« Visual Cues | Main | Teen Tactics »
April 06, 2005
A View From the Fridge
WHAT do you do when your refrigerator and freezer are so jam-packed with aging foods that trying to find a bite to eat is like going on an archaeological dig? You can break out the Hefty bags and toss everything out. But if you're still looking forward to thawing and reheating last month's leftovers from Schiller's Liquor Bar, read on.
True or false: Foods can last forever in the freezer.
True. That 18-year-old slice of wedding cake may look the same as when you fit into your wedding suit, but it won't quite taste the same. Even though frozen foods are safe forever, the enzymes present in animal foods, vegetables and fruits make their quality deteriorate. Freezing slows, but does not stop, the enzyme activity.
Food in the freezer has a "quality" shelf life, which varies depending on the food. For instance, hamburger has a freezer shelf life of three to four months. And any food you freeze needs to be wrapped in heavy-duty aluminum foil, plastic wrap or an airtight freezer bag.
Here are a few examples of recommended storage durations: whole chicken or turkey, one year; TV dinners/frozen casseroles, three to four months; leftover fried chicken, four months. For more storage dates, go to fightbac.org/doubt.cfm.
True or false: A doggie bag from my favorite restaurant will last at least a week if the fridge is cold enough.
False. Takeout food, doggie bags and leftovers should be refrigerated within about two hours and eaten within two to three days, according to Rutgers professor and food-science specialist Donald W. Schaffner.
Many times, the quality and feel of the food in the mouth break down, says Meredith H. Luce, a clinical dietitian at Florida Hospital in Orlando. She advises keeping leftovers in airtight containers, not in aluminum foil — it just doesn't do the job. "Air is your enemy for preserving the taste and quality of food," she adds.
And don't think that simply looking at or smelling food will tell you if it's safe. If you're not sure when you stuck it in the fridge, toss it.
True or false: Using the salad and/or meat drawer in the fridge preserves your food for months.
False. They do help extend the life of your food — just not for months.
"The salad and meat drawers provide air circulation and minimize drying, so they do increase shelf life and maintain the texture and appearance of the foods," says Purnendu C. Vasavada, a professor of food science and microbiology at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.
The key feature of a meat drawer is its temperature. "The colder you can keep your meat, the longer it will last," says Rutgers' Schaffner. And, "the two key features of a vegetable crisper are control of humidity and temperature."
Storing vegetables properly can increase their shelf life as much as 40 percent. However, if you put them in the drawer and forget about them — well, that defeats the entire purpose of storing vegetables in the drawer, adds dietician Luce.
From a food-safety perspective, limp or discolored vegetables, such as lettuce, are perfectly safe to eat, says Keith R. Schneider, a professor of food science at the University of Florida in Gainesville.
True or false: If cheese gets moldy, it's safe to take the mold off and eat the cheese.
True, but it depends on the kind of cheese. If mold forms on hard or firm cheese (e.g., cheddar, Parmesan), cut off the mold plus one inch of cheese around and below the mold, and be careful not to touch the mold with your knife. Then wrap the trimmed cheese in plastic wrap and refrigerate it, advises Luce, who also says that soft and semisoft cheeses like brie, feta or cottage cheese are a different story.
Mold spores spread more easily through soft foods, so if you see mold on a soft cheese (unless it's supposed to be there, as with blue cheese), throw it out. Also, discard moldy breads, jams, jellies, yogurts and sour cream.
True or false: Condiments like mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard and barbecue sauce can last almost forever in the fridge.
False — they'll last about six months, but will eventually spoil, either due to chemical changes or bacterial growth. But these bacteria aren't the ones that make us sick. "They just spoil the taste," Schaffner says.
"One of the reasons condiments last as long as they do is because they have an acidic environment (e.g., the vinegar in ketchup), and bacteria don't do well in that situation," says professor Schneider, who also reminds us that foods that are rancid are not necessarily dangerous — they just taste bad.
Posted by Lisa at April 6, 2005 09:07 AM
Trackback Pings
To send a trackback, use this url. If you know anything about this subject, please post a comment.