Más frescos y sabrosos durante más tiempo: cómo conservar los alimentos

Menos desperdicio de alimentos

Más frescos y sabrosos durante más tiempo: cómo conservar los alimentos

Una vez planificada la compra, dedicar el tiempo necesario a la conservación de los alimentos es decisivo para que se mantengan frescos. Clasificar la compra al llegar a casa te ayudará a mantener frescos durante más tiempo la fruta y la verdura, los productos lácteos, el pan, la pasta y la carne. Algunos alimentos necesitan ser refrigerados, mientras que otros sólo deben mantenerse a temperatura ambiente. Hemos recopilado algunos consejos sobre cuándo y cómo conservar los alimentos para que todo se mantenga fresco el mayor tiempo posible.

¿Por qué se estropea la comida exactamente?

Ya sea caliente o frío, húmedo o seco, no todos los alimentos soportan las mismas condiciones. Si se almacenan de forma incorrecta, los alimentos pierden su sabor y se estropean más rápidamente. Esto se debe a las influencias y cambios físicos, bioquímicos, químicos y microbianos a los que están expuestos los productos. Los alimentos también pueden resultar dañados por plagas y alimañas.

El deterioro microbiano está causado por bacterias, moho y levaduras. Hacen que los alimentos se pudran, fermenten o desarrollen moho y, a veces, desarrollan sustancias patógenas como resultado. Estos procesos y la duración de la conservación de los productos alimentarios dependen sobre todo de las condiciones físicas, como el calor, el frío y la humedad.

Además, las enzimas de los alimentos provocan cambios bioquímicos, como la descomposición de vitaminas, pigmentos y aromas. El enranciamiento de las grasas se debe al deterioro químico provocado por las reacciones químicas de los componentes de los alimentos. Los factores externos, como la luz y el aire, pueden acelerar este proceso.

Higiene, nevera y almacenamiento: todo empieza con la compra.

Antes de llegar a casa y empezar a guardar todo en el lugar adecuado, hay que asegurarse de que todo está adecuadamente higienizado y refrigerado, empezando por el supermercado. Puntos clave a tener en cuenta:

Comprueba que todos los envases están intactos.
Asegúrate de que los alimentos refrigerados se mantienen frescos, por ejemplo con bolsas refrigerantes reutilizables, para evitar que los gérmenes se multipliquen cuando los productos se calienten.
Poner los productos congelados y perecederos en el carrito sólo al final de la compra, justo antes de pasar por caja. En lo que respecta a la caja, los productos blandos y delicados, como los huevos, los plátanos y las uvas, deben ser los últimos en colocarse en la cinta transportadora. Así estarán en la parte superior de la bolsa y no serán aplastados por los artículos más pesados.
Al terminar la compra y antes de clasificarla en casa, asegúrate de lavarte bien las manos para evitar la propagación de bacterias y gérmenes.
Mantén limpias las zonas de almacenamiento, como las estanterías, las despensas y el frigorífico, y límpialas regularmente. Lo mejor es utilizar agua caliente con un poco de detergente. Añadir una pizca de esencia de vinagre puede evitar el moho.

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Congelación eficaz: Cómo conservar los alimentos en el congelador

Si quieres conservar los alimentos durante un tiempo especialmente largo, el congelador o el compartimento de congelación de tu nevera es la mejor opción. La baja temperatura y la escasa actividad del agua hacen que la reproducción de microorganismos se reduzca considerablemente o incluso se elimine. No obstante, asegúrate de limpiar, lavar y pelar las frutas y verduras antes de congelarlas. Lo ideal es envasar los alimentos de la forma más hermética posible y en pequeñas porciones. También conviene etiquetar las bolsas con su contenido y la fecha para no perder de vista nada. Sin embargo, ni siquiera los alimentos congelados pueden conservarse indefinidamente. La fruta y la verdura se conservan entre 11 y 15 meses, el pescado y las carnes grasas entre 6 y 9 meses, y la carne de vacuno y de ave entre 9 y 12 meses.

Congela primero, disfruta después

Convierte la fruta congelada en batidos deliciosos o smoothie-bowls. Nuestras ideas de recetas te cuentan cómo hacerlo.

Smoothie para llevar de arándanos rojos y bayas de goji con lima y aceite de coco

Receta

Bol de batido de bayas de acaí

Receta

Batido de frutos rojos y coco

Receta

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Enfriar correctamente: cómo conservar los alimentos en la nevera

La mayoría de los alimentos frescos deben ir directamente al frigorífico al llegar a casa. Una temperatura ambiente fresca de entre 4 y 8 °C dentro de los frigoríficos, ayuda a mantener frescos los alimentos perecederos durante mucho tiempo. Esto se debe a que la baja temperatura ralentiza el metabolismo celular de los alimentos, impide el crecimiento de microorganismos y frena el deterioro químico y enzimático. El principio "FiFo" (primero en entrar, primero en salir) puede ayudarte a controlar lo que está fresco y lo que no. En otras palabras: Ponga los alimentos nuevos al final, y los más viejos al principio.

Cómo ordenar correctamente el frigorífico

En nuestros consejos para el frigorífico te explicamos qué es lo que debe estar en cada lugar.

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Puerta de la nevera

Qué debe haber en la puerta de la nevera

La puerta del frigorífico es una de las zonas más cálidas del aparato. La temperatura aquí suele ser de entre 8 y 10 °C. Es adecuada para almacenar salsas preparadas, zumos, bebidas, aderezos, leche, mantequilla y huevos

Cajón de la nevera

Qué debe haber en el cajón de la nevera

La clave está en el nombre: el cajón de verduras mantiene los productos frescos crujientes. Los cajones de verduras están separados del resto del frigorífico, normalmente por un cristal, que mantiene la temperatura a unos 9 °C. Es perfecto para almacenar verduras, ensaladas y diversos tipos de fruta. Recuerda: Los productos sensibles al frío, como las frutas exóticas y las verduras con alto contenido en agua, no deben estar en el frigorífico.

Estante inferior

Qué debe haber en el estante inferior

La temperatura del estante inferior, justo por encima del cajón de las verduras, no es superior a 2 ó 3 °C. En este estante es conveniente guardar los alimentos fácilmente perecederos, como la carne, el pescado, las aves de corral y las ensaladas de delicatessen.

Middle shelf

What belongs on the middle shelf

The middle shelf is usually about 5 °C, making it ideal for dairy products like yoghurt, milk, quark and cream. It’s also the perfect place for cheese and sausages.

Top shelf

What belongs on the top shelf

The top shelf of a fridge is comparatively warm. The temperature here is usually between 8 and 10 °C. You can store butter and jams at this mild temperature. Leftover food you intend to eat soon can also be kept here, as this area is perfect for preserving flavour.

Storing foods at room temperature in the cupboard or pantry

Pasta, rice, canned goods and the like don’t benefit from being stored in the fridge. Instead, it’s fine to store them in a cupboard at an average of 15 to 20 °C. It’s important that food is not exposed to direct sunlight or warmth, e.g. by being kept near a hob or oven. High temperatures and moist air generated when cooking have a negative impact on the storage life of even long-life products. When tidying your cupboards or pantry, remember: put new products at the back and bring older food to the front so that it gets used first. Once you open a packet, seal it securely or transfer the contents to a sealed container. Just like when freezing food, make sure to label containers with dates – so you don’t forget what’s inside.

Storing products in the right place: What food belongs where

Whether warm or cold, moist or dry, not all foods like the same conditions. If stored incorrectly, food will lose its flavour and spoil more quickly. Let’s look at the best place to store different foods so that they stay fresh for longer.

Bread & baked goods

Keeping bread fresh for longer

Keeping bread fresh means preventing it from drying out, such as by storing it in a bread bin or a stoneware container with a lid. Many people store bread in plastic bags. The disadvantage of this is that fresh bread from the baker very quickly turns soft when stored in airtight packaging. For this reason, it’s best to keep crisp baked goods you plan to eat soon unsealed – such as in the bag they came in from the baker.

However, drying out isn’t the only way bread can spoil. If the surroundings are too moist and air cannot circulate, water can accumulate and cause mould to develop, particularly in the case of sliced bread. Any crumbs lying around in a bread bin can also lead to mould growing. Remove crumbs every few days and wipe down the container with some diluted vinegar. In warm, humid weather, you can even keep bread in the fridge if necessary. This protects against mould, especially in the case of white bread. If in doubt, you can always freeze bread and bread rolls before defrosting them at a later date, ideally at room temperature.

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Fruit & vegetables

Apples, carrots, salad etc.: What belongs in the fridge and what doesn’t

Almost all vegetables can be stored in the fridge. Aubergines, tomatoes, potatoes and pumpkins are the only ones you shouldn’t keep cold. Fruit is a little more complicated. Some types of fruit only stay fresh and retain their vitamins when chilled. Others, however, are very sensitive to the cold. As a rule of thumb, you should chill indigenous fruits like apples, cherries and plums. Exotic fruits like mangos, bananas and citrus fruits don’t belong in the fridge. Exceptions to this rule are figs and kiwis, which are quite at home in your crisper drawer.

Over time, some fruits and vegetables develop a ripening gas called ethylene. This causes other fruit and vegetables nearby to age and spoil more quickly. The highest ethylene producers include apples, apricots, plums and tomatoes. For this reason, it’s best to keep them separate.

Dairy products

Yoghurt, butter and milk: How to keep dairy products fresh

Yoghurt, milk and butter should make their way from the supermarket to your fridge at home as soon as possible. Ideally, you should keep them well sealed and in their original packaging: Put butter on the top shelf of the fridge door, and keep yoghurt and milk in the middle of the fridge.

UHT milk only needs to go in the fridge once opened; it can keep at room temperature for several weeks beforehand. You should consume raw milk straight from the farm within 2 to 3 days at most. Pasteurised fresh milk often stays fresh for up to a week when kept sealed and for 2 to 3 days when opened. Due to its high fat content, you can freeze butter before defrosting it in the fridge door when you need it.

Cheese

Cheese is best stored well-ventilated and moist, but cream cheese likes it cool

With the exception of cream cheese, all types of cheese need to be able to breathe and so shouldn’t be kept in an airtight container. It’s best to keep pre-packaged cheese in its original packaging, in special cheese paper or sandwich paper, or in cheese preservers. This stops them from passing on their aroma and prevents edible mould from forming on hard cheese. Another option is cling film, but you should never use airtight plastic containers. Cheese is happiest on the middle shelf of the fridge. Cream cheese, however, should be stored in a much cooler area – on the bottom shelf of the fridge. Wedges of cheese can last up to three weeks in the fridge. Packaged sliced cheese and cream cheese soon dry out once opened and lose their flavour, so it’s best to eat them within a week of opening.

Pasta

The best way to store pasta, spaetzle and gnocchi

You can store dried pasta for up to a year. It’s important to store it at room temperature and keep it dry and well sealed. Why? Well, like other dried goods – such as flour, muesli and tea – dried pasta is particularly susceptible to pests, such as food moths.

Fresh dough-based products like pasta, spaetzle and gnocchi are extremely susceptible to germs. When well chilled, they will keep in the fridge for three or four days. Proper food preparation is a key factor in ensuring that food stays fresh for as long as possible. Simply make sure to cook pasta only until it is al dente – firm to the bite. Spätzle and gnocchi are ready as soon as they start to float to the surface. You can keep leftover pasta on the top shelf of the fridge, where it will stay fresh for one or two days. It’s best to keep cooked pasta in sealed containers so that it doesn’t become hard.

Meat

Things to remember when storing meat

Meat, poultry and sausages are foods that spoil very quickly. If at all possible, you should avoid breaking the cold chain or only do so for a very short time. The best way is to take a cool bag with you to the supermarket. At home, place meat on the bottom shelf of the fridge straight away, as this is the coolest part of the fridge.

If you buy meat in plastic packaging, you should replace this before putting it in the fridge. Remove the meat from the packaging, dab it dry with kitchen paper, wrap it in baking paper and place it in an airtight container to protect against germs. Beef can be stored for 3 to 4 days; veal and pork will keep for 2 to 3 days, but poultry only stays fresh for 1 or 2 days. Take care when it comes to minced meats – if possible, you should eat these on the day you buy them. Always defrost frozen meat in the fridge and remember that this can produce defrost water.

Fish

The best way to store fish

Fish is even more perishable than meat. As a result, it’s best to eat fish straight after you buy it. If you buy fresh fish from the fish counter, don’t leave it in its packaging: store it in a glass or porcelain container, cover it with cling film and ice, and store it in the fridge for 1 day at most.

Store pre-packaged fish from the deep-frozen section in your freezer and keep an eye on the best-before date! The smoking process helps smoked fish stay fresh for longer. You can keep this in your fridge, covered in cling film, for up to around 3 days. Always defrost frozen fish in the fridge and remember that this can produce defrost water.

Little hint: You don’t need to throw away food past its best-before date

Most food has a best-before date (BBD) on its packaging. However, food doesn’t automatically go bad just because this date has passed. This is the date until which the manufacturer guarantees typical product characteristics, such as taste, aroma, consistency and colour.
It’s important to distinguish between the best-before date and the use-by date for perishable foods such as raw fish, mince and fresh poultry. You should not eat products after their use-by date and should throw them away instead.
Take a look, have a taste, smell food for yourself: trust your senses! It’s often easy to tell whether food is still good enough to eat once its BBD has passed.

Did you know?

None of us would ever plan to throw away one-third of the food we buy. However, the statistics show that this is precisely the amount that ends up in the bin, unused. According to estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO), this corresponds to 1.3 billion tonnes of discarded food globally each year. This is an inconceivable waste of food when you consider that there are 690 million people around the world who are starving.

Braun stands for durable products and sustainable design. We believe that, in the struggle to protect the environment and maintain our quality of life, both today and in the future, every action counts – no matter how small.

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Menos desperdicio de alimentos

Más frescos y sabrosos durante más tiempo: cómo conservar los alimentos

¿Por qué se estropea la comida exactamente?

Higiene, nevera y almacenamiento: todo empieza con la compra.

Congelación eficaz: Cómo conservar los alimentos en el congelador

Congela primero, disfruta después

Enfriar correctamente: cómo conservar los alimentos en la nevera

Cómo ordenar correctamente el frigorífico

Puerta de la nevera

Qué debe haber en la puerta de la nevera

Cajón de la nevera

Qué debe haber en el cajón de la nevera

Estante inferior

Qué debe haber en el estante inferior

Middle shelf

What belongs on the middle shelf

Top shelf

What belongs on the top shelf

Storing foods at room temperature in the cupboard or pantry

Storing products in the right place: What food belongs where

Bread & baked goods

Keeping bread fresh for longer

Fruit & vegetables

Apples, carrots, salad etc.: What belongs in the fridge and what doesn’t

Dairy products

Yoghurt, butter and milk: How to keep dairy products fresh

Cheese

Cheese is best stored well-ventilated and moist, but cream cheese likes it cool

Pasta

The best way to store pasta, spaetzle and gnocchi

Meat

Things to remember when storing meat

Fish

The best way to store fish

Little hint: You don’t need to throw away food past its best-before date

Did you know?

Braun stands for durable products and sustainable design. We believe that, in the struggle to protect the environment and maintain our quality of life, both today and in the future, every action counts – no matter how small.

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