Proper food storage is crucial for maintaining a healthy diet for your family. Consuming spoiled food can lead to illness. Therefore, every homemaker should ensure that their home has the right conditions for food storage and know how to preserve food effectively.
Food storage conditions vary. Meat, fish, and dairy products should be kept cold—in the freezer, refrigerator, or cellar. The ideal air temperatures for storing food are as follows: for meat, between 36°F and 39°F (2°C to 4°C); for fresh fish, between 32°F and 36°F (0°C to 2°C); and for milk and dairy products, between 39°F and 43°F (4°C to 6°C).
Storing Food on Ice. When storing food on ice, it is important not to place it directly on the ice; instead, use clean cheesecloth underneath.
Storing Food in Refrigerators. For perishable items, the industry produces refrigerators equipped with automatic temperature regulators. The temperature on the middle shelf should not exceed 37°F (3°C) when the outside temperature is between 39°F and 68°F (4°C to 20°C). When using electric refrigerators, follow these guidelines:
a) Do not place hot food or drinks in the refrigerator; allow them to cool to room temperature first.
b) Strong-smelling foods should be stored in tightly sealed containers to prevent their odors from permeating other items in the fridge.
c) Do not line the shelves with paper, as it can obstruct proper air circulation.
d) Minimize heat influx into the refrigerator by opening the door as infrequently as possible.
e) When the frost on the evaporator exceeds 0.2 inches (5 mm), adjust the thermostat to the “Thaw” setting; ensure the drip tray is positioned correctly to catch melting water and prevent it from spilling onto food; do not scrape ice off the evaporator.
f) Clean greasy spots and dirt with soapy water, then dry with a soft cloth; chrome parts should be wiped with a clean, soft cloth.
Storing Meat Without Ice. Meat can be stored for a limited time without ice. Various methods can be used at home to limit air exposure to the meat. One method involves pouring milk over the meat, covering it with a clean towel, and placing it in a cool spot. The milk will curdle quickly, sealing the meat and preventing air from reaching it. Additionally, the acid in the milk creates an unfavorable environment for bacteria that cause spoilage. Under these conditions, meat can remain fresh for up to a week. Before cooking, it should be thoroughly washed and dried with a towel.
Another method for storing meat involves placing it in a deep enamel pot or clay jar and covering it with boiling water. The boiling water will whiten the meat, cooking the outer layer of protein and preventing air access. Top the meat with melted lard to further block air exposure. To prevent spoilage, you can also sprinkle grated horseradish over the meat.
Preventing Meat Spoilage from Flies. In summer, flies can spoil meat by laying eggs in it. To prevent this, store the meat in a cold place wrapped in a cloth soaked in strong brine. To protect ham from flies, rub the side without the skin and the area around the bone with finely ground pepper. Ham can also be stored in a liquid bag filled with clean hay. Place the ham inside so that the hay surrounds it completely. Tie the bag and hang it in a dry place.
Eliminating Unpleasant Odors from Meat. Often, due to improper storage, especially in summer, meat can develop an unpleasant odor, even if it is still safe to eat. To eliminate this odor, add a few pieces of charcoal to the water used for boiling the meat. This method can also be used to remove unpleasant smells from fish and cabbage.
Restoring Ham’s Juiciness. With prolonged and improper storage, ham can lose its juiciness. To restore it, cut off the necessary pieces from the bone and soak them in milk. After some time, the meat will regain its vibrant color, become tender, and lose excess saltiness.
Storing Fish Without Ice. To keep fresh fish for a longer period, gut it, remove the gills, and dry the cavity thoroughly. Ensure there are no traces of blood or slime left. Then, line the cavity with absorbent paper soaked in salt and dried. After this, wrap each fish in a dry, clean piece of cotton cloth. Fish can also be well-preserved in peat powder.
Storing Eggs. Eggs spoil quickly due to decay-causing microbes that penetrate through the shell’s pores. To preserve eggs, it is essential to limit air access. This can be achieved in several ways:
a) Wash the eggs, dry them, coat them with clean petroleum jelly, and wrap them in paper; place the eggs in a container with the pointed end down.
b) Select fresh eggs, place them pointed end down in a clay pot, cover them with a 10% lime solution so that the lime covers the eggs, and store them in a dry, cool place.
c) Place eggs in a box filled with ash or oven-dried sand and store them in a dry place.
d) Fresh eggs can be submerged in a salicylic acid solution for 20 minutes, removed, dried on a sieve, and placed in a box; to prepare the solution, mix 3 cups of water with 2 teaspoons of salicylic acid; this solution can be reused several times.
e) Eggs can be briefly dipped in boiling water for 5 seconds in a wire basket or colander; a thin film of protein forms under the shell, preserving the eggs for up to 6 months.
Short-Term Storage of Butter Without Ice. There are several methods to prevent butter from spoiling:
a) Wash the butter thoroughly, pack it tightly into a jar, and cover it with cold salted water, changing the water daily.
b) Wash the butter well, knead it, salt it, and pack it tightly into a clay pot.
c) Pack the butter tightly into a stone container, place it in a larger pot of boiling water, bring the water to a boil, then remove the pot from heat; when the water cools, remove the butter container and wrap it in parchment paper.
d) Place the butter container in another vessel of water that is lower than the first; cover the butter with a wet cloth so that the edges are submerged in water; as the water evaporates, it maintains a low temperature in the butter container, preventing spoilage.
Correcting Rancid Butter. The bitterness of rancid butter can be eliminated in several ways:
a) Rancid butter can be washed first in a solution (1 teaspoon per cup of water) and then several times in clean water, salted, and dried with a cloth.
b) Rancid butter can be whipped, as usual, with fresh milk (6 cups of milk for 3.3 lbs of butter); initially, the butter will break apart, but then it will come back together; drain the milk and wash the butter in clean water.
c) Pour boiling water over the butter, mix well, let it cool, remove it, wash it, and salt it.
Storing Oil. Oil spoils relatively quickly and can become rancid when exposed to air. To prevent this, add a little vodka to the bottle of oil and seal it tightly; vodka does not mix with oil and isolates it from the air.
Correcting Bitter Oil. To correct bitter oil, add a pinch of burnt magnesium to the bottle, shake well, and let it settle; the magnesium will gradually settle to the bottom, and the oil will become clear and lose its bitterness.
Storing Milk, Cream, and Sour Cream. To prevent dairy products from souring, pour them into a glass container and place it in another vessel filled with cold water. Then, cover the container with a wet cloth, ensuring the ends are submerged in water. As the water evaporates, it cools the dairy products and prevents souring. To protect dairy products from sunlight, which accelerates souring, use orange-colored containers. Souring can also be delayed by placing a horseradish leaf in the milk.
Storing Cheese. Use a well-evaporated tub or a clean, glazed clay pot, sprinkle a layer of fine dry salt on the bottom, and then place the cheese in tightly, ensuring no empty spaces remain. Cover it with a thick, clean cloth soaked in strong brine. Place a clean circle on top and weigh it down with a small stone. Every three days, remove the cloth, wipe the edges of the container, rinse the circle and stone with boiling water. The cloth should be washed in boiling water without soap, wrung out, re-soaked in brine, and used to cover the cheese again.
Another method for storing cheese involves pouring melted butter over the cheese, as butter does not spoil and can be used in cooking. This is the most reliable method for storing cheese.
Storing Flour. Wheat and rye flour should not be packed into bags and kept in one position for long periods. Flour should be transferred to another bag from time to time.
Storing Bread to Prevent Drying. To keep bread from drying out, store it in a metal container with a tight lid. Stale bread can be softened by placing it in a metal container, sealing it tightly, and then placing that container in another vessel filled with hot water, covering it with a thick cloth. When the water cools, the bread will be soft.
Storing Vegetables in Winter. To have fresh vegetables in winter, maintain appropriate temperatures in the storage areas (cellars, basements). These areas should not be too humid. If there is a risk of vegetables freezing due to severe frost, the storage areas should be heated. For this, place hot coals in a large cast-iron pot and set it on the floor. This warmth is sufficient to prevent the vegetables from freezing.
Storing Fresh Cabbage. Select the firmest heads of cabbage, pulled with roots before frost, trim the outer green leaves, tie two heads together by the roots, and hang them in the cellar on a pole or lay them in a single row on shelves. The temperature for storing cabbage should be between 30°F and 34°F (-1°C to 1°C).
Storing Potatoes. Potatoes should be stored in cellars at a temperature of 39°F (4°C). Before placing them in storage, they should be thoroughly sorted and dried. Potatoes can also be stored in pits. A shallow pit dug in a high, sandy, dry area should be lined with boards, and a ventilation shaft made of boards should be inserted to the bottom. The pit should be covered with boards, a layer of dry soil (up to 16 inches or 40 cm) placed on top, followed by fresh manure and another layer of soil. Ditches should be dug around the pit to drain water. Under these conditions, potatoes can be stored until spring.
Storing Root Vegetables. Beets are stored similarly to potatoes in storage areas. Carrots and parsley should be arranged in rows (with the tops facing out) and covered with a layer of sand, followed by another row of vegetables and another layer of sand. The vegetables should be placed so that they do not touch each other. The height of the stack should be up to 39 inches (1 meter). The temperature of the storage area should be between 32°F and 36°F (0°C to 2°C).
Storing Onions. Bulb onions should be stored in dry cellars at temperatures between 30°F and 68°F (-1°C to 20°C). In the storage area, shelves made of slats should be constructed, and onions should be piled in layers 14 to 20 inches (35-50 cm) deep. Before storing, the onions should be trimmed, separating the dry stems, sorted, and thoroughly dried. The storage area should be well-ventilated.
Storing Dill and Parsley Greens. Chop dill or parsley finely, mix well with salt (250 g of salt per 1 kg of greens), pack tightly into a glass jar, sprinkle a 0.2-inch (0.5 cm) layer of salt on top, cover with paper, tie with string, and place in a cool place.
Storing Watermelons. Watermelons can be stored in storage areas covered with rye. Additionally, under-ripe watermelons can be dried in the sun, wrapped in a thick sheet, and hung in a dry, cool cellar. Older watermelons can be wrapped in tow, coated with clay, and stored in a dry, cool cellar.
Storing Tomatoes. For long-term storage, select slightly green tomatoes. Layer them in boxes, sprinkling with birch, aspen sawdust, or peat, and place them in a dark room at a temperature of 50°F to 54°F (10°C to 12°C). Periodically check the tomatoes and remove any ripe or spoiled ones. Ripe tomatoes should be stored in boxes, sprinkled with peat or birch sawdust, at temperatures between 32°F and 36°F (0°C to 2°C).
Storing Pickled Vegetables. If not cared for properly, pickled vegetables prepared for winter can spoil. To avoid this, cover the brine in barrels with a clean cloth, a circle, and a weight; periodically wash the edges of the barrel with hot water; occasionally clean the weights and circles (stones); use a spoon instead of hands to handle cabbage, cucumbers, and apples; vegetables should always be submerged in brine by 1-2 inches (3-4 cm) and stored in a cool place, but not frozen.
Storing Sauerkraut. Periodically sprinkle sauerkraut with a tablespoon of sugar, which, under the action of microorganisms, turns into vinegar, preserving the cabbage from spoilage.
Combatting Mold on Pickles. Take 40 g of black mustard seeds, tie them in a cloth bag, and submerge them in the barrel with the cucumbers.
Storing Fresh Fruits and Berries. To store fruits and berries fresh, select healthy, undamaged specimens without spots or wormholes. It is best to pick fruits directly from the tree. The storage area should be clean, with a constant temperature close to freezing.
Storing Apples and Pears. Winter varieties store best. Wipe the fruits dry, wrap them in paper, and place them in boxes. First, line the bottom of the box with paper, add a layer of soft wood shavings, and then arrange the fruits in rows. The first layer of fruits should be covered with a sheet of paper, followed by shavings, and then a second layer of fruits wrapped in paper, and so on. Use shavings from deciduous trees (aspen, linden, birch), as shavings from coniferous trees can impart a resinous odor to the fruits. Instead of shavings, you can use peat dust, but not straw, as it quickly absorbs moisture, rots, and imparts a rotten smell to the fruits. Store the fruits at temperatures between 31°F and 33°F (-0.5°C to +0.5°C).
Storing Plums. Plums should be carefully picked from the tree in clear weather, leaving the stems intact and avoiding contact with bare hands. Then, tie them in pairs and hang them in a cool place so they do not touch each other. This way, plums can be stored until spring. Plums can also be stored in pots, layered with sand. Cover the pot and bury it in the ground in the cellar.
Plums can also be stored this way: cleaned, pitted plums are placed in wide-mouthed bottles, sealed with corks, and wrapped in hay (or cloth), then placed in a large pot of water so that the necks of the bottles stick out of the water. The pot is placed on the stove, and once the water boils, it is removed from the heat, cooled, and the bottles are carefully taken out. The corks are sealed with resin and stored in a cool place. It is advisable to place the bottles neck down for a few days so that the cork absorbs the juice, which, after drying, forms an impermeable film.
Storing Cherries and Gooseberries. Cherries and gooseberries are stored in the same way as plums.
Storing Grapes. There are several methods for storing grapes:
a) Cut grape clusters can be hung on a pole in the cellar or basement; the storage temperature should be between 31°F and 33°F (-0.5°C to +0.5°C); periodically remove any berries that begin to rot.
b) Unripe grapes can be placed in large stone pots; each layer should be sprinkled with sawdust, millet, or peat powder; cover the pots with lids, seal them tightly, and store them in a cool place.
c) Grapes can be placed in boxes, sprinkled with sawdust or peat powder, and stored at temperatures between 31°F and 33°F (-0.5°C to +0.5°C).
Storing Jam. To prevent jam from molding during storage, cover it with a thin layer of wax (melt the wax and pour it over the surface of the jam). Then cover the jar with paper and tie it up.