TWO - Pantry and Fridge Storage

Here I am on another tip on how to make your life easy in the kitchen.
Cooking a quick and fresh meal can really be simple if you have the right ingredients .

THE PANTRY

This area needs to be dark, fresh and ventilated.
Organized shelves will allow you to check quickly what ingredients do you have.
It is also a good idea if you group your ingredients by product family:

For example:

all the different pastas

all the flours

all the rices

all the sauces and spices

Keep always, crackers (different kinds, I always have Melba toast, salt crackers or Mediterranean), pickles, olives, chutneys, a good olive oil and a good balsamic vinegar.

If you think, all this ingredients can be great for an appetizer - just add a good cheese or Pate or just a bunch of raw vegetables.

FREEZING

If you are freezing stocks or sauces this should be very well closed and stored on the colder shelf so it can freeze quicker.
The other good option is to use metal container as this will hold the cold and will freeze quicker.
Usually I take a Saturday per month to make my frozen foods.
I always make several sauces but mainly tomato sauce as it is something I use a lot, in pastas ,tomato rice, fish stew or really any kind of dish that requires tomato sauce. It keeps all the flavour for couple of weeks.
Best way to freeze this is to use the ice trays and make cubes of sauce or stocks. Then remove the cubes from the tray and place in a plastic bag. It is easier to store.

I also have meat balls which I keep raw but already flavoured (add some onion, salt, pepper, lemon juice, egg, bread and make balls). Freeze the balls on a tray and next day remove the meat balls to a plastic bag. Great with the tomato sauce too.

Keep always some frozen vegetables for an emergency - don't make it a routine but an exception as there's nothing better than fresh vegetables.

Remember that sometimes you cannot make your favorite dish because simple things are missing:

Keep lemon juice frozen (again make same process as with sauces and use the ice tray)

Keep a small box with frozen herbs for emergencies - remember that it is not possible to make «Clams Bolhão Pato» without coriander.

FRIDGE STORAGE - MEAT, FISH , VEGETABLES, CHEESE, DAIRY

Don't keep the meat more than 3 days in fridge.

Place the meat in a plate and cover with foil or film but leaving it loose so the meat can breath - place it in the colder shelf.

Fish - buy it same day or the day before you want to use it.

Vegetables - leave vegetables should be wrapped in humid cloth in the lower selves. Mushrooms should be kept in paper bags so it can breath. The herbs such as parsley, coriander, basil , etc. , will last longer if we cut off the stall, place it in a jar with water and cover with humid cloth or a plastic bag in the fridge.

Cheese and cold meats are usually sold in an hermetic bag. If so, you can keep it but with cheese, once open, place it in a cotton bag so it can breath and not sweat. Cold meats can be kept in film but not to tight.

Dairy products should be kept in the shelves and not the door, as once the fridge is open several times a day, this is the warmer place.