Finding an excellent grocery deal is satisfying. Discovering it behind the rice cooker eighteen months later is rather less triumphant.
Good storage helps protect product quality and ensures your BB4D bargains are actually enjoyed.
Follow the manufacturer’s directions
Always read the storage instructions on the original packaging.
Some products must be refrigerated after opening. Others need to remain in a cool, dry place. “The bench near the sunny window” is generally not a recognised storage system.
Check packaging before storing
Before placing a product in your pantry, inspect its condition.
Do not use products with broken seals, leaks, swelling, significant damage, mould, unusual odours or other signs of spoilage. Contact BB4D promptly if an order arrives damaged.
Put earlier dates at the front
Use a simple first in, first out system.
Place products with earlier best-before dates at the front of the shelf and newer purchases behind them. This transforms the pantry from an archaeological site into something approaching a working system.
Keep products visible
Deep shelves are where good intentions go to retire.
Use baskets or simple category groups such as:
- Breakfast
- Pasta and rice
- Sauces
- Baking
- Snacks
- Canned products
Avoid overfilling shelves to the point where nothing can be seen without structural engineering.
Label opened products
When moving food into an airtight container, keep the original date and preparation instructions. Write the opening date on the container when useful.
Never transfer an unlabelled mystery powder into a decorative jar and expect Future You to solve the case.
Plan around what you have
Before shopping, check the products with the earliest dates and build one or two meals around them.
Pasta, canned tomatoes, beans, sauces and grains are particularly easy to combine with fresh ingredients.
Buy an amount you can reasonably use
Bulk buying may lower the unit price, but only when the products are used.
Choose quantities that suit your household, storage space and eating habits. BB4D exists to reduce food waste, not relocate it from a warehouse to the back of your cupboard.
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