You should buy the items you need, but if you have to buy them, try to store them to avoid foodborne illness and keep yourself and your family safe.

Seeing your food spoiled and whither away in front of you is excruciating. That's why it's best to buy fruits and vegetables that you must use then. There is no need to buy extra food. But if you have any extra food, try to save it in the best possible manner and use food protection ideas. Always remember the four rules to keep you and your family safe. 

Clean

Always wash your hands, cooking counter, and food clean. 

Separate

Keep your raw meat and fruits; vegetables separate from each other. Bacteria can spread quickly from one food to another.

Cook

It is best to cook food as it kills bacteria and can help to keep food fresh for a long time.

Chill

Some foods need to be refrigerated to save them for a longer time.

Understand the difference between use-by dates and best-before dates.

There are two types of dates mentioned in the food. One is used by the date, and the other one is the best before. The best before is the date that is considered best till then. It does not mean that food will spoil on that date. But it means food is in its best condition till that date. Further, you can use your senses to check whether food is in good condition.

While use by-date is alarming, you should not use the food after that date. Discard that food to avoid any health hazards. You can suffer from food poisoning after consuming such a kind of food. Let's discuss some tips to keep food fresh:

Cook food to save for a long time

You can cook to keep food safe and save it to keep it fresh for a long time. Instead of keeping them in the raw state. You can cook mince to save it for longer.

Not everything should go in the fridge

Every food you buy is unnecessary to keep in the fridge if you want to store it for a long time. For instance, onion, garlic, and potato. You can keep them outside the fridge and in a cool and dry area to store them fresh for a long time. For instance, you can keep onions in tights that you want to throw. It's best to knot each onion so they can't touch each other. Also, they will get plenty of air that will help to keep them fresh.

In addition to this there are food packaging boxes that are airtight and you can use to store food. 

Fruits and vegetables should keep apart

No need to store fruits with vegetables because vegetables are sensitive, while some fruits release ethylene gas. That can cause harm to vegetables and help them to rip off rapidly. Therefore, you should not put apples, pears, avocados, and apricots with vegetables. 

Wash meat before freezing

Whenever you buy fresh meat and want to save it to cook later. It's always best to wash it before keeping it in the refrigerator. 

Wrap cheese in paper

To keep cheese fresh for a long time and save it from mold, wrap it in paper. In addition to this, sprinkle some vinegar on the kitchen towel and wrap your cheese in it. It will kill bacteria and help keep your cheese from getting spoiled.

Take good care of herbs

Herbs like rosemary and thyme can hang dry near the window and let the air pass to keep them fresh. For other herbs, arrange them in a single layer and put them on little dump paper. Roll them and put them in a  plastic zipper or reusable bag. And store them in the refrigerator. 

Wash berries

You should wash all berries, whether strawberry, blueberry or any type. Take 1 part of vinegar and three parts of water. This will kill any bacteria. And help to keep berries stored fresh for a long time. 

Wrap bananas and keep them away from everything.

Bananas get ripe easily. It's better to wrap their top with cling film; it will slow down the process of ripening off. Also, they release ethylene gas which can damage other fruits and vegetables.

Is Wrapping broccoli in tin foil good?

Broccoli can keep fresh if it has some room to breathe. However, if you wrap it in aluminum foil or plastic, it will not remain fresh. Instead, use a kitchen towel to wrap broccoli to keep it fresh for longer.

Store lettuce with a kitchen towel

Lettuce is another kind of food that needs air to keep fresh. So, wrap it in a damp kitchen towel to keep it fresh for a long time.

Freeze spring onions in bottles.

Spring onions are best in a salad; people love to eat them. Cut off spring onions, let them dry, and keep them in an empty water bottle. Then, when there is no moisture, you can close the bottle. This way, you can keep your spring onion safe for months.

Remove roots from root vegetables.

Whenever you buy root vegetables, remove their roots. Because roots started to consume moisture from vegetables to keep themselves fresh.

Buy only what you need

Several tips and tricks are used to keep fruits and vegetables fresh for a long time. But it is suggested to buy only the things that you need. Then, you can go to the market whenever you have to use it. And if the market is away from you, you must buy fruits and vegetables for some time. Then you should properly store them to avoid foodborne illness.