Despite shelling out more money for groceries, people are still letting good food spoil. According to a MITRE-Gallup poll from November of 2023, the average American household wastes up to around $1,500 of food a year.
Nora Birch, founder of NB Food Safety, appeared on “Live In The D” to share the best tips on how to extend the life of groceries to prevent waste. Food spoils due to the growth of micro organisms such as bacteria, mold, and yeast. To prevent this, she recommends considering six factors including the food, acidity, time, temperature, oxygen, and moisture.
Produce is a challenge to keep from going bad. Instead of just throwing produce into the refrigerator, Birch suggests washing the produce with about a quarter cup of vinegar and the rest with water and then letting it soak for two minutes. The key is to then rinse it and let the produce air dry for about an hour before putting it away.
Birch also discussed food storage and how to properly store leftovers from the stove to the fridge, using soup as an example. Watch the video above to get more advice on how to best keep your food fresh.