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Tips to extend the shelf life of popular staples, such as bread, flour and fruit.
Dealing with a bulging pantry? Here are our tips to get the longest life out of your cupboard staples and fresh produce.
Best-before and use-by dates: know the difference: Best-before dates give you information… View moreTips to extend the shelf life of popular staples, such as bread, flour and fruit.
Dealing with a bulging pantry? Here are our tips to get the longest life out of your cupboard staples and fresh produce.
Best-before and use-by dates: know the difference: Best-before dates give you information about food quality. Food can be eaten and sold after its best-before date. However, it may have lost some nutritional value and might not taste the best. If a food has a shelf-life of two or more years, it doesn’t need a best-before date.
As soon as you open any food’s packaging, its shelf life becomes the same as if the product was unpackaged. How long it’s safe to eat depends on several factors: its water and protein content, quality when you bought it, and how it’s been stored.
Use-by dates are usually on perishable foods such as poultry and deli foods. A food can’t legally be sold after its use-by date and shouldn’t be eaten because it can make you sick.
Bread: Bread keeps the longest in the freezer (though it’s not as convenient, as you have to wait for it to defrost). If you’re a pantry-only fan, it should be kept in its packaging (paper or plastic if it’s homemade) and stored in a cool dry area– ideally in a bread tin if you have one. A good compromise is the middle shelf of the fridge, but it will still get stale as it dries out.
If your bread’s stale, whiz it in the food processor to make breadcrumbs, which you can then pop into a resealable container for freezing. You can use it to crumb meat and fish or add it to dishes (for example, meatballs or pasta bakes).
Tip: Freeze half your loaf and keep the other half out. The half in the freezer won’t get stale or mouldy.
Eggs: Eggs keep longer in the fridge but they can be stored at room temperature (as long as it’s 15°C or lower). Either way, store your eggs in their original carton: it keeps them safe from cracking, slows moisture loss, stops them absorbing other food smells and you’ll know the best-before date.
Tip: Check eggs are safe to eat with the float test. Place the egg in a bowl or cup of water. If the egg sinks, it’s good to eat. If it floats, throw it away.
Flour and dry ingredients: Store your flour in a large, airtight container that your measuring cup can fit in. A container with a screw-top is best, but any well-sealed lid will be fine. Transfer other dry ingredients (for example, baking powder and baking soda) that don’t come in resealable packets to an airtight container. Or use a resealing bag clip.
This help prevents weevils getting into your baking stash. Some people swear that adding a bay leaf will keep weevils away.
Pantry moths are sometimes lurking in your dry goods – sometimes in new purchases. Freezing the ingredients should kill the moths and any larvae. Wrap the goods in a plastic bag and freeze for two days, before then storing in an airtight container.
Sugar: Sugar should be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. It shouldn’t be kept in the fridge because this exposes it to moisture, which can make it go hard.
Sugar doesn’t have a best-before date because it doesn’t grow mould.
Keep reading: www.curtainclean.co.nz...
She is one of the five finalists for the 2022 Ryman Healthcare Gardener of the Year. Read about her (and the other four finalists), and vote for your favourite!
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Two minutes is all you'll need to get up to speed on today's talking point and the biggest news of the day and stories you don't want to miss. A fully-curated … View moreSatiate your news hunger with Two Minutes of Stuff, a bite-sized snack of the top stories and key issues of the day.
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Mahogany side table with draw. The top is starting to separate and needs gluing to fix.
Hi! I have a very large fishtank to rehome. It is 155cm along the front, 45 cm high, and 30cm deep, so about the size of a fridge/freezer on its side. :-) It has a cover with 9 florescent tubes on 3 different circuits so you can have 3 levels of lighting , and a very effective, built in, … View moreHi! I have a very large fishtank to rehome. It is 155cm along the front, 45 cm high, and 30cm deep, so about the size of a fridge/freezer on its side. :-) It has a cover with 9 florescent tubes on 3 different circuits so you can have 3 levels of lighting , and a very effective, built in, filtration system. It will need to be resealed as it sprung a leak. ( I have a part used tube of sealer you are welcome to) I need to downsize as I have other three other smaller tanks.
A donation to Freedom Life (www.freedomlife.org.nz...) to support their work in mental health would be appreciated.
Peter - 027 297 7946
23 Cedar Drive
Homemade FUDGE sale
Kids toy sale on the side
Today from 2pm until its gone....😉
Does anyone have or know where I can get the Black and White rag Winifred Atwell arrangement (Pianola roll)
Thank you
Hi we have alot food to give to someone in need. We have been unable to eat this week and our next food box comes tomorrow so we will have too much for just us. Will need to be picked up today as there are cold stuff in there. Pickup Waikanae. Thanks Mel
Winston Peters will refuse to go into Government with Labour again so long as it continues to push for equal Māori leadership. At New Zealand First's Christchurch conference the leader steered into the race debate saying the name Aotearoa is being rammed down our throats. Winston Peters … View moreWinston Peters will refuse to go into Government with Labour again so long as it continues to push for equal Māori leadership. At New Zealand First's Christchurch conference the leader steered into the race debate saying the name Aotearoa is being rammed down our throats. Winston Peters revving his supporters up and out of hibernation. After a sluggish start, Peters came out swinging. So too New Zealand, threatened by the name Aotearoa. "They're ramming the name of the country down your throats." "It is a bottom-line that if parties wish to pursue racist policies we will not be working with them," he said. Winston Peters sees his pathway back to power as the growing sense of unease about a changing Aotearoa. Tomorrow his party will vote on a policy to remove almost all references to the Treaty of Waitangi in our laws.
Purchased some chinos from Ezibuy this week for a wedding - "chalk" is the colour.
Bought 36 inch same as another pair of chinos but a different brand ... WAY too big (maybe more like a 38 ?)
Too much admin to return them
Mark
021570598
We live and work right here in Whāingaroa Raglan, a really awesome neighbourhood and part of Aotearoa. Here at Raglan Food Co we’ve been lifting the vibe on plant-based eating, creating delicious dairy-free alternatives for nearly 8 years. Perhaps you’ve tried our tasty coconut yoghurts or … View moreWe live and work right here in Whāingaroa Raglan, a really awesome neighbourhood and part of Aotearoa. Here at Raglan Food Co we’ve been lifting the vibe on plant-based eating, creating delicious dairy-free alternatives for nearly 8 years. Perhaps you’ve tried our tasty coconut yoghurts or gut-loving kefir?
We want to share a slice of our paradise with you, so to win a Raglan getaway for you and three friends or family members simply head over to www.raglanfoodco.com to enter.
My 2023 calendar is now available at Whispers Cafe, from me any time, at Ohau market (3rd Saturday of month) and at the Uniting Church hall market (1st Saturday of month). $20.
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