8 common foods you may not be storing correctly

2. YOU KEEP COFFEE IN THE PANTRY Coffee loses quality quickly at room temperature. When it is ground, coffee has a drastically higher surface area, causing its quality to degrade even

faster. Keep ground coffee in an airtight container in the freezer to minimize exposure to air, light and moisture. Only remove the container from the freezer briefly to measure out what’s

needed. The USDA estimates the shelf life of ground coffee after opening at two weeks in the pantry, a month in the refrigerator and up to a year in the freezer. 3. YOU CHOP PRODUCE IN

ADVANCE TRY THE FOODKEEPER APP  The USDA offers a free mobile app for Apple and Android users that provides information on how to best store over 400 food and beverage items. It also

highlights cooking tips for different types of meats, shows the latest food recalls, and gives an option to log your purchases and receive notifications when your food is about to expire.

You can also search the FoodKeeper app’s food catalog online here. Presliced fruit and bagged salads are convenient, admits Lendway, but once a piece of produce is cut, it begins to degrade

and the quality will decrease. Ideally for freshness, wait to chop fruits and vegetables until just before you’re ready to consume them. “When you cut an onion fresh, it’s a wonderful,

beautiful thing,” he said. “And if you cut those onions, put them in the refrigerator for three days, covered up tightly, and bring them back out, they’re still good to eat. But you’re going

to open them up, and they will have more of a sulfur smell. The quality is constantly degrading.” 4. YOU PUT BREAD IN THE REFRIGERATOR Fresh bread that you don’t plan to eat within a couple

of days is best stored in the freezer. When left at room temperature it may grow mold, says Lendway, and when stored in the refrigerator it may dry out and go stale. Not all is lost with

stale bread, however, because you can use it to make stuffing, croutons or breadcrumbs, he adds. Presliced whole wheat bread typically last three to five days in the pantry, according to the

USDA, but freezing will keep it fresh for three months. 5. YOU STORE SPICES IN A CABINET Spices don’t go bad in the same way milk goes bad. Rather, the flavor and aroma of your spices may

start to fade over time due to exposure to air, heat and humidity. However, they are still safe to consume. Whole spices last longer in the pantry (three to four years) than ground spices

(two to three years), estimates the USDA. The exception is salt, which spice maker McCormick says will last indefinitely.