Waste not, want not.

I'm first to admit that I can be quite bad at storing food and getting the most out of it but here are just a few tips that could save your food a bit longer and save you some money!


Bread - Store bread in a cupboard. Once opened, fold the wrapper under the loaf or re-tie to keep it airtight.






Potatoes - Remove from their plastic bag as this tends to make them 'sweat'. Instead, store them in a cool, dark place. Now this one I didn't know!

Tomatoes - For optimum taste, tomatoes should be stored and served at room temperature rather than in the fridge.







Fruit - Ripe fruit will last longer in the fridge, except bananas and pineapples - keep them in the fruit bowl.







Meat and fish - Cooked meat and fish will keep in the fridge for up to three days - (cool and leave no longer than 90 minutes, then wrap it well). Raw and cooked meat should be kept separate at all times. Store raw meat in a sealed container on the bottom shelf of the fridge so it can't touch or drip onto other food.





Using your freezer can also save you lots of time and money! You can freeze leftovers, stored reduced to clear foods or multibuys on breads, meats, etc.

• Make a chicken stock - Once you've used your meat, simmer the carcass in water with some celery, carrots, onion and herbs for 2-3 hours to make a stock. Measure into pint portions and freeze so you'll have a tasty base for soups, risottos and stews. If you don't have time to make the stock immediately, freeze the bones so you can do it later.

• Divide meat portions - Buying larger quantities of meat and fish can often work out cheaper. Simply divide up the packs into smaller portions and freeze. If you defrost raw meat and cook it thoroughly, you can freeze it again. Always defrost meat properly before cooking. Look out for offers in stores on selected packs for even more savings.

• Bread winners - You can blitz crusts and slices into breadcrumbs and freeze to use in stuffings or to make a crispy coating for strips of chicken or fish - dip in beaten egg, breadcrumbs, then bake or fry. Alternatively, you can use breadcrumbs for home-made meatballs or burgers - they act as a good binder for meat. They're also great for adding to the top of lasagne or cauliflower cheese. And it's always handy to keep a sliced loaf in the freezer. Pop a frozen slice into the toaster - it just takes a little longer to toast.

• Freeze fruit - Keep some frozen fruit in your freezer so that you can make a healthy drink at anytime. Frtui such as raspberries, strawberries, blueberries and kiwi fruit are ideal for smoothies and juices. Slice or cut larger fruits into chinks before freezing. Kick start your day by whizzing mango or summer berries with 300ml fruit juice in a liquidiser - apple juice works well!