Guidelines for safely storing food in the pantry

Storing foods correctly will help maintain freshness; however, the longer fresh produce is stored, the lower its nutritional value. Follow these tips to optimize the safety and freshness of food stored in your pantry.

• Choose unblemished garden produce to give it the best chance of storing well. Keep it in a dry, dark, cool place, away from strong-smelling substances.
• Choose fruit that ripens late in the season as it keeps best. Some varieties of apples, such as Cox's and Bramley's, keep better than others. Pick pears before they ripen.
• Store apples and pears on shelves or in boxes in a dark, slightly moist environment. Ensure the fruit doesn't touch each other, or wrap each piece in parchment paper or newspaper if necessary. This stops rotting fungi and bacteria from spreading.
• Don't wash vegetables before storing them, as this speeds up the deterioration process.
• To store onions and garlic, string them together when they are completely dry and hang them from the ceiling. Alternatively, hang them in bags or in nylon pantyhose.
• If you grow pumpkins for storage, leave the fruit on the vine until the plant dies, then leave the fruit to dry in the full sun for a few days. Collect the pumpkins and hang them individually in net produce bags, ensuring they don't touch one another. They should keep for a few months.
• Pack root vegetables, such as potatoes and carrots, in barely moist sand or sawdust in large containers so the roots don't touch, otherwise they will rot.
• String chilies together by threading a large needle with double thread and poking the needle through each chili just below the green cap. Hang the chilies in a sunny place to dry.
• Preserve herbs by drying bunches in a warm, airy space. Hang them upside-down to drain the essential oils into the leaves. Once they are dry, strip the leaves from the stems and store them in airtight containers in a cool place away from the sun.
• Check produce regularly and remove any rotting fruit or vegetables. This prevents mould from spreading.

Not everything that goes into the pantry lasts the same amount of time. Here are some general guidelines for how long you can expect certain goods to last.

• Bottled fruit: 6–12 months
• Chutney: 6 months; refrigerate after opening
• Fruit butter: No more than 2 weeks, but can be frozen
• Jam, jelly and marmalade: 6 months; refrigerate after opening
• Pickles: 1–2 months; refrigerate after opening
• Vinegar: 3–6 months

If food stored in jars shows any of these signs, be safe and throw it out.

• The jar or lid has mould on it.
• Food has leaked out during storage.
• The liquid contents appear to be bubbling or look discoloured.
• The food looks slimy, cloudy, shriveled or spongy.
• The contents smell "off."

It's important to know the basics for safely storing food and optimizing freshness, but once you have these down pat, go ahead and stock your pantry!

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