Storing milk, cheese and yogurt is critical for maintaining their safety and quality. Here are a few top tips that you can use to maximise the life of dairy products:
Buy carefully. Make sure that all dairy products are refrigerated and cold to the touch when you buy them. Don’t buy containers that are damaged or leaking, or are missing a plastic seal on the lid, if one should be there. When you get home, refrigerate your dairy products immediately in the original container.
The right temperature. Store dairy products in the refrigerator between 35°F and 40°F. If you are not sure what the temperature of your refrigerator is, look for a refrigerator thermometer.
Rotate items. Rotate items in your refrigerator so the older dairy products are at the front and used first, while the newer ones are put in back to be used later. You could label dairy products with the freezing date so it’s easy to follow the mantra of first-in-first-out.
Store it right. Softer cheeses, such as Brie, Ricotta or Feta, should be eaten within one week of opening. Wrap soft cheese in parchment paper and then in plastic wrap. Hard cheeses such as Cheddar, Swiss and Parmesan can be stored in the refrigerator for about 3 weeks after opening. Discard all kinds of milk (whole, low-fat, reduced fat, non-fat, etc.) after one week of opening, no matter what the ‘sell-by’ date is. Don’t return unused milk back into the container in order to prevent bacteria growth. Keep creams, whipped toppings and yogurt tightly covered. Use yogurt within seven days after buying it. Always store butter and margarine in butter-keeper. Use a clean scoop when serving ice cream. Don’t let scoops sit in water for more than two hours without washing for another use. Ice cream and other frozen dairy desserts are best when stored in a freezer at 0°F to 10°F. For best quality, use within one month.
Keep them odour-safe. The fat in dairy products has a tendency to absorb strong odours from the storage surroundings. To reduce the likelihood of this happening, store dairy products in their own area in protective coverings.
In case you lose electricity… If you lose electricity, keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. Your refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours if it’s unopened. A full freezer will keep an adequate temperature for about 48 hours if the door remains closed.
Monitor the temperature of the refrigerator regularly. Keep it in good working order. Maintain a regular servicing contract with a local refrigerator repair company. Make sure that the refrigerator is never overloaded. Whilst cramming food into the fridge may seem the usual thing to do, you are in danger of blocking the cooling unit that will chill your food. There is also a danger that the fridge door could not be properly shut, leaving you food that is unfit to eat the following morning!