There are correct and incorrect methods of storing food in the fridge. Some fruits and vegetables, for example, must be refrigerated, while others must be stored at room temperature.

You can store some cooking oils on the counter, while you should store others in the refrigerator. Some expired items may not be genuinely expired, and you may use incorrect containers.

What should you do, and what shouldn’t you do?

We’ve done the legwork to determine the best ways to keep your refrigerated food taste great and last as long as possible. To help you out, here are tips you should follow:

Not every food is supposed to be refrigerated

You might think you should refrigerate every leftover food, but appliance repair professionals observe that this shouldn’t be the case.

There are plenty of food items that you shouldn’t allow in your fridge.

Refrigeration actively deteriorates some items, including onions, potatoes, garlic, avocado, tomatoes, bananas, stone fruit, bread, pastries, melons, spices, honey, peanut butter, apples, coffee, eggs, butter, sauces, dressings, soy sauce, and hot sauce.

This means that you shouldn’t store these items in the fridge. Instead, store them at room temperature.

Properly store the cooking oils.

Cooking oils derived from fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds require different storage conditions. This is because oil oxidizes when exposed to oxygen, light, or heat, eventually turning it rancid.

While certain cooking oils can be stored at room temperature, some perform best in the refrigerator.

To help shed more light on the issue, here are ways to store the different oils:

Corn and canola oils: Store them in a cool, dark cupboard, or refrigerate them if it takes over a year to finish a bottle.

Olive oil: Leaving olive oil out on the counter or table, especially if the bottle is exposed to direct sunlight, or storing it on or near a stove are proven ways to turn it rancid. To avoid this, put it in the coolest, darkest corner of your house or use a smaller glass container in the kitchen.

Peanut oil can be stored for up to two years if well-sealed and kept away from heat and light. Refrigerating peanut oil may increase its shelf life even further, so go ahead and do it.

Coconut oil is relatively stable and has a two-year shelf life or more when stored at room temperature.

Avocado, grapeseed, hazelnut, sesame, truffle, walnut, safflower, and sunflower oils are delicate oils especially susceptible to rancidity when exposed to excessive light or heat.

You can go ahead and refrigerate it after opening. These oils will last six months or longer if you keep them cold.

Don’t throw away food items just because they are expired

Did you realize that no national regulation defines expiration dates? Expiration dates simply indicate quality control rather than safety or nutritional worth. This means that you can still go ahead and store and eat the food items even if they are past their expiry dates.

How can you know if your food is safe to eat? Read up on USDA recommendations, utilize your eyes and nose, and trust your instincts.

Some of the things that you can use to tell whether you can eat the food items include:

Smell: If it smells good and is properly preserved, it’s probably safe to eat.

Sight: Don’t let your eyes trick you when it comes to fresh foods like produce. Bumps and bruises do not indicate that something is destroyed.

Don’t can the cans: Canned foods have a long shelf life. Even rusted cans should be fine as long as they are not bulging and the seal is intact.

In conclusion, check the packaging, utilize your senses, thoroughly cook food, and don’t let the perfect become the enemy of the good.

A thorough awareness of “expiration” dates could significantly reduce food waste—not to mention money out of your pocket.

Don’t wrap the leftovers using plastic.

Many people wrap their foods in plastic before placing them in their fridges, which isn’t a good thing to do as it leads to food getting spoilt.

The right way to go about it is to wrap the food in safer food wrap.

If you’re tired of tossing away disposable food wrap but still want to keep your food fresh, Bee’s Wrap could be the solution.

It’s supposed to be built on top of your kitchen and then unwrapped to serve as a placemat. Bee’s wrap is also great for storing food.

It’s also useful for wrapping cheese, half an avocado, half a lemon, and covering jars and bowls (squeeze some Bee’s Wrap onto the top of a container, and the warmth of your hand will soften the wax just enough to form a seal).

When buying the bees wrap, buy a high-quality one that will give you excellent results.

Use the proper storage containers.

Besides being cautious of the type of wrap you use to cover your food before storage, you must also be careful of your storage containers.

Two of the best containers to use are glass and plastic containers.

The food will not leak into the glass container, and the glass will not shatter. For the best outcome, go with a container with a silicone lid.

While the silicone on the lid will discolor, it will be clean following a dishwasher cycle.

Plastic containers will not leak until severely shaken, and drops aren’t a concern unless the container falls on its side or a corner.

Although no plastic container is oven-safe, the set is dishwasher- and microwave-safe and comes with a lifetime warranty.

You should avoid freezing this set since expanding food may cause the top to pop off.

Always ensure that the fridge door closes fully at all times

For peace of mind that your fridge is functioning optimally and you aren’t wasting a lot of power, ensure your fridge door is always closed.

If your refrigerator door won’t close, it’s most likely due to a worn-out gasket, the rubber seal that runs down its edge. Fortunately, the solution is simple: clean the gasket and apply petroleum jelly to the rubber to revive it.

You don’t need a refrigerator repair Alexandria professional to help you fix it unless the problem is too exaggerated.

The post Refrigerator Best Practises first appeared on HVAC Repair, appliance repair. The post appeared first on Express Appliance Repair

A garbage disposal keeps food waste out of your landfill as it grids food into small particles that are washed down the drain. To avoid blocking your drains or filling your landfill you need to ensure that the garbage disposal is always in good working condition. Here are tips on how to undertake commercial garbage disposal maintenance Arlington:

Watch the amount of food that you put in the garbage disposal

As mentioned, the main role of the garbage disposal is to grind food particles into small particles. Just like any other grinding machine, the unit will jam if you place more food than it can handle. For your garbage disposal is always in top condition ensure that the food waste you place in the grind chamber is not more than can fit in a drain strainer. If you are operating a large restaurant and have plenty of food that you want to grind, be patient and insert small bits of food at a time.

Always rinse the garbage disposal after use

You will be shocked at the number of business owners that leave their garbage disposals with food particles after use. When you leave food in your unit it tends to stick and can make the unit jam and you are forced to hire a commercial garbage disposal service provider to fix it for you. To avoid this you should rinse your unit by running a strong flow of cold water through the system. Service providers recommend that you run the water flow 30 minutes after using the disposal. When rinsing the garbage disposal never use hot water as it tends to melt the food particles thus making them stick to the linings of the grind chamber which can be problematic.

Only put food in the garbage disposal

According to commercial appliances service providers, 90% of garbage disposal problems come about due to placement of the wrong items in the garbage disposal. To be on the safe side never put anything that isn’t food in the garbage disposal. This means that you should never put metal, strings, rubber bands, large bones or anything else that isn’t food in the unit.

Conclusion

These are some of the ways of taking good care of your garbage disposal. Sometimes even with the best maintenance practices the unit simply stops working. When this happens, ensure that it’s fixed by a certified commercial kitchen appliance repair professional.

The post Guide To Commercial Garbage Disposal Maintenance first appeared on HVAC Repair, appliance repair. The post appeared first on Express Appliance Repair

If you have a catering business, you understand the importance of your gas oven. To keep your business running and customers happy you need to maintain your oven in good working condition. Proper oven maintenance also ensures that you don’t keep on undertaking commercial gas oven repairs that are usually expensive.

Commercial oven maintenance

For proper maintenance of your oven, you need to hire a professional company that specializes in gas oven maintenance.  In addition to the company being professional, it should also be located within your local area. Most support companies also offer repair services; therefore, when you hire a local company you are at an advantage as the enterprise can reach your place of work fast in the event you need emergency services. Although, not mandatory, it’s wise that you hire a company that works on holidays and weekends. This saves you from paying extra if you need the service of the contractor during this time.

When finding a repair company, go for one that is easy to reach. A good company should have a phone line that remains open 24/7. A good oven service company should also offer you a warranty on services and parts. Service warranties should run for 2-3 months while warranties on parts and replacement should run for 12 months or more. A company offering guarantees shows that it’s confident in the services and parts that it’s offering.  To protect your property and appliances go with and insured and licensed company.

Mistakes to avoid when hiring an oven maintenance company

One of the most common mistakes made by many business owners is hiring the cheapest commercial oven repair and maintenance company. While the aim of any business is to cut costs and reduce the cost of running the business, you shouldn’t cut costs with your work appliances. Hiring a cheap service provider is synonymous to hiring a cheap doctor—you can’t trust the services offered. For peace of mind and proper maintenance, hire a certified and experienced professional. The professional will come at a high cost, but it’s worth it.

Another mistake is that some business owners think that they can maintain their appliances without the need for professionals. While you can clean and fix minor problems, you won’t be able to take proper care of the machine as good as a commercial oven service Fairfax. The service provider uses specialized tools thus he/she is not only able to offer a better service, he/she is also able to identify problems before they occur.

The post Putting A Lens On Commercial Oven Maintenance first appeared on HVAC Repair, appliance repair. The post appeared first on Express Appliance Repair

Some people recommend that you pre-rinse the dishes before you put them in the dishwasher, while others advise against it.

According to dishwasher repair professionals, you shouldn’t pre-rinse the dishes before placing them in the dishwasher. This is because pre-rinsing is similar to hand-washing your car before putting it in the car wash. It doesn’t help much, does it?

Rinsing before using the dishwasher wastes hot water and usually does not improve the outcome.

You should note that modern dishwashers employ high temperatures that easily dissolve tough stains, so you have clean dishes even if you don’t pre-rinse them beforehand.

While you don’t need to pre-rinse every dish you put in the dishwasher, you should note that you shouldn’t throw a loaded plate into your dishwasher. This is because too much filth can jam your machine. This will lead to a waste of time, and in some cases, you have to hire a professional to help you clean the unit. 

For example, if you have a pan with burnt-on food residue, soak it beforehand.

Other dishwasher best practices

Besides avoiding pre-rinsing the dishes all the time, there are plenty of other best practices you can adopt to run an excellent dishwashing cycle. These practices include:

Keep the dishwasher clean.

You need to keep your dishwasher clean. Many homes overlook this duty, which is understandable given the function of a dishwasher. Why would it need to be cleaned if it is built to be cleaned?

While this is the case, you should note that cleaning a dishwasher is an important aspect of its maintenance and keep it clean at all times.

Food residue can accumulate in the filter with each cycle, while soap scum and grease can accumulate and foster germs. Even if the immediate dirt is not there, limescale can grow within the pipes, reducing efficiency.

If you do not fix these, your dishwasher’s performance will suffer. Under such conditions, it will begin to stink; in the worst-case scenario, it may necessitate costly repairs.   

There are many stages of dishwasher cleaning that you can undertake. Before cleaning, inspect the filter between cycles to ensure the same food does not contaminate the next load.

You should also give the dishwasher a general clean once a week or every two weeks, which includes rinsing the filter and wiping down the inside door.

Then, once a month, undertake thorough cleaning. This includes washing the attachments and running a general cleanser through the machine, such as white vinegar.

Load the unit properly.

It’s easy to blame your dishwasher for bad performance, but have you ever considered that it could be due to how you load it?

A dishwasher will only clean effectively if it is correctly filled, and in rare situations, it will not clean at all.

Water cannot flow through plates that are touching, for example. If the spray arm becomes clogged, the water will not be distributed effectively hence, the unit won’t clean as well as you would want it to.

Always consult your owner’s manual to determine the best way to fill your dishwasher. Depending on the model, the recommended placement for each object type will differ.

Once you’ve determined this, be careful to fill it without overloading it.

Remember that when things are smashed together, your dishwasher cannot fully access and clean the load. And you don’t want this.

Before starting a cycle, ensure the spray arm can freely revolve beneath the upper basket. You must reorganize the load or raise the upper basket if it is obstructed.

Give the dishwasher time to dry.

Even if your dishwasher is loaded with rinse aid, the drying performance may be inadequate. It’s inconvenient to unload your dishwasher only to find your dishes dripping and coated in puddles.

Thankfully, there are workarounds. After your dishwasher has run, open the door and allow it to air and dry naturally for at least 30 minutes.

Some dishwashers have an auto-open feature that will do this for you. Just ensure it has plenty of time to air before you empty it.

Allowing your dishwasher to air out can also help prevent mold from growing inside.

Some dishwashers additionally include additional drying algorithms to expedite the drying process. Remember that this will cost you extra energy, especially if there is a heating element.

Run hot water

This applies to dishwashers directly connected to hot water valves rather than those that heat the water on their own.

The hotter the water, the better your dishwasher’s cleaning effectiveness. And, if you want this gadget to start up smoothly, running the hot kitchen faucet for a few seconds prior can help.

This allows the water to be heated before your dishwasher uses it. Otherwise, the cycle will not be as hot or efficient as it may be, and performance will suffer.

Remember that the water should be at least 120°F before entering the dishwasher. You can always check this using a meat thermometer.

Take advantage of the heavy-setting

If your dishwasher is having trouble removing stains, you may not be using the proper setting. Eco cycles and dishwasher options are becoming increasingly popular, allowing users to trade a longer cycle for less energy and water consumption.

The issue is that, as with eco settings on washing machines, the performance is necessarily inferior to conventional settings.

As a result, plates and cookware may emerge with dried-on stains that are considerably more difficult to clean.

Before you choose your usual program, think about if it’s appropriate for the items you’re washing. Heavy or intensive cycles may be better if you have baked-on stains on your pots and pans.

The easiest way to eliminate this type of residue is to wash at a higher temperature.

Appliance repair Alexandria recommends using eco mode if you’re washing mild, ordinary stains. Don’t forget about the programs in between — auto can adjust to the stain level, glassware is perfect for fragile things, and a quick wash is ideal if you’re short on time.

The post To Pre-Rinse or Not to Pre-Rinse: Answering The Century Long Question first appeared on HVAC Repair, appliance repair. The post appeared first on Express Appliance Repair

A refrigerator isn’t a demanding appliance; therefore, you can live with it for long without problems with it. While this is the case, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take good care of your appliance. According to commercial appliances repair professionals, many people make mistakes with their refrigerators. This results to lower lifespan of the refrigerator. You also put your life and that of your home at the risk at fire. The most common mistakes are:

Overstuffing the refrigerator

Many homeowners have the impression that a full fridge is a sign of abundance. The truth is that having plenty of items in the fridge is bad. When you overstuff the unit, you prevent air from circulating effectively in your appliance. This means that food doesn’t get cooled the way it should. When food isn’t properly cooled, it serves as a breeding ground for bacteria that are harmful to you and to the refrigerator.

Keeping the refrigerator empty

You may think that since its wrong overstuffing your refrigerator, you should leave it empty—well, you are wrong. According to refrigerator repair professionals, an empty refrigerator has less thermal mass. This means that when you open the door, the fridge loses more cold air. To be on the safe side avoid leaving your unit empty. If you don’t have food to store in it, fill it with jugs of water.

Putting off refrigerator cleaning

If you are like most homeowners, scouring the fridge is the last thing that you plan to do when cleaning your house. This results to buildup of dust, dirt and microbes. As a consequence the refrigerator becomes an eye sore. The microbes and dirt also become a health hazard. To keep your refrigerator in good condition, clean it every week. When it comes to the crispers and areas that you store meat, use hot, soapy water when cleaning. You can also use a mix of water and vinegar. This is to ensure that you kill all the microbes.

While you should pay close attention to the inside of your refrigerator, you shouldn’t forget the outside. You should vacuum around the motor and grille. In addition to the regular weekly cleaning, it’s also recommended that you hire providers of commercial appliance services to inspect and clean the unit at least once a year. When hiring the service provider ensure that you hire a professional that is certified and experienced enough.

The post Commercial Refrigerators Services: 3 Refrigerator Mistakes You Should Avoid Making first appeared on HVAC Repair, appliance repair. The post appeared first on Express Appliance Repair

For your refrigerator to function efficiently and avoid hiring commercial refrigerator repairs you need to install it properly. To guide you here are tips on how to properly install your refrigerator:

Leave enough space between the wall and your commercial refrigerator

When installing the unit avoid fitting it snugly to the wall. Commercial appliance repair professionals recommend that you leave 2-3 inches of space between the refrigerator and the wall. The reason for this is to enable your unit to properly emit hot air that collects from the interior. When the refrigerator is emitting air properly you will be able to easily regulate the unit’s temperature and also prevent the machine from overworking the motor.

Place the refrigerator on a thin rug

Placing your unit on a rug not only protects it from hard surface, it also makes it easy for you to pull it when cleaning the coils at the back. When cleaning the unit avoid using chemicals. Also be gentle so that you don’t destroy the coils.

Place the refrigerator away from heat-producing appliances

This is a no brainer. To avoid heat damage install your refrigerator away from heat producing devices such as microwave or gas range. To ensure that the unit doesn’t come into contact with the heat producing devices, it’s always good that you place it on the opposite side of the heat producing device.

Leave enough room for people to walk

A common problem with people with small kitchens is having limited space once they install their refrigerators. This not only makes the kitchen uncomfortable, it also the refrigerator at the risk of getting damaged by people walking around. To protect your unit you should install it in an area that is large enough such that you can install the refrigerator and still leave enough space for people to walk around. People should comfortably walk around even when the refrigerator door is open.

Taking care of your refrigerator

Once you have properly installed the refrigerator you have to take good care of it for it to last for long without requiring repair. One of the things that you should do is avoid overstocking the refrigerator. Overstocking not only reduces the rate at which it cools the food, it also reduces the appliance’s life. If there is any product that you can do without in the fridge, you should get rid of it. To keep air circulating effectively, commercial kitchen appliance repairs Falls Church recommend that you get rid of clutter on the outside of the refrigerator.

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