Aging with Intention

Food can spoil even when it looks perfectly normal, and storing it correctly can make a difference in both safety and how long it lasts. Not all foods need to be refrigerated after opening, but many do. Even simple things like putting hot food away incorrectly can create problems of its own. A few basic habits can help you protect the food you bought, reduce unnecessary waste, and know when something needs to be thrown away. Safe Cooking Temperatures for Meat and Poultry Cook

Food labels contain a lot of information, and it is easy to look at one number and assume you know what you are buying. A package may say it has 100 calories, for example, but that number may apply to only one serving when the package contains several servings. It may seem straightforward, but many of us were never taught, or even introduced to the idea of reading nutrition labels. Learning what the different parts of a food label mean can help you compare products and unders

How long can you keep leftovers? When do eggs go bad? Can you freeze lettuce? What about cooked rice, milk, cheese, or that package of meat sitting in the refrigerator? Knowing how to store food properly can help protect your health while saving money and reducing unnecessary food waste. One important thing to understand first: the date printed on a food package does not always tell you when the food becomes unsafe. Terms such as “Best By,” “Best if Used By,” and “Sell By” ge