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6 easy storage methods will 'make food last longer' and prevent mould
Reach Daily Express | September 17, 2025 3:39 PM CST

There's nothing more frustrating that finding that your food has gone bad and mouldy before you've had the chance to eat it.

While most people will know the basic food storage hacks to make food last longer, such as placing dairy and meat in the fridge while fruit and most veg can stay good in room temperature, there are some food storage methods that have been proven to boost the longevity of certain foods, making them stay fresh for longer.

If you are unsure about how to best store your foods, or want to know how you can help prevent your fresh food from going bad, a woman named Caroline, known online as 'Neat Caroline' has shared her top six food storage hacks in order to make her food last for longer.

"Here's some food storage tips to make your food last longer," she said at the start of her TikTok video.

She then went on to share her six top food storage hacks that you can implement in your home.

1. Don't store milk in the fridge door

Storing milk in your fridge door seems like a sensible idea, right? The carton fits perfectly inside the shelf and it's easy to access when you're making endless cups of tea per day. However, this might not be ideal if you want to make the milk stay fresh for as long as possible.

"Keep milk off the fridge door and on an upper or middle shelf," she said, explaining that these shelfs which will help keep the milk fresh for longer.

Different areas of your fridge have different temperatures. Since the door often moves open, it means that it gets exposed to room temperature more often, making it the warmest part of the fridge. Instead, you should aim to put milk and other dairy products on the top or middle shelves, which have been proven to have the ideal temperature for dairy products.

2. Store nuts in containers

If you want to get the most out of your nuts, it's important to store them properly. Many people keep nuts at room temperature-just like supermarkets do-but this is actually the wrong technique for keeping nuts fresh.

"Store nuts and seeds in airtight containers in the the fridge to keep them fresh for much longer," Caronline said, claiming that they will stay fresh for up to six months this way.

The refrigerator's coolness will keep the unsaturated fats within the nuts and seeds from breaking down, ultimately slowing down spoilage.

3. Cheese in parchement paper

While most people will know to store their cheese in the fridge, some experts are also recommending wrapping your cheeses in parchment paper in order to make them stay fresh for longer and prevent mould.

"Keep cheese wrapped in parchment paper, which allows it to breath while also preventing mould growth," Caroline said in her video.

Parchment paper or wax paper will allow the cheese to breathe and prevent additional moisture. You can also use cheese paper, but this is usually a more expensive option.

4. Move berries to glass container

"To keep your berries fresh, line a glass container with [a] paper towel, which absorbs moisture and prevents mould," she said.

She then went on to put the glass container in her fridge to make them last longer.

In the comment section, she went on to share that it's best to leave the berries unwashed, and only wash them when you want to eat them, as the added moisture of the water can cause the berries to rot or go mouldy.

5. Use salted butter if kept in room temperature

"If you like your butter at room temperature, use salted instead of unsalted butter so that it lasts longer," she said for her fifth tip.

The salt in the butter acts as a preservative, slowing microbial growth and preventing the butter from spoiling as quickly as unsalted butter.

However, if your kitchen is warm or the butter is not used within a few weeks, it's best to store it in the refrigerator to prevent it from going bad.

6 Keep fresh ginger in plastic bag

"Place ginger in a plastic bag with the air pushed out in a crisper drawer. This will keep out oxygen and moisture," she said, saying that this will help make it stay fresh for longer.

You can also freeze your ginger, which will allow it to stay fresh for months at a time.


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