Monthly Archives: January 2012

The Challenge: The Pantry- part 1 Canned Goods

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So its the time of year when I like to clean things out. I use some time to go through my pantry and see what is there. Its a natural tendency to just unload when we get home from the store. What happens is older food gets pushed to the back. While canned goods have a pretty long shelf life they do go bad eventually.

Take the time, at least once a year, to pull out everything. Look for dates on canned goods and be sure to put the older stuff up front. Its also a chance to see what you actually use and what you don’t. If you have 17 cans of kidney beans you might want to stop buying them for a while.

I like that there are always a few surprises. Maybe a jar of apple butter you forgot you had or baby corn you had meant to use in a stir fry but never did. My challenge to you, after the clean out try to use some of the food you have. Stir fries and soups are a great way to use up odds and ends. Stretch yourself creatively and find a use for the jar of fig jam or the big can of pumpkin.  Maybe invite friends over for a spontaneous cupboard dinner. You already spent the money on the food- it is a shame to let it go to waste.

It is also a good idea to make an inventory of what you have. Make a list of everything with notes on anything that is coming up on its expiration date. Keep it handy so you’ll mark things off when you use them. Also give the list a check before going to the store. Most of us can’t afford to throw away money/food. This annual cleaning and sorting should help. I will even leave an item on the counter to remind me to use it soon.

So when must I throw it out? I used to do a home ec  answer line at Extension. I was amazed at what people wanted to eat. I once had a lady ask if she could still eat a can of cherry pie filling even though it was bulging and oozing. She thought that what was inside the can was still OK to eat!!!!  I would say that common sense should rule here- but assuming that not everyone has common sense- use the dates as a guide. If it is not expired and has been stored properly it is safe to use. Once a canned product is past date it is likely still OK for a little while. A month or so- after that- you might have to pitch it. Just for the record- bulging cans are never safe!!!! I just had to say it.

Home canned goods are generally safe for a couple of years but it is best to use them up within a year of being canned. Keep canned goods stored in a cool, dry place. Extreme cold can cause contents to freeze and expand breaking the seal. Overly warm environments can also shorten the shelf life of hone-canned goods. Also before using any home- canned product look for signs of spoilage. Make sure seal is not broken and the contents have not become cloudy. If you have discoloration at the tops of products like pickle relishes or applesauce- it is likely because the jar was not full enough and some oxidation has taken place. Icky to look at but generally harmless. Just be more careful next time to fill the jars according to directions. Any low-acid foods that have been pressure canned must be brought to a boil before use. If there is any off- odor- discard them immediately.

Rotation and inventory will help to make the most of what you have purchased or canned. Its a bit of time to do- but should save you money in the end.

Tomorrow- more on pantry goods. I’ll be talking about herbs and spices. How long do they last? How can you tell? Which ones should always be stored in the fridge?

 

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The Challenge – Inventory- The Freezer

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OK, so now I have publicly committed to not going to the grocery store for at least a month and I  know I can do it. But it is important to plan ahead. Before I decided to do it, on the advice of a friend, I did an inventory of what I have here at the house. I canned a lot of tomatoes and I have winter squash everywhere but I really had lost track of what I had in my freezer. So I defrosted it a few days ago and did an inventory. Even if you aren’t trying to live off what you already have it is an important thing to do once in awhile. I got out a notebook and after all the ice had been scraped out and I was putting stuff back I listed it all.  Fact is I had more of some stuff than I remembered. Less of other stuff, too. Freezing foods is a very safe method to preserve food and to take advantage of sales but not if you don’t use the food eventually. Frozen foods are safe for a very long time but they lose quality after time. No sense in buying something to just toss it out later. After I scribbled all my freezer contents down I organized the list. It is now posted on the freezer with a magnet. Every time I take something out I put a little mark next to it. This way I can keep track of what I have used and I’ll know what I still have. Saves time searching for stuff, too.

I know now where I stand at least as far as the freezer goes. I have plenty of protein and more blueberries than I thought- which is a good thing. Tomorrow I’ll tackle the pantry.  🙂

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The Challenge-Green Bags

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Well my decision to not go to the grocery store for at least a month or two is pretty easy right now. Plenty of fresh produce still. I did stock up last week. As the weeks go on I want to have fresh produce for as long as possible. I am trying out “Green Bags”. These are not just bags that are green, but bags that claim to take the ethylene gas out and keep produce fresh longer. Well, that’s the claim.

I will say that I have used them before and they seem to work on a lot of produce. There are rules. Produce must be chilled already and blemish-free. It also can’t get too wet in the bags. You have to blot moisture out with paper towels or leave a paper towel in the bag. I recently used a green bag on some sweet peppers. I had them in the fridge for at least 3 weeks and they were perfect when I took them out.  I have had less wonderful results on other things.

My plan for today is to go to the basement fridge with green bags in hand and bag up all the fresh produce that I have. I’ll leave some in conventional bags as well and I’ll keep you posted on how they fair.  I am intrigued myself. If any of you have used them I’d like to here about it.

Green bags were originally sold on line. Now you can get them at all kinds of stores. Often they are sold in the “as seen on TV” section of the store. There are different brands, too. I do not get them for free- I am buying them myself so any reports I give are solely my own.

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