SafeTips
Food Storage Tips

• Set the temperature below 40 degrees, using a refrigerator thermometer found in hardware and home-supply stores. Place the thermometer in the center of the middle shelf and check it regularly.
• Keep your refrigerator clean. Immediately wipe up spills with hot, soapy water and rinse.
• Refrigerate or freeze meat and poultry the minute you get home from the store.
• Thaw foods in the refrigerator; under cold, running water; or in a microwave right before cooking. Because of room temperature and the high risk for bacterial contamination, avoid using a counter top for thawing food. Remember, the danger zone is 40 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Make it a weekly habit to throw out expired foods that you no longer should eat.
• Divide leftovers into small portions and store them in shallow, tightly sealed containers (two inches deep or less). Date leftovers so you know how long they've been in the refrigerator. A good rule to follow is to discard cooked leftovers after four days.
• Keep the refrigerator door closed as much as possible, and don't store perishable foods like milk or eggs in the door. Store eggs in their carton on an inside shelf.
• Remember the two-hour rule for prompt refrigeration. Perishable leftovers from a meal should not stay out of the refrigerator more than two hours. In hot weather (90 degrees Fahrenheit or above), this time is reduced to one hour.
• When in doubt, throw it out!
• Before you leave your house for a trip try placing an ice cube in a sandwich bag and place it in your freezer. This is a great way to tell if the power has gone out while you were away. If you come back to a ice blob instead of an ice cube, you can safely assume that all your perishables need to be thrown out.
• Other ways to tell if your power has gone out while you were away are:
  • The scoop marks have disappeared from the ice cream.
  • Frozen vegetables are a solid clump.

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