Sometimes you need only a dollop of ricotta to spiff up a swirl of pasta or to make a better meatball. Then the unused cheese doesn’t keep very long if you just pop the plastic container back into the fridge. Here’s what to do…

Once you open a plastic container of ricotta, cottage cheese or sour cream, you can do one of two things to prolong its staying power—either transfer the unused portion to a glass jar with a screw-on lid and refrigerate…or leave the cheese in its original container but store it upside down in the refrigerator. This prolongs freshness by creating a vacuum at the top of the container that helps reduce bacterial growth. Upside down, it should keep for up to three weeks rather than the usual week or so. Just make sure that the lid is on tight or you’ll have some extra cleaning to do down below!

More ways to save on your food bill…

• Keep Leafy Greens Greener Longer
• How Sell-by-Dates Create Food Waste
• Growing the Right Vegetables Can Save You $$$

 

Source: Joan Wilen and Lydia Wilen are health investigators based in New York City who have spent decades collecting "cures from the cupboard." They are authors of Bottom Line's Treasury of Home Remedies & Natural Cures and Bottom Line's Household Magic. They are authors of the free e-letter Household Magic Daily Tips. 

Date: August 1, 2009

Publication: Bottom Line's Household Magic

See this post online at: https://www.bottomlineinc.com/life/money-savers/make-your-cottage-cheese-last-longer