Sunday, April 17, 2011

and we forget they have expiration dates

I suppose in some ways we've got to be thankful for the vast array and diversity of fresh fruit and vegetables that we have available to us through our Crab Recipes supermarkets. I remember when I was a kid it was pretty much apples, bananas and oranges and that was it. Now you can get just about anything.
The downside of course is that it's all picked under-ripe and airfreighted to the point of consumption and all this means is that the fruit in our supermarkets needs time to ripen. There's nothing better than a great big juicy pineapple in the fruit bowl to add to the presentation of any fruit serving but so often I've cut into my pineapple only to find it woody through to the core and not sweet and juicy how I want it.
Conversely there's also been many a time for the reason that I've just stated that a pineapple will sit in our fruit bowl at home until it starts to attract the flies, and by that time it's well past its best and you usually find that the base of the fruit is a soggy mess. So when is it the right time to eat a pineapple?
Look through your herbs and spices Seafood Recipes  the same way. These items tend to get overlooked and we forget they have expiration dates, too. If you don't see one, it's probably old! I buy most of mine at a farmer's market where they package their own. They are a fraction of the cost of the little jars in the grocery store. I also take my Sharpie and write what the herb or spice is in big letters on the side of the container. It makes it more visible and easier to access. I put them in alphabetical order so I know which stack to choose from. Because the cost is so inexpensive, I replace them every year.
Empty out your refrigerator and toss any expired dressings, condiments, olives, cheeses and other food in general. Fill your sink with warm, soapy water and wash  Indian Food Recipes all the shelves and interior sides. Take out the drawers, wash and wipe down the area under the drawers. Dry all drawers before putting back into the refrigerator, then put your items back in.
Clean out your freezer in the same fashion. If you find meat but don't remember when you bought it, chances are it's pretty old. If you make bread or soup to freeze, or lasagna for example, cover it with aluminum foil. Use your Sharpie to label what it is, the date you made it, the date you put it in the freezer and any baking directions. Then wrap the whole pan in plastic wrap. This is a great idea if you give it to someone or in case you're out of pocket and someone else is helping out.
Move on to your utensil drawers and  Pizza Sauce Recipe empty them out. I had duplicates of many things so I weeded through them. I kept the ones I use regularly, seasonally or other items that I use infrequently but need on occasion. I now have cookware that requires non-abrasive utensils so I stored most of the hard metal spoons and spatulas. Group common items together. For instance, put all knives together in one drawer. The size and length of the utensil may depend on what drawer you use. I have a long, narrow drawer so I put all grilling utensils there. Putting all baking utensils and tools together will save time looking through several drawers.

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