subject: Keeping Your Cupboards Full And Safe [print this page] Your food pantry may be full of foods that your family will never eat or even foods that have expired. To make sure that you are adequately utilizing all of the space in your food storage unit you have to make sure that there is a sense of organization.
First, you should make sure that you are not storing anything that has surpassed its expiration date. When a food has passed its expiration date you should not be eating it so there is no point in having it in your cupboards.
If the food starts to rot it can also compromise the quality of the food around it if it is rotting. You have to make sure that you are taking the time to take out any food that has passed its expiration date.
One great way to ensure that this is happening is to write the expiration date on the food. You can do this by taking a black permanent marker and clearly writing the expiration date in large letters on the front of the item.
This way, when you are in the cupboard you will be able to notice any of the food that has passed its expiration date. When you notice that the big black date has passed promptly take the food and put it in the garbage can.
If you have a composite pile you may be able to add your food to that pile, if not you should simply throw it away. Some people believe that the expiration date is not something that needs to be followed.
When you are taking the time to follow the expiration date you will be avoiding possible sickness. You do not want to feed your family food that could potentially harm them and make them sick.
Another great way to make sure that your food does not expire is to only fill in food from the back of the pantry. This means that you should not go shopping and put all of your new purchases in the front of the shelf.
Instead, you should make sure that you are putting the new items in the very back of the shelf. As you are restocking the items you should take a glance at the expiration date of the food that is in the front of the cupboard.
When you find food that is bad, you have to make sure that you throw it away right then. It is easy to think that you will take care of it later and then eventually forget that it has expired and find out later when you are trying to eat the food.
When you are trying to make the food in your cupboard last, you will want to buy foods that are designed to last. There are a lot of different products out there that have been made for the sole purpose of lasting a long time.
As you are taking the time to shop for these items, you want to make sure that you understand what you are shopping for. Freezer dried foods are a great way to ensure that the food in your cupboard will last a long time.
You do not want to buy everything for your family in this form. There is something to be said for having fresh fruits and vegetables available to your family to eat on a daily basis to stay healthy.
When you start to buy freeze dried foods you have to make sure that the food is good quality. You do not want to be putting chemicals into your body and into the body of your children without knowing what they are.
Take the time to research what goes into freeze-dried foods before you purchase them. You will feel much better about your purchases if you know what you are buying and what you are feeding your family.
Freeze dried food is a great way to make sure that you are getting a good shelf life out of your food. The more time that you are able to keep your food safe to eat the easier it will be to keep your food storage unit up to par.
Being the person that buys the food and keeps the food in the cupboards can be very stressful. When you are planning to take this responsibility on you have to make sure that you understand what this will entail.
With some careful planning and dedication you can make sure that your family is eating well and that your cupboards are full.
