Top tips for keeping food fresh

by Nicola Shepherd

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HERE are some great tips to help you get the most out of your fresh food.

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Eggs

These don't have to be stored in the fridge. A cool place will do especially as most recipes assume that the required eggs will be at room temperature.�They should be stored thin end down away from strong smells. The shells are porous and can absorb strong flavours such as a cut onion.

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Rice

Put a slice of toast on top of cooked rice to keep it fresh in the fridge.

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Celery

Keep celery crisper for longer by washing� it in cold water and then storing it in the bottom of the fridge in a plastic bag.

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Tomatoes

For really fresh tomatoes store them in a basket on your work surface, chilling them even in the fridge can harm the flavour. They don't keep as long, however, away from the fridge.

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Mushrooms and aubergines

Store in a paper bag in the fridge and only wash just before eating.

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Potatoes

Stop potatoes sprouting and turning green by buying them in a sack, rather than a plastic bag and keep them in a cool place with no light

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Spices

Take your spices our of that dinky little rack and store them in a cupboard away from heat and light, both of which impair the flavour, change the colour and shorten their life

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Baking powder

If you've had baking powder a while, and want to test its usability, put half a teaspoon into a glass of warm water.If it is fresh the powder should foam to the top of the water.

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Perils of under-cupboard lighting

Take all foods, but especially flour, out of any cupboard that��has lighting strips bolted to its underside. Light creates heat and this can spoil many foods and encourage weevils in flour

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