Safety and storage tips to make food last longer
Storing food correctly will keep it fresher for longer, which can save you time and money. It can also reduce food waste and help keep you and your family healthy.
Why food safety and storage are important
Eating food that has not been stored or handled safely can cause food poisoning. Food poisoning can lead to serious illness and may be fatal in some cases.
Oxygen, moisture and heat are the main reasons bacteria or fungi grow in food, causing it to go off. Food poisoning bacteria can grow quickly between 5°C and 60°C. This is known as the temperature danger zone.
Preparing, cooking and storing food properly can help to prevent food poisoning and keep you healthy.
To keep food safe to eat:
- make sure fridges are kept below 5°C
- put any food that needs to be kept cold in the fridge straight away.
Learn more about food safety.
Safe school lunchboxes
Young children don’t have fully developed immune systems. This means they are more at risk of food poisoning.
Lunchboxes can warm during the day, which encourages food poisoning bugs to grow. It’s important to keep lunchboxes cool by packing a frozen drink bottle or freezer brick. An insulated lunch bag can also help to keep food cold.
If you’re making lunches ahead of time, keep them in the fridge until your child leaves for school.
Learn more about safe lunches for kids.
Filling your child’s lunchbox with as many foods from the 5 food groups as you can, helps them develop healthy habits for life. Discover more tips for healthy school lunchboxes.
Find out more about free programs to help your kids build habits that support lifelong good health.
Storing fresh food
Storing fresh food correctly can help it last longer, save you money and avoid food waste. Here are some tips to help fresh foods last longer.
- Potatoes, garlic and onions can last several months in a cool, dry, dark cupboard with good air flow. Try to store them separately so they last longer. Peeled garlic needs to be stored in an airtight container or zip lock bag for up to a week in the fridge.
- Bananas can last in the cupboard for 7 days if green or between 2 to 4 if ripe. It's best not to refrigerate bananas. But they can be peeled and stored in the freezer for smoothies or a frozen snack.
- Avocados will ripen slower if they are stored in the fridge.
- Pumpkins will last weeks in a cool dry place if they're kept whole. You can store cut pumpkin in the fridge with the seeds removed and wrapped in cling wrap or beeswax wrap to increase shelf life.
- Tomatoes will ripen at room temperature. It's best to store tomatoes in the fridge once they are ripe.
- Lemon and limes last about a week at room temperature but can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.
- If you store vegetables in the fridge in plastic, put holes in the bag for air and make sure they are dry.
- Keep your fruit bowl and fresh bread out of direct sunlight.
Choose long lasting fresh fruits and vegetables
These fruits and veggies can be stored for weeks in the fridge, so consider including them on your shopping list.
- Carrots
- Cut pumpkin
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Zucchini
- Apples
- Pears
- Ripe pineapple (best to ripen unripe pineapple at room temperature)
- Oranges
Healthy long-lasting foods
Keeping long-lasting foods on hand makes it easier to prepare healthy meals and snacks at any time. Canned, dried and frozen foods can be nutritious, convenient and budget-friendly options. Here are some ideas for healthy foods that store well and can help you eat well every day.
Unopened canned foods are not only nutritious but can be stored for a long time at room temperature. You may already have some of these at home!
Try to look for salt-reduced varieties of vegetables and legumes, and fruits packed in natural juice. Healthy canned food options include:
- legumes such as kidney beans, black beans, butter beans, borlotti beans, baked beans, chickpeas, lentils
- vegetables such as tomatoes, corn kernels, baby corn, peas, green beans, broad beans, beetroot and capsicum
- oily fish like sardines, mackerel and salmon or tuna in spring water
- soup such as tomato, pumpkin, vegetable (no added salt varieties if available)
- fruit such as peaches, pineapple, apple, apricots, pear and prunes.
Dried goods like grains and pulses are usually affordable, can be stored for a long time and are nutritious. Some good dried food options include:
- beans
- lentils
- split peas
- couscous
- buckwheat
- rice
- pasta
- rolled oats
- dried herbs and spices
- dried fruit.
Dried beans, lentils and split peas can be soaked in water overnight in the fridge to reduce cooking time.
Frozen fruit and vegetables are just as nutritious as fresh. They can be a great way to eat more of the foods that support good health, while saving on shopping trips. Many are available throughout the year. They may also be more affordable than buying fresh.
Freezing food
You can also freeze fresh fruits, vegetables and meat to help them last longer. Here are some ideas for freezing different types of foods.
Most fruit will freeze well. To make it easier, chop the fruit into smaller pieces and peel fruits with thick skins (like bananas and mangoes) before freezing. You can freeze pieces on a tray first to avoid the fruit clumping together. Or puree the fruit and put it into ice cube trays. This can be great for feeding young children.
Vegetables that freeze well include:
- corn, peas, carrots, green beans
- broccoli and cauliflower
- root vegetables like potatoes and pumpkin, once cooked
To help keep their flavour, you could try blanching your vegetables before freezing. Blanching is a cooking method. You place the vegetables into boiling water for a short amount of time (usually a few minutes). Then move your vegetables to a bowl of cool or ice water. This stops them cooking.
Other vegetables that freeze well without blanching include:
- onion and capsicum (you will need to wash the capsicum, cut in half and remove the seeds and white membranes before freezing)
- green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale (wash the leaves and dry thoroughly before freezing, blanching before freezing adds to the shelf life).
When freezing meat, it is a good idea to take it out of store packaging and re-wrap it in smaller quantities. Then label and date it so you know what it is and how old it is.
For uncooked meat, poultry and seafood:
- minced meat can last 2 to 3 months.
- steaks can last up to 6 months.
- chops can last up to 4 months.
- chicken can last between 3 and 6 months.
- fish, including salmon, can last up to 3 to 4 months.
It’s best to defrost frozen food in the fridge or in the microwave - not on the bench or under running water. This is because bacteria can grow quicky between 5°C and 60°C.You can keep fully defrosted food in the fridge for a short time until it is ready to be cooked or reheated.
Find more tips and advice for fridge and freezer food safety from the NSW Food Safety Information Council.
Understanding use by and best before dates
Food labels must have a use-by date or a best-before date.
Learn more about food storage.
A 'use by' date means the food must be eaten by that date. After this date foods may be unsafe to eat.
A 'best before' date means the food may lose some of its quality or flavour after this date. It is still safe to eat unless it is damaged or has a bad smell. Some foods, such as eggs, should be eaten close to the best before date.
Some canned foods may not have a best before date. This is because food that lasts longer than 2 years does not need a date mark. If there are signs of damage like rust, dents or swelling, do not use it.