Follow the 2-2-4 rule. It’s not a football play, but a simple guideline to keep food safe.

2: Two hours is the maximum amount of time food should be left out after cooking. Within two hours of serving, put it in the refrigerator or freezer.

2: Two inches of food in a shallow dish is the best way to make keep foods out of the danger zone. Food safety experts at USDA note that bacteria can grow when the food temperature is between 40° F and 140° F. Shallow dishes help the food to cool down quickly and evenly – the only way to prevent bacteria growth

4: Four days is how long you can safely keep leftovers. Make sure to reheat them to 165 before you indulge.

Some prep work before the big day can make sure your food storage game is at its best. Consider cleaning and organizing the refrigerator and freezer before food shopping to create room for perishable foods.

Check out this infographic with the best locations to keep different types of foods in the refrigerator. Raw meat, poultry and seafood should be in a sealed container or wrapped securely to prevent raw juices from contaminating other foods. Try to allow enough room so cold air can circulate.

When those Thanksgiving leftovers are nearing the four-day mark, consider some ideas from our expert to make good use of them.

Leftovers are a great way to enjoy the Thanksgiving meal for days to come and to reduce food waste. Follow food safety guidelines to keep you and your family safe.

Originally published Nov. 19, 2018

The post Got Thanksgiving Leftovers? Keep Them Safe. appeared first on Best Food Facts.

We reached out to expert Dr. Jeffrey Brecht, Postharvest Physiologist at the University of Florida, to pick his brain about proper banana storage.

Is it safe to store my bananas in the refrigerator?

Dr. Brecht: “Never, never, never put bananas in the refrigerator!

Okay, that’s clear! But why not?

Dr. Brecht: “Bananas are a tropical fruit that is very chilling sensitive. Even a few hours below 58 degrees can injure bananas, and most refrigerators are set at 38-41 degrees. The visual symptom of chilling injury is called ‘under-peel discoloration’ and is due to discoloration of the vascular traces that run through the peel, causing a smoky appearance to develop. Even slight chilling causes aroma loss, so chilled bananas also don’t taste good. The chilling injury also causes loss of vitamin C in bananas.”

We were warned in an old jingle about storing our bananas in the refrigerator, too.  The advice we learned from the jingle? “Bananas like the climate of the very, very tropical equator, so you should never put bananas in the refrigerator.”

Never, never, never put bananas in the refrigerator! Bananas are a tropical fruit.
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Does storing them in the freezer make them last longer?

Dr. Brecht: “Bananas can be frozen for use in baking, but not for eating fresh. It’s best to peel the fruit and mash the pulp with a little lemon juice to inhibit browning, which can occur while the pulp is in the process of freezing. Then put it in a freezer bag.”

So, when it comes to storing your bananas, it’s best not to put them in the refrigerator because of the loss of nutritional value and potential damage to the fruit. 

But what is the best way to keep bananas fresh? Or how can a banana be ripened more quickly?

The post Should You Put Bananas in the Refrigerator? appeared first on Best Food Facts.

1. The Danger Zone — Refrigeration is important because it helps to slow down the growth of bacteria. Bacteria experiences the most rapid growth between the temperatures of 40 and 140°F, or what is often called the “Danger Zone.” Foods that are kept within this temperature range for more than two hours should not be consumed. Keeping refrigerator temperatures below 40°F will help to keep most foods safe.

2. Cooling Hot Food — Hot food can be placed directly in the refrigerator or it can be rapidly chilled in an ice or cold water bath before refrigerating. A large pot of food like soup or stew should be divided into small portions and put in shallow containers before being refrigerated. A large cut of meat or whole poultry should be divided into smaller pieces or placed in shallow containers before refrigerating.

3. Keep it Clean — Another important step in keeping food safe in the refrigerator is ensuring it is clean. This means wiping up spills immediately, discarding perishable foods that have gone bad each week (here is a great chart from the USDA that breaks this down), and eliminating odors by placing an opened box of baking soda in the fridge.

We’ve compiled some additional tips on how to organize your refrigerator in a way that helps keep your foods safe and tasty.

Click here to download a pdf of the infographic.

Photo: “Hungry” by Marko D is licensed under CC BY NC-ND.

The post Keep Food Safe in the Refrigerator appeared first on Best Food Facts.