Storing food items in a refrigerator is a common practice but not many people have an idea about how long various items, especially meat, would remain safe to consume when stored. A YouTube channel named ‘Mum’s Daily Tricks’ recently shared interesting tips in this regard.
Here's how to store meat
The video says chicken and other poultry meat can be stored only for a couple of days in the fridge when the temperature is maintained at four degrees Centigrade. However, at minus-17 degrees Centigrade in the freezer, chicken could be safely stored for up to a year, according to the video. (If you are planning to try it out, take expert opinions from food safety professionals as well). The duration of storage for beef, mutton and pork is apparently five days in the fridge and four to 12 months in the freezer.
Meanwhile, cooked meat could be safely refrigerated only for four days. At the same time, items such as chicken keema and beef keema will remain safe only for two days in the refrigerator. But they will not be spoiled for up to four months if stored in the freezer. Meanwhile, health experts advise strongly against storing meat and meat dishes in the fridge for many days as they could turn harmful, leading to health issues on consumption.
Cut and clean vegetables before storing
Similar to meat, vegetables also decay quickly if not stored properly in the fridge. The ideal method to preserve vegetables is to clean and cut them before keeping them in the fridge. This will also help you to use the vegetables directly while cooking. Vegetables such as beans, ladies' fingers, long beans and pumpkin will remain fresh for several days in the refrigerator. The method to store beans is as follows:
Clean and slice beans in the size needed to prepare fried rice or ‘thoran’.
Boil water in a pan and switch off the flame
Add the sliced beans to the hot water.
After a minute, transfer the beans to another vessel containing cold water
Take out the beans from the water after five minutes and spread it on a dry cloth.
When the vegetable has dried, transfer it to a ziplock cover and store it in the freezer
The beans will be safe to eat for two months
What fruits to avoid storing in the fridge
Fruits also could be stored for many days in the fridge. However, do not keep bananas in as their skin would turn black in colour in the cold temperature. Also, void storing apples in the fridge. Most fruits are available in plenty during their season. When the mango season arrives, the ripe fruit can be cleaned thoroughly, sliced and stored in a bag or container in the freezer. Juice or smoothies could be prepared later with these pieces.