Are You Storing Food Safely? Full-time Job

Whether putting food in the refrigerator, the freezer, or the cupboard, you have plenty of opportunities to prevent foodborne illnesses.

• Marinate food in the refrigerator. Bacteria can multiply rapidly in foods left to marinate at room temperature. Also, never reuse marinating liquid as a sauce unless you bring it to a rapid boil first.

• Freezing food and maintaining it at 0° Fahrenheit will keep it safe. The quality could suffer during lengthy freezer storage. Freezing keeps food safe by slowing down the movement of molecules, causing microbes to enter a dormant stage. The freezing process preserves food for extended periods because it prevents the growth of microorganisms that cause both food spoilage and foodborne illness.An organized freezer means a few things. It means no more boxes of frozen spinach falling on your sensitive little toes. It means your roommates will know better than to move your favorite $12 pint of ice cream to the door where it will likely melt. It means you'll never waste money buying loaves of bread when you already have plenty on hand. And it means you won't have to spend time wiping down packages, should a package of meat leak before it freezes. The point? An organized freezer is incredibly important for any home cook.While it can come as a shock to some, plastic and glass storage containers are not wholly interchangeable. Each material provides unique benefits when it comes to organizing the kitchen. If you're unsure which container makes sense for you and your home, it might be time to draw up some conclusions on why these two materials outperform one another in different ways.