Food Purchase and Storage Tips
No matter how good a deal you get on something, it's a waste of money if you throw it out.
Dry Goods: I have a set of Tupperware containers in my pantry for flour, sugar, oatmeal, brown sugar, and rice. They work great and have lasted for years. I have the Modular Mates Pantry Starter Set and they work great. They don't waste space on your shelves, keep the bugs out, and make it easier to find things in your pantry. When you first buy flour, you can throw it in the freezer for 24 hours to kill any critters that might be ready to hatch out. After that, store it in an airtight container. If you have a lot of freezer space, you can store in there, then keep just enough to bake with in your pantry. Throw a bay leaf in with your rice to keep critters out as well.
Leftovers: I've collected a variety of containers over the years. I use old yogurt containers to freeze chicken broth in. And I have a big old margarine tub that holds the vegetable odds and ends for stock in my freezer. I used to try to re-use food containers for leftovers in the refrigerator but invariably I wouldn't use stuff up becuase I wouldn't "see" it and would think the container was really holding sour cream or yogurt or whatever. I wanted something clear and something rectangular. Round containers waste too much space. A fe years ago I found some square clear containers and they have worked great. I can see what I have in the frig and the containers stack nicely in the cupboard when they're not in use. I tried to find a link for them at Target but evidently they're not selling them anymore. I'll try to update this when I find some similar ones.
Lemons: Slice and freeze extra to use in drinks. Or squeeze them and freeze the juice in ice cube trays. If you're juicing them, microwave for 15 seconds and you'll get more juice.
Lettuce. Wash the lettuce the day you use it. Leaves will stay fresher if they're dry.
Mushrooms. Buy fresh mushrooms before the open up. That means they're still really fresh.
