Home Hacks: 5 Ways To Keep Your Groceries Fresh For Longer

The pandemic surely has us spending more time at home over the year and a half. With work from home being the new norm, we’ve spent some quality time in the kitchen. And for what it’s worth, some of us even managed to discover our culinary skills during this period. 

In fact, the Circuit Breaker period in Singapore made us spend most of our time at home. So much so that some of us have turned into ‘circuit bakers’ lately.

Staying at home and stocking up in the past year also brought challenges on how to store foods for longer periods. After all, foods are perishable that make them distinctly different from buying toilet paper rolls in bulk.

While dry grains are easy to manage, it’s the fruits and vegetables that take some effort. And your refrigerator comes to the rescue right at this moment. The cool box is an extremely handy tool when it comes to storing perishable foods. But you can extend the life of fruits and vegetables even further by storing them correctly in the fridge. 

Wondering how to keep vegetables fresh longer? We’ve compiled some tips to make your life in the kitchen easier.

How To Keep Vegetables Fresh Longer In Fridge

Different types of food items require separate attention and knowing your basics around these food groups will help keep your fruits and veggies fresh for longer. Here are some fundamentals that you must always remember:

1. Store certain fruits and vegetables separately from others

Different types of fruits and vegetables produce different gases, which can cause non-similar produce to go bad quickly.

• Highly gaseous produce like apples, bananas, and avocados, should be stored by themselves.
• Less gaseous produce like broccoli, carrots, and potatoes, can be stored with each other but should still be kept away separately.
• Other produce like bell peppers, berries, and kale, can be stored pretty much anywhere.

2. Don’t wash produce before storing it in the fridge

By adding moisture to the produce, you’re speeding up the decaying process. So wait to wash the vegetables and fruits until you’re ready to eat them.

3. Avoid storing mushrooms in plastic

Plastic traps moisture causing them to spoil faster. Instead, store them in a paper bag or cardboard box in either a cool dry place or in the refrigerator.

Wrapping the stem of bananas in clingwrap can keep them fresh for longer. Banana stems produce ethylene gas, which makes the fruit ripen faster.

4. Avoid storing bread in plastic

Plastic will make bread get stale and mouldy faster. If you want to keep bread for a while, it’s best to put it in the freezer, then toast it when you’re ready to eat.

5. Freeze vegetables to store them for a long period

If you’re wondering how to keep vegetables fresh longer, freezing them is a sure shot way to extend the shelf life. It helps preserve nutrients and the taste too. 

But before you freeze them, you will need to blanch the vegetables.

• Boil the whole set or cut them up into pieces and boil them for a minute or two. 
• Immediately place them in ice-cold water to stop the cooking process.
• This will help your vegetables from the freezer burn and will keep the veggies ready to eat for at least up to a year.
• Experts do not recommend freezing vegetables like artichokes, Belgian endive, eggplant, lettuce greens, potatoes (other than mashed), radishes, sprouts and sweet potatoes.

The article was first published on AsiaOne and republished on theAsianparent with permission. 

Source: Unlockfood

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