Wise Storing
All meat should be promptly refrigerated.
The transparent wrap on prepackaged meat, poultry, or fish is designed for refrigerator storage at home for 1 or 2 days.
Meat or poultry wrapped in meat paper when brought from the store—or prepackaged roasts and steaks that may be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days—should be unwrapped, placed on a platter or tray, and loosely covered before refrigerating. Wrap and store fish separately from other foods. Poultry giblets should also be wrapped and stored separately.
Keep cooked meat, poultry, and fish, and the gravy or broth made from them, in covered containers in the refrigerator. Use within 1 or 2 days.
Cured and smoked meats.—ham, frankfurters, bacon, sausage—can be stored in their original containers in the refrigerator. Mild-cured hams are similar to fresh meats in keeping quality. Use whole hams within a week, half hams and slices within 3 to 5 days. For best flavor, use bacon, franks, and smoked sausages within a week.
To help maintain quality, store eggs in the refrigerator promptly after purchase—large end up.
For best flavor and cooking quality, use eggs within 1 week if possible. Eggs held in the refrigerator for a long time may develop off-flavors and lose some thickening and leavening power.
Cover leftover yolks with cold water and refrigerate in a tightly covered container. Refrigerate leftover egg whites, too, in a tightly covered container. Use leftover yolks or whites within 1 or 2 days.
Fresh fruits should be ripe when stored in the refrigerator. Some unripe fruits will ripen if left for a time at room temperature—preferably in a cool room between 60° and 70° F.
Keep bananas at room temperature. They will turn dull brown if refrigerated. Sort berries and cherries; then refrigerate, unwashed. Use promptly. Refrigerate ripe pineapples.
Sweet corn keeps best if refrigerated uncovered in husks; use it promptly. Removing tops from carrots, beets, and radishes reduces wilting. Storing potatoes in a cool, dark place prevents greening.
STORAGE GUIDE FOR FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.
Hold at room temperature until ripe; then refrigerate, uncovered:
ApplesApricotsAvocadosBerriesCherriesGrapesMelons, except watermelonsNectarinesPeachesPearsPlumsTomatoes
Store in cool room or refrigerate, uncovered:
GrapefruitLemonsLimesOranges
Store in cool room, away from bright light:
Onions, maturePotatoesRutabagasSquash, winterSweetpotatoes
Refrigerate, covered:
AsparagusBeans, snap or waxBeetsBroccoliCabbageCarrotsCauliflowerCeleryCorn, huskedCucumbersGreensOnions, greenParsnipsPeas, shelledPeppers, greenRadishesSquash, summerTurnips
Refrigerate, uncovered:
Beans, lima, in podsCorn, in husksPeas, in podsPineapplesWatermelons
Refrigerate lard, butter, margarine, drippings, and opened containers of cooking and salad oils. You can store most firm vegetable shortenings (those that have been hydrogenated), covered, at room temperature. Refrigerate opened jars of salad dressing; do not freeze.
Canned foods.—Store in a dry place at room temperature (not above 70° F.).
Frozen foods.—Can be stored in freezing unit of refrigerator up to 1 week. For longer storage, keep in a freezer at 0° F.
Dried foods.—Storedried fruitsin tightly closed containers at room temperature (not above 70° F.). In warm, humid weather, refrigerate.
Storenonfat dry milkin a closed container at a temperature of 75° F., or lower. Because of its higher milkfat content,dry whole milkdoes not keep as well as nonfat dry milk. Keep dry whole milk in a tightly closed container in the refrigerator. Refrigeratereconstituted dry milkas you would fresh fluid milk.