Food Storage Tips: Video Series

Refrigerators prevent food from spoiling by controlling the temperature and the humidity. A little bit of humidity will keep fruits and vegetables from rotting quickly. Set the humidity level for the fruit and vegetable bin on a refrigerator with help from an executive chef in this free video on food storage.

Freeze crabs whole and uncleaned if they are going to be frozen for more than six months. To freeze crabs for a short period of time, clean and portion out the crab for a meal before freezing. Avoid throwing parts of the crab away by making a stock with different parts using instructions from an executive chef in this free video on seafood.

The best way to know when a peach is ripe is to look at the color; peaches should be a darker red when they are completely ripe. Make sure the texture of a peach is consistent throughout with advice from an executive chef in this free video on fruits.

Coffee beans can be stored in the freezer as long as they haven't been ground. Never keep coffee beans in the refrigerator because the humidity will ruin the fresh aroma. Keep coffee beans or grounds in an airtight container in the dark with tips from an executive chef in this free video on coffee.

Fresh parsley will last up to two weeks in the refrigerator depending on how the humidity is in the vegetable drawer of the fridge. Keep parsley wrapped in a damp towel to extend its life with advice from an executive chef in this free video on food storage.

Bread will stay the freshest if it is kept in a thin, clear bag that has no writing on it. Prevent air from getting to bread, but allow in the light. Learn more about storing bread properly with information from an executive chef in this free video on food storage.

Chocolate can be frozen because its main ingredients, milk, eggs and sugar, can all be blended and frozen without a problem. Wrap chocolate in foil before freezing, and make sure to label what type of chocolate it is with tips from an executive chef in this free video on chocolate.

Cheddar cheese should not be frozen because it has a high water content, which causes ice crystals to form and ruin the flavor and texture of the cheese. Find out why soft, white cheeses can be frozen if they are packaged properly with information from an executive chef in this free video on cheese.

Freeze blackberries in one of two ways: combine the blackberries with a sugar and water mixture before freezing, or layer the berries on a damp paper towel in an air tight container. Find out which way of freezing blackberries works best for different types of cooking with information from an executive chef in this free video on food storage.

Store ginger root at room temperature with foil covering any cut or exposed pieces of the ginger. Avoid drying out ginger from keeping it in the refrigerator with advice from an executive chef in this free video on food storage.

Store fresh parsley by leaving it alone for the first two days, then taking it out of the original bag, clipping the ends of the stems and wrapping it completely in wet paper towels. Put the wrapped parsley in an open bag, replacing the paper towels every few days, with instructions from an executive chef in this free video on food storage.

Dry fresh rosemary by laying the stalks of rosemary flat on a counter for a day, removing the rosemary leaves and letting the leaves sit in the sun for several hours. Use a dry frying process to dry rosemary quickly with instructions from an executive chef in this free video on rosemary.

Keep cigarettes fresh by keeping them in the sealed package and avoiding contact with a refrigerator or freezer. Learn how the humidity of a refrigerator makes cigarettes go stale with information from an executive chef in this free video on cigarettes.

The best way to keep strawberries fresh is to put them on a counter at room temperature and rotate the bottom strawberries to the top every so often. Allow air flow to a strawberry container, and do not cut the stems off until they are ready to be eaten. Find out more about storing strawberries with advice from an executive chef in this free video on strawberries.

Store blueberries by removing them from the store container, putting the berries in a Ziploc bag and refrigerating the bag in the fruit bin. Set the humidity control of a refrigerator fruit bin properly to keep blueberries fresh with help from an executive chef in this free video on food storage.

Store strawberries in a wooden bowl on the counter top, rotating the berries at the bottom of the bowl every day. Do not leave strawberries out for more than three days with advice from an executive chef in this free video on food storage.