months, and beef and poultry can be frozen for 9 to 12 months.

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Réfrigérer correctement : Comment conserver les aliments dans le réfrigérateur

La plupart des aliments frais doivent être placés directement dans le réfrigérateur lorsque vous rentrez chez vous. Grâce à la basse température de 4 à 8°C du réfrigérateur, les produits périssables restent frais plus longtemps. En effet, la basse température ralentit le métabolisme cellulaire des aliments, empêche la croissance des micro-organismes et freine les altérations chimiques et enzymatiques. Le principe "FiFo" (first in, first out) peut vous aider à savoir ce qui est frais et ce qui ne l'est pas. En d'autres termes : Mettez les nouveaux aliments à l'arrière, mettez les anciens à l'avant.

La bonne disposition dans votre réfrigérateur

Pour que les aliments restent frais le plus longtemps possible, vous devez les stocker sur la bonne étagère. Nous vous expliquons exactement où vous devez ranger chaque chose dans le réfrigérateur.

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Porte du réfrigérateur

Ce qui doit se trouver dans la porte du réfrigérateur

La porte du réfrigérateur est l'une des zones les plus chaudes du réfrigérateur. La température y est généralement comprise entre 8 et 10 °C. Elle convient pour conserver les sauces prêtes à l'emploi, les jus de fruits, les boissons, les vinaigrettes, le lait, le beurre et les œufs.

Tiroir à légumes

Ce qui doit se trouver dans le tiroir à légumes

Comme son nom l'indique, le tiroir à légumes sert à conserver les légumes (et les fruits). Les tiroirs à légumes sont séparés du reste du réfrigérateur, généralement par une vitre, ce qui permet de maintenir la température à 9 °C environ. C'est parfait pour conserver les légumes, la salade et les différents types de fruits. Attention : Les produits sensibles au froid, comme les fruits exotiques et les légumes à forte teneur en eau, ne doivent pas du tout être conservés au réfrigérateur.

Étagère du bas

Ce qu'il faut mettre sur l'étagère du bas

La température de l'étagère du bas, juste au-dessus du tiroir à légumes, est de 2 à 3 °C maximum. Vous devez y ranger les aliments facilement périssables, comme la viande, le poisson, la volaille et la charcuterie.

Etagère du milieu

Ce qu'il faut mettre sur l'étagère du milieu

L'étagère du milieu a généralement une température d'environ 5 °C, ce qui en fait l'endroit idéal pour les produits laitiers comme les yaourts, le lait, le fromage blanc et la crème. C'est également l'endroit idéal pour le fromage et les saucisses.

Etagère du haut

Ce qu'il faut mettre sur l'étagère du haut

L'étagère du haut d'un réfrigérateur est relativement chaude. La température y est généralement comprise entre 8 et 10 °C. Vous pouvez conserver le beurre et les confitures à cette température douce. Les aliments ou les restes que vous avez l'intention de consommer rapidement peuvent également être conservés ici, car cette zone est parfaite pour préserver le goût.

Conservation des aliments à température ambiante

Les pâtes, le riz, les conserves et autres produits similaires ne gagnent pas à être conservés dans le réfrigérateur. Il est préférable de les conserver dans un placard à une température moyenne de 15 à 20 °C. Il est important que les aliments ne soient pas exposés à la lumière directe du soleil ou à la chaleur. Les températures élevées et l'air humide ont un impact négatif sur la durée de conservation des produits, même ceux ayant une conservation de longue durée. Lorsque vous rangez vos plancards ou votre garde-manger, n'oubliez pas : mettez les nouveaux produits à l'arrière et mettez les aliments plus anciens à l'avant afin qu'ils soient utilisés en premier. Une fois que vous avez ouvert un paquet, fermez-le hermétiquement ou transférez le contenu dans un récipient hermétique. Comme pour la congélation des aliments, veillez à étiqueter les récipients avec des dates, pour ne pas oublier ce qu'ils contiennent.

Stocker les produits au bon endroit : Quel aliment doit être rangé où ?

S'ils ne sont pas stockés correctement, les aliments perdent leur saveur et se gâtent plus rapidement. Voyons quel est le meilleur endroit pour stocker différents aliments afin qu'ils restent frais plus longtemps.

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Pain et produits de boulangerie

Conserver le pain frais plus longtemps

Pour conserver la fraîcheur du pain, il faut éviter qu'il ne se dessèche, par exemple en le stockant dans une boîte à pain ou un pot en céramique. De nombreuses personnes stockent le pain dans des sacs en plastique. L'inconvénient est que le pain frais du boulanger devient très vite mou lorsqu'il est conservé dans un emballage hermétique. C'est pourquoi il est préférable de conserver les produits de boulangerie croustillants que vous prévoyez de consommer rapidement dans un emballage non hermétique, par exemple dans le sac qu'ils ont reçu du boulanger.

Cependant, le dessèchement n'est pas la seule façon dont le pain peut se gâter. Si l'environnement est trop humide et que l'air ne peut pas circuler, l'eau peut s'accumuler et provoquer l'apparition de moisissures, notamment dans le cas du pain en tranches. Les miettes qui traînent dans la boîte à pain peuvent également favoriser le développement de moisissures. Enlevez les miettes tous les quelques jours et nettoyez le récipient avec du vinaigre dilué. Par temps chaud et humide, vous pouvez même conserver le pain au réfrigérateur si nécessaire. Cela empêche la formation de moisissures, notamment avec le pain blanc. En cas de doute, vous pouvez toujours congeler le pain et les petits pains. Il suffit de les laisser revenir à température ambiante après les avoir sortis du congélateur.

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Fruit & vegetables

Apples, carrots, salad etc.: What belongs in the fridge and what doesn’t

Almost all vegetables can be stored in the fridge. Aubergines, tomatoes, potatoes and pumpkins are the only ones you shouldn’t keep cold. Fruit is a little more complicated. Some types of fruit only stay fresh and retain their vitamins when chilled. Others, however, are very sensitive to the cold. As a rule of thumb, you should chill indigenous fruits like apples, cherries and plums. Exotic fruits like mangos, bananas and citrus fruits don’t belong in the fridge. Exceptions to this rule are figs and kiwis, which are quite at home in your crisper drawer.

Over time, some fruits and vegetables develop a ripening gas called ethylene. This causes other fruit and vegetables nearby to age and spoil more quickly. The highest ethylene producers include apples, apricots, plums and tomatoes. For this reason, it’s best to keep them separate.

Dairy products

Yoghurt, butter and milk: How to keep dairy products fresh

Yoghurt, milk and butter should make their way from the supermarket to your fridge at home as soon as possible. Ideally, you should keep them well sealed and in their original packaging: Put butter on the top shelf of the fridge door, and keep yoghurt and milk in the middle of the fridge.

UHT milk only needs to go in the fridge once opened; it can keep at room temperature for several weeks beforehand. You should consume raw milk straight from the farm within 2 to 3 days at most. Pasteurised fresh milk often stays fresh for up to a week when kept sealed and for 2 to 3 days when opened. Due to its high fat content, you can freeze butter before defrosting it in the fridge door when you need it.

Cheese

Cheese is best stored well-ventilated and moist, but cream cheese likes it cool

With the exception of cream cheese, all types of cheese need to be able to breathe and so shouldn’t be kept in an airtight container. It’s best to keep pre-packaged cheese in its original packaging, in special cheese paper or sandwich paper, or in cheese preservers. This stops them from passing on their aroma and prevents edible mould from forming on hard cheese. Another option is cling film, but you should never use airtight plastic containers. Cheese is happiest on the middle shelf of the fridge. Cream cheese, however, should be stored in a much cooler area – on the bottom shelf of the fridge. Wedges of cheese can last up to three weeks in the fridge. Packaged sliced cheese and cream cheese soon dry out once opened and lose their flavour, so it’s best to eat them within a week of opening.

Pasta

The best way to store pasta, spaetzle and gnocchi

You can store dried pasta for up to a year. It’s important to store it at room temperature and keep it dry and well sealed. Why? Well, like other dried goods – such as flour, muesli and tea – dried pasta is particularly susceptible to pests, such as food moths.

Fresh dough-based products like pasta, spaetzle and gnocchi are extremely susceptible to germs. When well chilled, they will keep in the fridge for three or four days. Proper food preparation is a key factor in ensuring that food stays fresh for as long as possible. Simply make sure to cook pasta only until it is al dente – firm to the bite. Spätzle and gnocchi are ready as soon as they start to float to the surface. You can keep leftover pasta on the top shelf of the fridge, where it will stay fresh for one or two days. It’s best to keep cooked pasta in sealed containers so that it doesn’t become hard.

Meat

Things to remember when storing meat

Meat, poultry and sausages are foods that spoil very quickly. If at all possible, you should avoid breaking the cold chain or only do so for a very short time. The best way is to take a cool bag with you to the supermarket. At home, place meat on the bottom shelf of the fridge straight away, as this is the coolest part of the fridge.

If you buy meat in plastic packaging, you should replace this before putting it in the fridge. Remove the meat from the packaging, dab it dry with kitchen paper, wrap it in baking paper and place it in an airtight container to protect against germs. Beef can be stored for 3 to 4 days; veal and pork will keep for 2 to 3 days, but poultry only stays fresh for 1 or 2 days. Take care when it comes to minced meats – if possible, you should eat these on the day you buy them. Always defrost frozen meat in the fridge and remember that this can produce defrost water.

Fish

The best way to store fish

Fish is even more perishable than meat. As a result, it’s best to eat fish straight after you buy it. If you buy fresh fish from the fish counter, don’t leave it in its packaging: store it in a glass or porcelain container, cover it with cling film and ice, and store it in the fridge for 1 day at most.

Store pre-packaged fish from the deep-frozen section in your freezer and keep an eye on the best-before date! The smoking process helps smoked fish stay fresh for longer. You can keep this in your fridge, covered in cling film, for up to around 3 days. Always defrost frozen fish in the fridge and remember that this can produce defrost water.

Little hint: You don’t need to throw away food past its best-before date

Most food has a best-before date (BBD) on its packaging. However, food doesn’t automatically go bad just because this date has passed. This is the date until which the manufacturer guarantees typical product characteristics, such as taste, aroma, consistency and colour.
It’s important to distinguish between the best-before date and the use-by date for perishable foods such as raw fish, mince and fresh poultry. You should not eat products after their use-by date and should throw them away instead.
Take a look, have a taste, smell food for yourself: trust your senses! It’s often easy to tell whether food is still good enough to eat once its BBD has passed.

Did you know?

None of us would ever plan to throw away one-third of the food we buy. However, the statistics show that this is precisely the amount that ends up in the bin, unused. According to estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO), this corresponds to 1.3 billion tonnes of discarded food globally each year. This is an inconceivable waste of food when you consider that there are 690 million people around the world who are starving.

Braun stands for durable products and sustainable design. We believe that, in the struggle to protect the environment and maintain our quality of life, both today and in the future, every action counts – no matter how small.

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