•Store foods in cool cabinets and away from appliances which product heat. I know a lot of people who store in their basements. Make sure your storage is away from water heaters, furnaces, and etc. I also use my upstairs linen closet because it is a cool dry place!
•Many staples and canned foods have long shelf lives, but buy only what you can use before expiration.
An old trick I learned in my serving days is Label, date, and rotate. Date foods when you buy them and rotate accordingly. Always use the oldest first! Foods stored for longer than recommended or beyond date on the package may change quality, color and flavor. Where you live may also affect recommended storage time. Warm and humid conditions shorten the shelf life of goods.
•Buy new fresh packages. Dusty cans can indicate old stock. Do not purchase dented or bulging cans. Don’t be tempted to buy the old stock unless you plan to use it right away! Do not stockpile old stock!
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In order to keep waste to a minimum and rotate canned goods, I started writing the date (month/year) on the top and front of the canned or boxed goods with a Sharpy. When you buy something isn’t as important as when it expires. It also helps if I can’t find my reading glasses! Those codes can get pretty small. Always store the oldest in the front of the line of goods, with the newest going to the back. I can also plan my menu to make sure some goods don’t go out of date.
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