There are many ways to store your food and keep them fresh because the healthier a food is, the shorter its shelf life. Here are a few tips on how to keep your food fresh:
Fruits & Vegetables You Should Store in the Fridge:
- Leafy Greens
- Berries
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Ripe fruits and vegetables
- Fresh herbs
- Citrus fruits
- Apples
- Asparagus
Fruits & Vegetables You Should Leave at Room Temperature:
- Tomatoes
- Potatoes
- Onions
- Squash
- Garlic
- Yams
- Bananas
- Unripe fruits & vegetables (allow them to ripen first, that transfer them to the fridge)
- Store coffee beans in the freezer
Excess coffee beans that you don’t use in the next few weeks will stay fresh in a freezer as long as you keep them in an airtight container. Just remember to let the frozen beans thaw completely before opening the container. - Wrap leafy greens in paper
Greens, like lettuce, herbs, and spinach, tend to bruise easily. Because they are fragile and have a high water content, they tend to wilt fast when exposed to air, heat, and humidity.
To keep your greens crisp and blemish-free, do the following:
- Gently wash the leaves in cool water or use a vegetable cleanser.
- Pat them gently between sheets of paper towels or place them in a salad spinner to remove excess water.
- Wrap the leaves up in a clean paper towel. Do this to them in batches. (Tip: Make each batch good for one portion so that you can grab it for your next salad).
- Please place them in a Ziploc bag or an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator.
- Keep citrus fruits cold.
Citrus fruits have porous skin, as you might notice with the many small holes they have on their peels. These breathable air pockets make citrus fruits dry out very quickly when they are exposed to warm temperatures. To preserve your citrus fruits, place them in the refrigerator. Because it is easier to squeeze out the juice when your oranges and lemons are warm, bring them to room temperature before juicing them. - Storing Apples and Pears.
After cutting apples and pears, you may notice that they turn brown pretty easily. This is due to the oxidation reaction of their enzymes with the air — it makes the fruit become discoloured. To avoid browning, spray or soak your apple and pear slices in a water and lemon or vinegar solution. This solution also helps make your fruit slices stay crisp and last longer.
To make the fruit soak:
- Combine 1 cup of water with 1/4 cup lemon juice or vinegar.
- Place the mixture in a bowl and allow the apples and pears to soak for a minute. You can also put the solution into a spray bottle and spray it onto your fruit slices.
TIP: If you don’t like the taste and smell of vinegar, you can put your fruits in fresh orange juice instead.
- Store avocado in water.
Like fruits like apples, bananas, and pears, avocado flesh tends to brown once it’s been cut open. This is due to a process called oxidation. Browning occurs when the enzymes found in certain fruits are exposed to oxygen. Storing an avocado face-down in a container with some water and a spritz of something acidic, such as lemon juice or vinegar, can prevent it from browning too fast and will help keep the fruit fresh for longer.
What other food do you know how to store properly? Kindly let us know in the comment.
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