Tips for Storing

• Put perishable food into the fridge as soon as you can.
• Wrap meat, poultry and seafood securely before putting it into the fridge to keep juices from leaking onto other foods. Store these items below other foods in the meat drawer or coldest part of the fridge.
• When storing foods in the freezer, wrap the items with plastic or aluminum foil. Label the food with the date you put it in the freezer.
• Avoid freezer burn, the white dried out patches on the surface of foods. This takes away from the taste of the food and can toughen it.
• Store leftovers in tight containers.
• Check the leftovers in covered dishes and storage bags daily for spoilage. Anything that looks or smells suspicious should be thrown out.
• Cook or freeze meat, poultry, and fish, and ground meat within 2 days. Click here to find out how long you can keep other food products in your refrigerator or freezer.
• Don't store foods near household cleaning products, chemicals, or under the sink.

Thawing Food

There are three ways to thaw food:

• Refrigerator: thaws food slowly and safely. Make sure juices do not drip on other foods.
• Cold water: for faster thawing, place food in a leak-proof plastic bag and place bag in cold water. Change water every 30 minutes.
• Microwave: Use the "defrost" setting, and cook food right away after thawing.