Should I Refrigerated this, freeze it, or store it at room temperature ?

It seems like we are all sometimes confused about what is best.

Inspired by the butter thread, BTW !

I do butter this way, I don't use very much of it all often for months at a time, but when I use it, I use a lot of it.

I always buy unsalted butter when on sale, like 5-6 at a time, one stick in the refrigerator, freeze the rest, I'll take the stick out and soften it if I plan on using it, then return it.

I buy so much of it because at times , like now when seafood like lobsters, mussels, clams, scallops,etc. Are available cheap...I need clarified ( aka drawn butter), anything less is so gauche, and of course fresh lemon.

You only get a few ounces out of a pound of butter when you clarify it, so it goes damn quick !

A lot of other items are very iffy to most people.

I looked this stuff up, verified

Nuts like peanuts, cashews, and such go like this...

Room temp....a month
Fridge...6 months
Freezer... A year

That's new to me

Personally I refrigerate catsup after it's opened, pull it out an hour or two before use, return to fridge

Mayo stays in fridge, use return instantly, mustard goes back in fridge, treat it like ketchup, same for salad dressing and similar Stuff

I never refrigerate peanut butter, too hard to spread, but I guess I would refrigerate it if I had like 6 jars of it, and leave one out

Bread, I leave a small amount at room temp, freeze the rest.

I have tons of refrigeration, I live alone have a full size refrigerator, a half size fridge, and a good size chest freezer big enough for a small body....if I were some insane homicidal maniac ?...only kidding, guys !

Some more weird stuff about food storage in awhile

What about Parmesan cheese? Some restaurants leave it sitting out on each table in those shaker bottles. But most people refrigerate it

Doug said:

It seems like we are all sometimes confused about what is best.

Inspired by the butter thread, BTW !

I do butter this way, I don't use very much of it all often for months at a time, but when I use it, I use a lot of it.

I always buy unsalted butter when on sale, like 5-6 at a time, one stick in the refrigerator, freeze the rest, I'll take the stick out and soften it if I plan on using it, then return it.

I buy so much of it because at times , like now when seafood like lobsters, mussels, clams, scallops,etc. Are available cheap...I need clarified ( aka drawn butter), anything less is so gauche, and of course fresh lemon.

You only get a few ounces out of a pound of butter when you clarify it, so it goes damn quick !

A lot of other items are very iffy to most people.

I looked this stuff up, verified

Nuts like peanuts, cashews, and such go like this...

Room temp....a month
Fridge...6 months
Freezer... A year

That's new to me

Personally I refrigerate catsup after it's opened, pull it out an hour or two before use, return to fridge

Mayo stays in fridge, use return instantly, mustard goes back in fridge, treat it like ketchup, same for salad dressing and similar Stuff

I never refrigerate peanut butter, too hard to spread, but I guess I would refrigerate it if I had like 6 jars of it, and leave one out

Bread, I leave a small amount at room temp, freeze the rest.

I have tons of refrigeration, I live alone have a full size refrigerator, a half size fridge, and a good size chest freezer big enough for a small body....if I were some insane homicidal maniac ?...only kidding, guys !

Some more weird stuff about food storage in awhile

Click to expand...

If you clarify a pound of butter you should yield around 1.5 cups (12 oz) of finished product not a few ounces. I make my own all the time. I also will make beef tallow from rendered beef fat and cook with that. It's fantastic. On another note I leave butter out all the time and never had a problem. I put sticks at a time in a butter dish and it sits in the cabinet next to my stove. I don't use it all that fast either. It may sit there for 3-4 weeks before its all gone, no biggie.

i put everything open in the fridge

i put a big glob of peanut butter on my bread then use the toaster oven to toast bread and melt the peanut butter all in one fell swoop.

Peanuts at room temperature.

I just never keep them longer than the expiration date.

Of course, you should keep it in refrigerator.

A lot of people I know refrigerate tomatoes, which is a huge never for me. Only exception is if they are cut.

Redagger029 said:

Peanuts at room temperature.

I just never keep them longer than the expiration date.

Click to expand...

Expiration dates are another thing, most Stuff is good far beyond expiration/ best by/ or whatever date. Some food type products are good basically forever like salt, baking soda, honey,rice,etc.

Canned stuff is often good 1-2 years later

There is no point in rotating stock for many products like paper products, cleaning supplies like bleach, laundry soap, etc, unopened distilled spirits like whiskey don't expire

Milk is generally good to consume one week past sell by date, you'll know if it has turned with one sip....sometimes 3 days before date on package, sometimes 10 days after

I like to age pears for about 2 weeks before consumption, bananas last no more than 3 days

A lot of food is wasted with improper storage or phobias about dates

In general I say don't be afraid to freeze something, excluding produce, refrigeration is often not needed, but usually not contra-indicacated, exceptions being things like bananas,bread,etc.

Most stuff , especially unopened even if slightly pershiable like condiments likely stores better long term refrigerated, I will use this for nuts or freeze them if stocking up

Probably no benefit or detriment to things with dates 6 months+ out like cereal, pop, canned goods, likely preferable if you happen to be running a walk in refrigerator at your home and have that kind of cold storage availability

Cold storage is great, but I wouldn't go crazy with it without a backup power supply.

There is no great need for the average person to have ridiculous refrigeration abilities, but it sure is nice to be able to fire it up if your redneck buddy, Bubba bags a buck and offers up some venison, or a friend has a great day fishing