The Spring Festival has passed. Have you finished eating all the food your parents stuffed in your suitcases?

The Spring Festival holiday is over. Before you leave home, what good things did your parents fill your suitcase with?

Let’s take a look at netizens↓↓↓

Local eggs, rapeseed oil, sausages and bacon filled with the flavor of home. Source: China News Service

In case you are not used to rice, I brought a lot of noodles. Source: Rizhao Daily

The milk and ham sausages that were not given as gifts to relatives during the Chinese New Year, source: Internet

Ducks, chickens, and pigs raised by my parents. Source: Henan Business Daily

Full of parents' heavy love

Having said that, how should we store so many things scientifically?

Cured meat and sausage

If you plan to eat the bacon and sausages you brought back within two or three weeks , and the indoor temperature is below 20℃ and the humidity is below 60%, you don't need to put them in the refrigerator. Just put them in a ventilated place that is not exposed to direct sunlight .

The acid value and peroxide value of bacon stored for a long time will gradually increase. Excessive oxidation of fat will produce a rancid taste, poor color, reduced quality, and reduced edible value. Bacon products contain many mycotoxins, which are generally present on the surface or shallow layer of the bacon, but some low molecular weight or lipophilic mycotoxins may diffuse into the bacon. The higher the fat content and the longer the storage time, the more serious the diffusion.

Therefore, if you want to store it for a long time , you must put it in the insulation layer of the refrigerator and adjust the temperature to around 4°C. It can be stored for three or four months. If you put it in the freezer , it can be stored for about a year.

It should be noted that since bacon and sausage are raw meat products, care should be taken to avoid mixing them with cooked food when storing them to prevent cross contamination.

Fried foods

After the fried food is cooled, wrap it in a fresh-keeping bag to keep it crispy. Do not put it in an airtight refrigerator, because if it is stored under airtight conditions, moisture will be generated, causing the fried food to become less crispy.

However, even if it is stored in a plastic bag, it cannot be kept for too long, as the flavor and taste will be affected.

Homemade Sauce

Processed sauces such as ketchup and chili sauce generally contain a certain amount of salt. They can be placed in a cool and dry place when unopened, and need to be stored in the refrigerator after opening.

Be careful not to store it in plastic bottles. One netizen put chopped pepper sauce in a plastic bottle and it exploded. Low temperature will significantly reduce the activity of microorganisms and almost completely inhibit their metabolic process. At the same time, low temperature will also inhibit various chemical reactions, thereby further reducing the generation and accumulation of gas.

Starchy foods such as steamed bread and cakes

If you can't finish them in one or two meals , just leave them at room temperature . Putting them in the refrigerator will make them dry and harden faster.

But if you want to store it for more than 3 days , it is best to seal it tightly and put it in the freezer , and then reheat it before eating, and the taste will still be good.

Dried noodles such as vermicelli and noodles

Dried vermicelli and rice noodles have low water activity, which is not conducive to the growth and reproduction of microorganisms. They should be stored in a cool, ventilated, dry and light-proof environment . The shelf life can generally be up to 18-24 months. They should not be placed in high-humidity environments such as refrigerators to avoid moisture absorption and deterioration.

Fruit

Strawberries, cherries, grapes, lychees, longans and other fruits have strong respiration at room temperature, are prone to water loss, and can also produce a large amount of ethylene that can ripen themselves, causing over-ripening; and because their skin is thin and soft and easily bumped, microorganisms can easily spread into the fruit through wounds. Therefore, these fruits are particularly prone to spoilage at room temperature and need to be refrigerated at low temperatures to inhibit respiration, inhibit ethylene production, inhibit the activity of enzymes and microorganisms, and extend the shelf life.

Be careful not to leave it open or seal it. It is best to choose a sealed box with seams or holes . Fruits consume oxygen and produce carbon dioxide during respiration. A relatively closed environment can reduce oxygen and increase carbon dioxide concentration, which reduces the aerobic respiration of fruits while preventing them from entering anaerobic respiration. This is very suitable for preserving these fruits.

Citrus fruits such as lemons, tangerines, oranges, and grapefruits are relatively durable and can be refrigerated for 10 to 21 days.

Apples, apricots, avocados, cantaloupes, honeydew melons, kiwis, mangoes, papayas, peaches, pears, plums and other fruits that can produce a lot of ethylene by themselves should not be placed loosely in the refrigerator but should be stored in a sealed container. Otherwise, they will release a lot of ethylene and accelerate the spoilage of ethylene-sensitive fruits and vegetables.

Be careful not to wash the fruit before refrigerating it, otherwise the fruit may be too wet and damaged , which is not conducive to storage. If there are no special circumstances, try not to keep the fruit in the refrigerator for more than a week.

I hope the above can help you scientifically store the food you bring back from the Spring Festival holiday. What good things do you pack in your suitcase? Feel free to share your treasures in the comment section and exchange your experience in keeping food fresh!

Source: Health News, Science Popularization China, People's Daily Science Popularization

Compiled by: Dang Min