Homelife

May 4, 2006

By Sherri Brennen, WVEC-TV, Norfolk, Va.

• Store cottage cheese upside down in the refrigerator to make it last longer. No one knows why, but it works.

• The oils from spices can actually evaporate so they need to be stored carefully. Airtight containers are best stored in a drawer, away from any appliances that can produce heat.

Associated Press

There are lots of easy ways to make the food in your refrigerator last longer.

• Celery will stay crisp longer if you wrap it in aluminum foil then slip it into a newspaper bag before storing in the refrigerator.

• Most fresh herbs will last longer if you put them stem side down into a jar of water, then cover the leaves with a plastic bag secured with a twist tie and store in the refrigerator.

• Use an old Chinese trick for storing ginger root. It will last longer and retain its flavor if stored in a covered ceramic jar filled with white sand.

• Once you open a bag of marshmallows, you can prevent them from getting hard by storing them in a plastic freezer bag.

• Tomatoes will keep best if stored at room temperature with the stem side down.

• One spoiled berry can contaminate an entire container, so remove any of the bad ones before storing them in the refrigerator.

• Store cans upside down when you add them to the pantry and turn the oldest cans right side up. This will keep food from settling at the bottom of the can.

So there you have it - a few ideas to stretch your grocery dollar a little further.