I Didn't Know That - Storing Beans and Grains

I keep a lot of rice and beans on hand in my pantry but I've never been quite sure how long they will keep.  I know that most have a sell by date but that doesn't mean they have to be eaten by that date so again I went searching for answers.

Dry beans are easy to keep and can be stored at room temperature up to 1 year or even longer in the freezer.  Whole grains have a shorter storage life because they contain an oil-rich germ that can become rancid.  Whole grains should always be purchased in smaller quantities and kept in tightly covered containers.

Here are a few guidelines for grains:

Pearl and Scotch barley can be stored up to 1 year in a cool, dry place (other forms of barley up to 9 months).
Buckwheat kept in a cool, dry place can be stored up to 3 months.  In the refrigerator 6 months and in the freezer for 1 year.
Bulgur stores up to 6 months in a cool, dry place or indefinitely in the freezer.
Cornmeal can store up to 6 months in a cool, dry place or up to 1 year in the refrigerator or freezer.
Oats should be stored in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months or in the freezer for a year.
Rye Berries will keep up to 5 months in the refrigerator or freezer.
White and Wild Rice stores indefinitely in a cool, dry place.  But Brown Rice will only store up to 6 months under the same conditions.
Whole or Cracked Wheat can be kept up to 6 months in a cool, dry place or up to 1 year in the freezer.
Wheat Bran will store up to 1 month in a cool, dry place, up to 3 months in the refrigerator or up to 1 year in the freezer.  But Wheat Germ will only store up to 3 months in the refrigerator.

I sometimes buy bulk at my nearby health food store and in doing so I usually pay just a bit more because what I'm buying is organic and fresh.  The information above has helped me save money by knowing how to store my rice, beans and grains properly.

Storing Fruits and Vegetables Part 2

REFRIGERATE THESE GAS RELEASERS:

Apples
Apricots
Canteloupe
Figs
Honeydew

For produce that is best stored in the refrigerator, remember the following guidelines.

Keep produce in perforated plastic bags in the produce drawer of the refrigerator. (To perforate bags, punch holes in the bag with a sharp object, spacing them about as far apart as the holes you see in supermarket apple bags.)

Keep fruits and vegetables separate, in different drawers, because ethylene can build up in the fridge, causing spoilage.

When storing herbs (and interestingly, asparagus, too), snip off the ends, store upright in a glass of water (like flowers in a vase) and cover with a plastic bag.

“The main way to lengthen shelf life is by using cold temperatures to slow food’s respiration, or ‘breathing’ process,” explains Marita Cantwell, PhD, a postharvest specialist at the University of California, Davis. In general, the warmer the temperature, the faster the rate of respiration, which is why refrigeration is critical for most produce. But while you want to slow it down, you don’t want to stop the breathing altogether. “The worst thing to do is seal fruits and vegetables in an airtight bag,” says Barry Swanson, a food scientist at Washington State University. “You’ll suffocate them and speed up decay.”

Some fruits emit ethylene, an odorless, colorless gas that speeds ripening and can lead to the premature decay of nearby ethylene-sensitive vegetables. Put spinach or kale in the same bin as peaches or apples, and the greens will turn yellow and limp in just a couple of days. So the first trick is to separate produce that emits ethylene from produce that’s sensitive to it.

Storing Fruits and Vegetables Part 1

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, Americans throw away about 31.6 million tons of food every year!  A University of Arizona study found that the average family throws away 1.28 pounds of food every day.  That is a total of 470 pounds a year!  And that comes to about $600 each year.  I don't know about you but that is a lot of wasted food and a lot of wasted money. 

After reading these numbers I decided to go in search of ways to conserve my foods and money and quit throwing so much away.  I've looked at many articles and finally found a way to compile them in a way that will help us all.  Since the information is so lengthy I'm breaking it down into parts.

If your produce rots after just a few days, you might be storing incompatible fruits and veggies together. Those that give off high levels of ethylene gas——a ripening agent——will speed the decay of ethylene-sensitive foods. Keep the two separate. Use trapped ethylene to your advantage: To speed-ripen a peach, put it in a closed paper bag with a ripe banana. One bad apple really can spoil the whole bunch. Mold proliferates rapidly and contaminates everything nearby, so toss any spoiled produce immediately. For longer life, keep your produce whole——don’t even rip the stem out of an apple until you eat it. “As soon as you start pulling fruits and vegetables apart,” says Barry Swanson, a food scientist at Washington State University, “you’ve broken cells, and microorganisms start to grow.”

 These are some of the produce items called 'Gas Releasers' and should be stored on the counter:

• Avocados
• Bananas, unripe
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears
• Plums
• Tomatoes

Cold-sensitive fruits and veggies lose flavor and moisture at low temperatures. Store them on the counter, not in the fridge. Once they’re fully ripe, you can refrigerate them to help them last, but for best flavor, return them to room temp. Never refrigerate potatoes, onions, winter squash or garlic. Keep them in a cool, dark, dry cabinet, and they can last up to a month or more. But separate them so their flavors and smells don’t migrate.