Having purchased for nutriment and in sufficiently large quantities to secure bulk rates, careful storage is the next step in the prevention of waste.  Flour, cereals and meals become wormy if they are not kept in clean, covered utensils and in a cool place.  Milk becomes sour, especially in summer.  This can be prevented by scalding it as soon as received, cooling quickly, and storing in a cold place in covered, well-scalded receptacles.  Sour milk should not be thrown out.  It is good in biscuits, gingerbread, salad dressings, cottage cheese, pancakes or waffles, and bread making.

Meats should not be left in their wrappings.  Much juice soaks into the paper, which causes a loss of flavor and nutriment.  Store all meat in a cool place and do not let flies come in contact with it.

Bread often molds, especially in warm, moist weather.  Trim off moldy spots and heat through.  Keep the bread box sweet by scalding and sunning once a week.

Cheese molds.  Keep in a cool, dry place.  If it becomes too dry for table use, grate for sauces or use in scalloped dishes.

Winter vegetables wilt and dry out.  Store in a cool place.  If cellar space permits, place in box of sand, sawdust or garden earth.

Potatoes and onions sprout.  Cut off the sprouts as soon as they appear and use for soup.  Soak, before using, vegetables which have sprouted.

Fruits must be stored carefully so as to keep the skins unbroken.  Broken spots in the skin cause rapid decay.  Do not permit good fruit to remain in contact with specked or rotted fruit.  Stored fruit should be looked over frequently and all specked or rotted fruit removed.  Sweet potatoes are an exception.  Picking over, aggravates the trouble.  See that these vegetables are carefully handled at all times; if rot develops, remove only those that can be reached without danger of bruising the sound roots.  Sweet potatoes may also be stored like fruit by spreading over a large surface and separating the tubers so that they do not touch each other.

Berries should be picked over as soon as received and spread on a platter or a large surface to prevent crushing and to allow room for circulation of air.

Lettuce and greens wilt.  Wash carefully as soon as received and use the coarse leaves for soup.  Shake the water from the crisp portions and store in a paper bag in a cold refrigerator.

Lemons when cut often grow moldy before they are used.  When lemons are spoiling, squeeze out the juice, make a syrup of one cup of sugar and one cup of water, boil ten minutes and add lemon juice in any amount up to one cup.  Bring to boiling point and bottle for future use.  This bottled juice may be used for puddings, beverages, etc.  If only a small amount of juice is needed, prick one end of a lemon with a fork.  Squeeze out the amount needed and store the lemon in the ice-box.

When we come to waste caused by careless preparation we may be reminded of the miracle of the loaves and fishes—­how all the guests were fed and then twelve baskets were gathered up.  Often after preparation that which is gathered up to be thrown away is as large in quantity and as high in food value as the portions used.