How can we maintain optimum freshness and quality of starch and cereal dishes according to standards and operating procedures.

    

     Corn, wheat, rice, and oats are favorite grains for making cereals. All cereals keep best in airtight containers that keep out moisture, dust and insects. At home, a tightly sealed plastic bag is sufficient protection. Always look for a “use-by” date on the package. Crispness can be restored to ready-to-eat cereal by spreading it in a baking pan and putting it in a 350 °F oven for 5 minutes. Instant hot cereals keep up to one year in their original box, but a tightly covered container is better. Since whole-grain cereals are rich in natural oils, purchase containers that do not have a rancid odor. Store whole-grain cereals in tightly covered containers or sealed plastic bags in the refrigerator where they should remain fresh for 5 months. When stored at room temperature, they will stay fresh one month. And just same to starch that must be keep in airtight containers 

: Example images on how to proper storing in starch and cereals

: Here are some examples on how to maintain freshness and quality of a  starch and cereals dishes ( tips).

-In starch dish

Cooked pasta ( pasta noodles)

•         Pour the noodles  into a colander. Allow mush as moisture as possible to drain. Noodles left in standing water become overly soft and mushy.
•         Sprinkle 1tsp. salad oil over the noodles. Toss the pasta so the noodles are evenly coated in the oil. Salad oil prevents the pasta from sticking together.
•         Place the pasta in a tight-sealed container. Store in the refrigerator for three to five days.
•         Cooked pasta can be stored unsauced in an airtight container and refrigerated separate from the pasta and can be stored for 6 or 7 days. This prevents the pasta from soaking up too much flavor and oil from the sauce, which causes the taste of the pasta to be drowned out. If the pasta is stored together with the sauce, it should be eaten within 1 or 2 days to limit the amount of sauce that is absorbed. If cooked pasta is not going to be used within the suggested time period, it should be frozen and then it can be stored for approximately 3 months. Frozen cooked pasta should be thawed in the refrigerator and not on the kitchen counter.

 

-In cereal dish

Oatmeal  

•         Unopened dry oatmeal should be stored in a cool, clean and dry place.
•         Opened oatmeal ought to be stored tightly covered in a resealable plastic bag or in a plastic or glass container. It is best practice to use opened oatmeal within one year.
•         Dry oatmeal can also be stored in a freezer bag in the freezer for one year. Your freezer should be at 0 degrees Fahrenheit.
•         The “best by” or “best if used by” dates are really quality suggestions. The oatmeal after this date would still be safe if it was stored properly. Oatmeal can develop an off smell or flavor depending on where and how it was stored. So always look at, and smell, the dry oatmeal that you will be using.

: watch this video for more idea on how to proper storing and well organize.