Storing Foods

Storing Foods

Shortenings
Keep lard and butter closely covered in refrigerator. Strain drippings directly into container and store in refrigerator.  Shortenings like Crisco can be stored in your cupboard.

Milk, Cream and Eggs
Keep milk and cream covered, and eggs (unwashed until ready to use) near freezing unit in refrigerator.

Cheese
tightly cover soft cheese; wrap hard cheese in waxed paper; store covered in refrigerator.  Grated cheese can be kept in covered container in refrigerator.

Sugars
Keep granulated and confectioners' sugar covered in dry place.  Keep brown sugar in airtight container with slice of apple or orange on waxed paper to add moisture (change fruit often to insure freshness).  Hard brown sugar can be softened by placing crisp lettuce leaf, damp cloth, or slice of fresh bread in container or by heating the sugar a few min. in slow oven.  (If heated, use immediately.)

Flour, Cereals, Cake Mixes, Etc.
Keep tightly covered in cool dry place.  Do not keep whole wheat or other coarse flours or flour may be dried by sifting before a heated open oven.  Breakfast foods may be crisped by heating in oven.)  for long keeping, store whole wheat, corn meal and rye flours in tightly covered glass jars.  In hot weather, place in refrigerator or cool storage area.

Cakes
After cake is cool, store it in a container with a tight cover; or invert a large bowl over the cake plate.  Fruitcake - wrap cooled cake in waxed paper or aluminum foil.  in the old days fruitcakes were wrapped in wine-dampened cloth to keep and mellow.  Store in airtight container in cool place.  Cake with Cream Filling - Store in refrigerator until served.

Breads
Keep cooled bread at room temperature in covered metal bread box with tiny air holes for ventilation.  Or keep in food compartment of refrigerator - it stales more quickly than in the bread box but is less subject to mold.

Pies
Fruit Pies - cover with waxed paper or plastic wrap and place on cupboard shelf at room temperature.  Freshen by heating a few minutes in warm oven.  Or cover with aluminum foil which may be left on when pie is heated in warm oven.  Cream, Custard and Whipped Cream Pies - always store in refrigerator both before and after serving.

Cookies
Thin or crisp cookies - Store in can with loose cover. Soft Cookies - store in airtight container.  Slices of apple or orange in container help mellow and moisten cookies.  Change fruit frequently.

Staple Supplies - Baking Powder or Soda, Salt, Cream of Tarter and Herbs & Spices, Extracts & Dried Fruits
Keep tightly covered in cool, dry place.  Replace herbs and spices as soon  as they lose their freshness.  After dried fruit package has been opened, wrap fruit in waxed paper or plastic wrap or aluminum foil or place in airtight container.

Nuts and Coconut
Keep open packages of shelled nuts and shredded coconut in tightly covered container in refrigerator.  Renew softness of coconut by heating over hot water.

Marshmallows
Keep tightly sealed in airtight container.  

Fresh Fruit
Keep unripe fruit at room temperature to ripen.  Store ripe fruit (except pineapple and bananas) in cool place.

Cut Lemons, Oranges and Melons
Place cut-side-down on plate or in covered container and store in refrigerator.

Hulled and Sweetened Berries and Sliced Peaches
Keep fresh berries wrapped in paper in refrigerator; wash and hull shortly before using.  Keep leftover hulled berries in tightly covered glass jar in the refrigerator.

Custard Mixtures
Very perishable - cool then cover and store immediately in refrigerator (not more than 24 hours).  Never eat custard mixtures that have been kept overnight without careful refrigeration.

Coffee and Tea
Keep tightly covered in cool, dry place.  After opening, keep in refrigerator or freezer and keep only a small supply open to ensure freshness.

Freezing Foods
Use quality fresh foods when freezing or freshly cooked foods.  Be sure to package in airtight containers.  Label or make a storage chart with dates.

Freezing Cakes
It is best to freeze baked cakes.  you may freeze batters but the quality of the cakes baked from them is usually not as good as a cake that is baked and then frozen.

Wrap cake as soon as it is cool.  Freeze.  Place in a container or carton to protect it from being crushed.  NOTE:  Cakes do not freeze solid.  It is better not to frost or fill your cake before freezing to avoid it from becoming soggy.  If you do frost  then use frosting made with confectioners' sugar or fudge frosting - freeze and then wrap. Thawing - leave it wrapped to prevent moisture from forming on the surface.  A large cake thaws in 2 to 3 hours at room temperature.  A layer cake about 1 hour and cupcakes in about 30 min.  It is best to only keep unfrosted cakes frozen for 2-3 months.  Frosted cakes are best if only stored 1-2 months.  Fruitcakes may be stored longer.

Freezing Cookie Dough
Shape refrigerator dough in a tube shape for easy slicing and baking method.  Or you can shape into a ball to be thawed until soft enough to handle and rolled out for cookie cutters.  Drop cookie dough should be frozen in containers and thawed until it is soft enough to handle.

Freezing Baked Cookies
Cool cookies completely.  Package in containers or zip locks and seal tightly.  Thaw cookies in original container.  They do not take long to thaw.  You should store cookies no longer than 9 months.