How do you keep F&B ingredients fresh and high-quality?

1 Know your ingredients

Different types of ingredients have different shelf lives, storage requirements, and quality indicators. You should familiarize yourself with the characteristics and conditions of each ingredient you use, and follow the manufacturer's or supplier's instructions and recommendations. For example, some ingredients need to be refrigerated, frozen, or kept in a cool, dry, and dark place, while others can be stored at room temperature or in airtight containers. Some ingredients have expiration dates, use-by dates, or best-before dates, while others rely on visual, tactile, or olfactory cues to determine their freshness and quality.

2 Rotate your stock

One of the simplest and most effective ways to keep F&B ingredients fresh and high-quality is to rotate your stock regularly. This means using the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method, which ensures that you use the oldest ingredients first and the newest ones last. This way, you avoid spoilage, contamination, and wastage of ingredients, and maintain consistent quality and flavor in your products. To implement the FIFO method, you should label and date your ingredients when you receive them, and store them in an organized and accessible manner, so that you can easily identify and retrieve them.

3 Control your temperature

Temperature is a key factor that affects the freshness and quality of F&B ingredients. Too high or too low temperatures can cause ingredients to deteriorate, lose their nutritional value, or become unsafe to consume. Therefore, you should monitor and control the temperature of your storage areas, such as refrigerators, freezers, pantries, and display cases, and make sure they are within the optimal range for each ingredient. You should also avoid exposing ingredients to temperature fluctuations, such as opening and closing the fridge door frequently, or leaving ingredients out of the fridge for too long.

4 Handle with care

How you handle F&B ingredients can also impact their freshness and quality. You should follow proper hygiene and sanitation practices, such as washing your hands, wearing gloves, using clean utensils and equipment, and avoiding cross-contamination between raw and cooked ingredients. You should also handle ingredients gently and carefully, and avoid bruising, crushing, or damaging them. For example, you should wash fruits and vegetables gently under running water, peel and cut them only when needed, and store them in perforated bags or containers to allow air circulation.

5 Use wisely

Finally, you should use F&B ingredients wisely and creatively, to make the most of their freshness and quality. You should plan your menu and production according to the availability and seasonality of ingredients, and use them in ways that showcase their flavor, texture, and appearance. You should also use ingredients in order of their perishability, and use up any leftover or excess ingredients in soups, salads, sauces, or other dishes. You can also preserve ingredients by freezing, drying, canning, pickling, or fermenting them, to extend their shelf life and add variety to your products.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?