The food industry is one that, unlike most other businesses and industries, suffers from a short shelf life. Meats can spoil, dry goods can age and lose their freshness, and shopping trips are plentiful, but we still manage to find ways to extend the shelf life of our products in safe ways that can help increase our bottom line. This guide to the top five tricks to increasing the shelf life of your food products in shared commercial kitchen rental is important, especially as we all know that “shelf life matters!”
The Big Chill
It is no secret that freezing your products extends the shelf life, and that includes items you may not normally consider putting in the freezer! Some dairy products, including whole milk and cheese, do extremely well when frozen, but others such as sour cream and custard are not meant to be frozen. Flour’s shelf life can be extended up to a year in the refrigerator or two years in the freezer, and fruits (with the exception of citrus) always do well in the deep freeze.
In the Hot Seat
Destroying the micro-organisms that cause spoilage—especially in jams, jellies, and syrups—can be easily done with the hot-filling process. Yes, all those years you watched your grandmother boil first the empty containers and then the sealed full containers you were actually witnessing the hot-filling process!
Pack It Right
Packaging your product correctly can help extend the shelf life, especially when it comes to fruit. If you have spent any time examining bananas in the produce section of your grocery store lately, you may have noticed that the organic ones often have saran wrap tightly wrapped around the stem that holds the bananas together. This isn’t done just to make the bananas easier to hold, it actually is a perfect example of how proper packaging can extend shelf life. Science has discovered that by doing so, it helps trap ethylene gas which speeds up the ripening process and allows the bananas to last longer.
Throwing a Little Water on the Subject
Monitoring the humidity in your refrigerator is a great way of making fruits and vegetables last longer, which is why the crisper and veggie drawers originally came into play. High humidity helps reduce moisture loss in your produce and a hygrometer can test the humidity in the refrigerator or walk-in to ensure that you keep it at the right levels. Our refrigerators and freezers are kept in premium condition, but the hygrometer (which can cost as little as $20) is a great tool to add to your cooking supplies.
Dark and Dry
Our last tip just goes to show how important water is in the food world; storing dry goods in dark and dry spaces will extend their shelf life more than most people realize! Dried foods can be kept up to 12 months in a cool, dark, and dry storage space depending on the food you are storing.
We’re Here to Help
Our years in the food industry business and operating a shared commercial kitchen rental service have provided with an extensive base of knowledge and we love to help our BLT Kitchens family! If you haven’t signed up with us yet, what is keeping you? Contact us today and let’s discuss the future of your budding food industry business.