How to store food properly in the refrigerator and without it: we share our tips

The quality and taste of food directly depends on the time and storage conditions. All residents of Ukraine have been having a lot of problems with this lately, as food can be left out of the fridge for quite a while due to power outages. To keep it safe, you need to know a few simple rules.

Food blogger Nina Tkach (ninatkachseniak) shared her tips on how to store food to make it safe to eat on her Instagram page.

The two-day, two-hour rule

Cooked food can be stored without refrigeration at room temperature for no longer than two hours. The sooner meat and fish dishes are refrigerated, the better.

Also, cooked food can be stored in the refrigerator for no longer than two days (48 hours).

Food with a spoon

If a child's spoon or yours is dirty, the rule does not apply to such food - you should either eat it immediately or throw it away.

The rule of defrosting or freezing

Defrost meat, fish or dishes made from them in the refrigerator. For example, after taking it out overnight, you can also microwave it, but this is not 100% defrosting because one part may already be cooked and the middle or other side may not be completely thawed.

Thawed ready-to-eat food should be used on the same day - it is not recommended to eat it the next day. When we cook food from frozen meat or fish, all the beneficial properties are lost.

If raw meat or fish has been thawed, re-freezing is not recommended. It is only possible when the product has been fully cooked.

Food for later

If you plan to eat cooked food on a walk or elsewhere and do not want to store it in the refrigerator for tomorrow, then such foods can be stored at room temperature for 4 hours.