How To Buy Food Safely And Keep It From Going To Waste At Home

Christan Eiler isn’t a food specialist or a restaurant owner, but she’s one of the countless Americans who have had to change the way they think about food during the coronavirus pandemic.

With budgets limited and grocery stores a potential source of infection, shoppers are learning how to purchase efficiently and make food last as long as possible once it’s home.

“In light of the pandemic, going to the grocery store is a twofold problem," Eiler told Patch. “One, people are on limited budgets; and two, they want to spend as little time in the grocery store as possible.”

U.S. grocery retailers have tried to step up their safety measures during the coronavirus crisis by deploying strategies such as special hours for senior citizens and adding social distancing markers and sneeze guards at checkout lanes.

However, even with those extra precautions, it helps to have some strategies for both the shopping experience and the food storage process once you get back home.

Eiler, an economist living in Georgia, explained strategies to Patch that help her gather food efficiently and then make the produce last.

• If you’re going to the store, make a list. Knowing exactly what you want will help you minimize the amount of time spent at the grocery.
• Think long-term and buy in bulk. You can also make bigger meals that you can eat over the course of multiple days.
• Freeze things. The last thing you want to do is have to run back out to the store for something small. Freezing vegetables in particular can be useful; take the time to learn what you can and cannot freeze.
• Use your community. You never know who can help with groceries, and keeping in contact with your neighbors can help limit the trips.

Many Americans during the past couple of months have become more aware of the food storage process, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that a staggering 30 percent to 40 percent of the food supply is lost or wasted in the United States.

While some of this loss takes place before the food ever makes it to your home, much of the waste occurs in the household. For tips on how to reduce food waste, Patch reached out to Amanda Hallowell, a food program manager at a New York City school and the former head cook of a farm-to-table restaurant in Maine.

Hallowell shared some of her industry knowledge in an email to Patch:

Root vegetables
In general, root vegetables last longer when they’re stored in a cool, dry, dark place. They also hold better when they’re unwashed, as they might be if you purchase them at a farmers market.

Tomatoes
Tomatoes should never be refrigerated — it makes them mealy. They also last longer if they’re not washed until you’re ready to eat them.

Salad greens
Conversely, salad greens hold best if they’re washed in very cold water, dried completely in a salad spinner or laid out on paper towels, and then stored in a plastic container between layers of paper towels in the warmest part of your refrigerator, which is usually the top.

Refrigerator organization
Fresh vegetables need to be in the warmest spots of the fridge, with meat and dairy products in the coldest.

Air is the enemy of freshness
Most things decay more quickly when they’re exposed to air, light and heat, so make sure to freeze things in airtight containers or bags with all of the air squeezed out of them. Store dried beans and grains in airtight containers away from light and heat. And only take items out of the fridge when you are using them.

Here are some other helpful links when it comes to storing food:

Food Safety and Storage Guidelines
An in-depth document on food storage and how long specific items will last.

Produce Storage Cheat Sheet
An easy reference chart on produce storage, geared toward an effort to stem food waste.

Refrigerator & Freezer Storage Chart
Food and Drug Administration storage guidelines, including freezer timelines.

FoodKeeper App
A handy interactive database of food items and storage guidelines. Also available as a mobile app.