{"id":4765,"date":"2026-04-07T16:57:03","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T16:57:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/olioapp.com\/en\/?p=4765"},"modified":"2026-04-07T16:57:04","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T16:57:04","slug":"how-to-store-food-properly-so-it-last-longer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/olioapp.com\/en\/sustainable-living\/how-to-store-food-properly-so-it-last-longer\/","title":{"rendered":"How to store food properly so it last longer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Here’s a stat that’ll make you wince: UK households throw away 6.4 million tonnes of food every year<\/a>. A lot of it goes off before anyone gets around to eating it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But knowing how to store your food properly can help you make the most of what\u2019s in your kitchen \ud83d\udc47<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83e\uddca How to organise your fridge to keep food fresh longer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most of us just open the door and shove things in, but a quick reorganise can add days to your food’s life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bottom shelf =<\/strong> raw meat and fish. It\u2019s the oldest spot, and nothing drips on your leftovers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Middle shelves =<\/strong> dairy and cooked food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Top shelves =<\/strong> drinks and anything that just needs to be chilled\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Door = condiments only. It’s the warmest part of the fridge – don’t put milk there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u274c Stop putting these in the fridge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It’s counterintuitive, but the cold ruins their texture or flavour – keep these at room temperature instead:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tomatoes, potatoes, whole onions, garlic, bananas, and bread.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2744\ufe0f What can you freeze? (More than you think)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Bread, cheese, milk, fresh herbs – you can freeze almost anything. Make sure you\u2019re making the most of yours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And here’s the bit people often get wrong: the FSA says<\/a> you can freeze food right up to (and including) its use by date. So if you’re not going to eat it in time – freeze it, don’t bin it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read our guide on how to freeze food properly here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udcc5 Use by vs best before: What’s the difference?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This one is responsible for a huge amount of unnecessary waste. Here’s the difference:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use by<\/strong> = safety<\/strong>. Don’t eat it after this date – but you can<\/em> freeze it before this date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best before<\/strong> = quality.<\/strong> After this date it might not be at peak deliciousness, but many foods are still fine after this date.  Check by looking, smelling and tasting<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udca1 4 food storage tips worth knowing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1\ufe0f\u20e3 Wrap cheese in baking parchment, not cling film – cheese needs to breathe, and plastic makes it sweat and go off faster<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2\ufe0f\u20e3 Don’t wash berries until you’re about to eat them – moisture attracts mould<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3\ufe0f\u20e3 Treat soft herbs like flowers – stand them in a glass of water in the fridge and they’ll last days longer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4\ufe0f\u20e3 Never leave food in an opened tin – transfer it to a sealed container to refrigerate. The tin can start affecting the food once it’s open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83e\udd66 Got food you can’t use in time? Share it on Olio<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes your eyes are bigger than your fridge. You overbuy, life gets busy, or you’re away for the weekend and there’s uneaten food in your fridge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s exactly what Olio is for. List what you can’t use and someone nearby will snap it up – usually within minutes. Go on – your surplus butternut squash deserves better than the bin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Download Olio \u2014 it’s free \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here’s a stat that’ll make you wince: UK households throw away 6.4 million tonnes of food every year. A lot…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":4766,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4765","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sustainable-living"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow to store food properly so it last longer - Olio | At Home<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How to store food properly so it lasts longer: fridge organisation, freezing tips, and the use by vs best before difference \u2013 so you waste less and save more.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/olioapp.com\/en\/sustainable-living\/how-to-store-food-properly-so-it-last-longer\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to store food properly so it last longer - 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