Storage: Dry and Humid

Ideally, every home should have two food-storage areas—one of high humidity for fresh foods, and one of low humidity for preserved foods.

Fresh fruits and vegetables need a humid storage place so they do not give up moisture to the room. Apples and other produce will thus stay fresh and moist. Brown sugar also fares better in a humid place. Root cellars or winter storage pits qualify as humid areas.

On the other hand, white sugar should be stored in a dry place or it will turn lumpy. The sugar should also be put into tightly closed containers. Foods stored in the utility room with the washer and dryer will need protection from the extra moisture. Dry storage areas are usually inside the home: closets, cupboards, and bedrooms.

Foods that store best in a dry place are canned or bottled foods; wheat, corn, rice, and other grains; flour and all cereals; dry beans and peas; dry milk and dehydrated foods; white sugar; and salt and seasonings.—Kay Franz, instructor in Food Science and Nutrition, Brigham Young University