Less food waste

Fresher and tastier for longer: How to store food

After you have planned your shopping, taking the time to store your food properly is decisive in ensuring it stays fresh. Sorting your purchases once you get home will help to keep your fruit and vegetables, dairy products, bread, pasta and meat fresh for longer. Some foods need to be chilled, while others just need to be kept at room temperature. We’ve put together some tips outlining when and how you can store food so that everything stays fresh for as long as possible.

Why exactly does food go bad?

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. This is due to the physical, biochemical, chemical and microbial influences and changes to which products are exposed. Food can also be damaged by pests and vermin.

Microbial spoilage is caused by bacteria, mould and yeasts. They cause food to rot, ferment or develop mould and sometimes develop pathogenic substances as a result. These processes and the storage life of food products depend in particular on physical conditions such as warmth, cold and moisture.

In addition, enzymes within food trigger biochemical changes, such as vitamins, pigments and flavourings breaking down. Fat turning rancid is due to chemical spoilage triggered by chemical reactions within food constituents. External factors such as light and air can accelerate this process.

Hygiene, refrigeration and storage: It all starts with shopping.

Before you get your shopping home and start to put it all away in the right place, making sure that everything is suitably hygienic and chilled starts in the supermarket. Key points to remember:

Check that all packaging is intact.
Make sure that chilled foods are kept cool, such as with reusable cool bags, to prevent germs from multiplying when produce gets warm.
Only put frozen and perishable products in your trolley at the end of your shop, just before heading to the checkout. Speaking of the checkout, soft and delicate produce such as eggs, bananas and grapes should be the last things you place on the conveyor belt. This means they will be at the top of your bag and will not get crushed by heavier items.
After finishing your shop and before sorting out your purchases at home, make sure to wash your hands thoroughly to prevent the spread of bacteria and germs.
Keep storage areas such as shelves, pantries and your fridge clean and wipe them down regularly. The best way is to use warm water with a little detergent. Adding a dash of vinegar essence can prevent mould.

how-to-store-food_image-copy-2-freezing-effectively.jpg

Freezing effectively: How to store food in the freezer

If you want to store food for a particularly long time, your freezer or the freezer compartment of your fridge is the best option. The low temperature and reduced water activity mean that microorganism reproduction is significantly reduced or even eliminated. However, make sure to clean, wash and blanch fruit and vegetables before freezing them. Ideally, you should pack food as airtight as possible and in small portions. It’s also worth labelling bags with their contents and the date to help you keep on top of things. However, even frozen food cannot be stored indefinitely. Fruit and vegetables will keep for 11 to 15 months, fish and fatty meats will keep for 6 to 9 months, and beef and poultry can be frozen for 9 to 12 months.

Freeze first, enjoy later

Turn frozen fruit into delicious smoothies or smoothie-bowls. Our recipe ideas tell you how to.

Rapsberry and goji berry smoothie2go with lime and coconut oil

Recipe

Acai berry smoothie bowl

Recipe

Smoothiebowl van rood fruit en kokos

Recept

how-to-store-food_image-copy-3-store-food-in-the-fridge_alternative.jpg

Etenswaren op de juiste manier in de koelkast bewaren

De meeste versproducten gaan bij thuiskomst meteen de koelkast in. Dankzij de lage temperatuur van 4 tot 8 °C in de koelkast blijven bederfelijke producten langer vers. De lage temperatuur vertraagt immers de stofwisseling in voedsel, voorkomt de groei van micro-organismen en gaat chemisch en enzymatisch bederf tegen. Aan de hand van het 'fifo'-principe (first in, first out) kun je makkelijk bijhouden wat vers is en wat niet. Met andere woorden: zet verse etenswaren achteraan neer en schuif oudere etenswaren naar voren.

De juiste indeling in je koelkast

Koelkasten hebben verschillende temperatuurzones. Om ervoor te zorgen dat voedsel in de koelkast zo lang mogelijk vers blijft, moet je het dan ook op de juiste plek bewaren. Onderstaand leggen we precies uit waar je wat in de koelkast moet bewaren.

how-to-store-food_ slider-1_fridge-door_card-1.jpg

Koelkastdeur

Wat hoort in de koelkastdeur

De koelkastdeur is een van de warmste zones in een koelkast. De temperatuur ligt daar meestal tussen 8 en 10 °C, zodat de koelkastdeur geschikt is voor kant-en-klare sauzen, dranken, dressings, melk, boter en eieren.

Groentelade

Wat hoort in de groentelade

De groentelade is, de naam zegt het al, bestemd om groente (en fruit) knapperig vers in te houden. De groentelade is afgescheiden van de rest van de koelkast, meestal door middel van een glazen plateau, waardoor de temperatuur daar ongeveer 9 °C is. Ideaal voor groente, sla en verschillende soorten fruit in te bewaren. Denk er echter wel aan dat producten die niet goed tegen kou kunnen, zoals exotische vruchten en groenten met een hoog watergehalte, helemaal niet in de koelkast bewaard moeten worden.

Onderste plateau

Wat hoort op het onderste plateau

De temperatuur op het onderste plateau, direct boven de groentelade, is maximaal 2 tot 3 °C. Daar kun je het beste bederfelijk voedsel, zoals vlees, vis, gevogelte en salades bewaren.

Plateaus in het midden

Wat hoort op de plateaus in het midden

Bij de plateaus in het midden is het meestal ongeveer 5 °C en daar kunnen zuivelproducten zoals yoghurt, melk kwark en room prima worden bewaard. Deze plateaus zijn ook perfect voor kaas en worst.

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.

how-to-store-food_slider-2_fruits-vegetables_card-2.jpg

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.

Poisson

La meilleure façon de conserver le poisson

Le poisson est encore plus périssable que la viande. Par conséquent, il est préférable de consommer le poisson directement je jour même de son achat. Si vous achetez du poisson frais au rayon poissonnerie, ne le laissez pas dans son emballage : rangez-le dans un récipient en verre ou en porcelaine, couvrez-le de film alimentaire et de glace, et conservez-le au réfrigérateur pendant 1 jour au maximum.

Conservez le poisson préemballé du rayon surgelé dans votre congélateur et surveillez la date de péremption ! Décongelez toujours le poisson congelé dans le réfrigérateur et n'oubliez pas que cela peut produire de l'eau du à la décongélation.
Pour les poissons fumées, vous pouvez les conserver dans votre réfrigérateur, couvert d'un film alimentaire, jusqu'à 3 jours environ. Le processus de fumage permet au poisson fumé de rester frais plus longtemps.

Petit conseil : il n'est pas nécessaire de jeter les aliments dont la date de péremption est dépassée.

La plupart des aliments portent une date limite de consommation (DLC) sur leur emballage. Il s'agit de la date jusqu'à laquelle le fabricant garantit les caractéristiques typiques du produit, telles que le goût, l'arôme, la consistance et la couleur.
Il est important de faire la distinction entre la date de péremption et la date limite de consommation pour les aliments périssables tels que le poisson cru, la viande hachée et la volaille fraîche. Ne consommez pas les produits après leur date limite de consommation. Jetez-les.
Regardez, goûtez, sentez les aliments : faites confiance à vos sens ! Il est souvent facile de savoir si un aliment est encore bon à manger une fois sa DLC dépassée.

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.

Did you know...

...how to keep your Avocados from browning?

Braun's kitchen hack of the day: after opening an avocado, simply sprinkle some fresh lemon juice on it to keep it from browning. It stays fresh for longer and even tastes good.

Avocado cut in half with citrus juice dripping on it.

…how to keep your Carrots crisp?

We carrot wait to try this hack at home. Place your carrots in a glass of water to keep them fresh and crispy. Do you already treat your carrots like flowers and keep them fresh in a vase?

en_scs_braun_hack_card-04_Crisp_Carrots_1080 × 1080.jpg

…how to keep your Bananas fresh?

Keep calm and go bananas. Did you know that bananas naturally release a gas called ethylene from their stem, and therefore tend to ripen much faster? Try and cover the stem of the bananas with a small piece of leftover foil, and the ripening process slows dramatically. Have you ever heard about this kitchen hack?

en_scs_braun_hack_card-05_Fresh-Banana_1080 × 1080.jpg

…how to keep your Potatoes from sprouting?

An apple a day keeps the sprouts away. Just place an apple in the same rack with your potatoes. With this little kitchen hack you can keep your potatoes fresh, even if you don't use them up all at once. Have you tried this before?

en_scs_braun_hack_Card-08_Potatoes_1080 × 1080.jpg

…why you shouldn't put hot food straight into the fridge?

Keep calm and stay cool. Your leftover food should always be allowed to cool to room temperature before placing it in the refrigerator. This way, you can make sure to maintain a secure temperature in your fridge as well as save energy. Have you been aware of that?

…how to make limp lettuce fresh again?

Don't throw away that limp lettuce just yet! Did you know you can bring it back to life by soaking it in cold water with lemon juice? This simple trick is a real hit for anyone who loves fresh, crisp greens.

en_scs_braun_hack_card13_Limplettuce_1080 × 1080.jpg

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.

Search Quick Links

Food preparation

Cooking

Breakfast

Garment Care

Get inspired

Promotions

Customer support