Skip to Content

Proper Food Storage Tips From Our Kitchen To Yours

By
sourdough bread  delishcom
Parker Feierbach

At the Delish Test Kitchen we go through a lot of groceries. Because of this, we've learned some very important tricks to keep our produce tasting (and looking) its best. And, perhaps most importantly, to keep food waste to a minimum. Here are our best tips we practice both in the test kitchen and in our home kitchens.

Freeze Flour and Nut Flour

 
Yulia Naumenko//Getty Images

Store your flours and nut flours in the freezer to keep them fresher for longer. For baked goods you’ll want to bring your flour to room temperature before you get started on a recipe. Measure the amount you’ll need and set it out at room temperature with your butter and eggs.

Store Carrots In A Jar Of Water

Mason jar, Preserved food, Canning, Food, Pickling, Vegetable, Cucumis, Carrot, Cuisine, Ingredient,
SusanHSmith//Getty Images

To keep carrots fresher for longer, submerge them in a jar of water and store in the fridge. They'll stay crisper for longer.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Add A Paper Towel To Your Lettuce

 
capecodphoto//Getty Images

Wash and thoroughly dry your lettuce then add a dry paper towel to your container. This will draw out moisture and keep your lettuce fresher for days longer. Replace the paper towels as it dampens!

Freeze (Don't Fridge!) Sliced Bread

sourdough bread   delishcom
Parker Feierbach

Storing bread at room temperature means it will likely go stale (or grow mold) before you can eat all of it. Despite popular belief, refrigerating the bread causes it to go stale even faster. If you freeze the bread whole, it'll take forever to thaw. Frozen slices mean that you only need to thaw what you need. Rewarm them in the oven at 350° or in a toaster.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Store Basil At Room Temp With Stems In Water

 
Silke Enkelmann / EyeEm//Getty Images

This keeps them the freshest longest and helps them from turning brown. Plus, it's a pretty arrangement for your kitchen counter.

Store Tomatoes At Room Temp

Taco Tomatoes - Delish.com
Ethan Calabrese

Tomatoes have a much fresher and stronger taste when stored at room temperature versus the fridge. When they're refrigerated, they turn mealy and bland.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Wrap Banana Stems In Plastic Wrap

 
LeventKonuk//Getty Images

Separate your bananas and wrap each stem in plastic wrap. This will help contain the ethylene gas which ripens the bananas. Never refrigerate bananas! Of course, once the bananas do brown, they make the perfect banana bread.

Wrap Your Cheese In Wax Paper Or Beeswax

Cheese, Food, Dairy, Ingredient, Cuisine, Processed cheese, Cheddar cheese, American cheese,
Parker Feierbach

After opening cheeses it's best to wrap them in wax paper or beeswax paper. This best resembles the rind and will keep them from molding. Plastic wrap works too but can in some cases impart an unpleasant flavor onto the cheese.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Store Fruits and Vegetable Separate From Each Other

 
Westend61//Getty Images

Storing fruits and vegetables together causes them to go bad faster. Store them in separated drawers in the refrigerator. Or, if the produce does better at room temperature, store the vegetables and fruit in separate bowls on the counter.

Store Fresh Herbs In Damp Paper Towels

 
istetiana//Getty Images

When you buy herbs, first rinse them of excess dirt, then loosely wrap them in a damp paper towel before storing in the fridge. This will keep them hydrated and fresh for longer.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Store Apples In The Refrigerator

 
Kampon Warit / EyeEm//Getty Images

Apples will keep much longer in the fridge than on the counter. Plus, cold apples are crisper and taste less mealy.

Watch Next 
preview for Watch Our Newest Videos
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below