keeping vegetables fresh

Proper food storage and handling are two of the most important things that we should learn, especially now that we’re on lockdown because of the coronavirus. So, when it comes to storage, let’s focus on how you can keep your fruits and vegetables fresh. 

 

Green Leafy Vegetables

Rinse the leafy vegetables and then wrap it with a paper towel or tea towel. Place the wrapped vegetables in a sealed plastic bag, or you can store it in the vegetable container of your fridge. 

Asparagus should also be stored this way. You need to keep the moisture of the stalk by wrapping it with a paper towel and must be positioned upright. 

Always wash your green leafy vegetables right after you come home. Properly store it immediately to ensure that it’s kept fresh longer. Also, wash your greens even if you’re told that it’s already pre-washed. 

 

Keeping Squash and Root Vegetables Fresh

Not all vegetables want to be stored inside your fridge, like squash and root vegetables. These vegetables should be stored in a cool and dark place like a cupboard or a root cellar. On the other hand, pumpkins, onions, garlic, and sweet potatoes should be stored in a cool and dark place. 

 

Keeping Your Tomatoes Fresh

Tomatoes should not be placed from direct sunlight. Also, avoid placing it inside your fridge because it stays fresh when stored at room temperature. It’s best if you buy green tomatoes and just let it ripe evenly at room temperature. You can then move your ripe tomatoes and store them in your fridge. 

 

Cherries, Figs, Pears, Peaches and More

These fruits, including ripe avocadoes, kiwi, and strawberries, grapes, and apricots should be store in your fridge to keep them fresh. It also extends their shelf-life if you keep them in the refrigerator and wash them with vinegar. 

Then add in the bowl cold or room temperature water and let it sit. Lastly, rinse the fruits in a colander and gently dry each fruit with a paper towel. Then, make sure that you don’t reuse carton storage, you can just place it in a container lined with paper towels to soak the moisture. 

 

Bananas, Lemons, Limes, and Mangoes to Keep them Fresh

Including pineapples, oranges, papaya, grapefruit, and watermelon should be stored on top of your counter. However, avoid direct sunlight on the fruits. Place the fruits on a ventilated bowl to prevent moisture. 

Do not store these fruits in a container or sealed bags. This will only speed the decaying process of the fruits. 

 

Freeze Your Fruits Vegetables

Now that we’re on lockdown, we can safely say that we have to make sure that our supplies last longer, which means that we need to keep the fruits and vegetables fresh, too. If you can’t eat it right away, then you can freeze your vegetables and fruits. To do this:

 

For Vegetables: Boil the vegetables first either whole or cut for 1 – 2 minutes. Immediately place the vegetables in ice-cold water to stop the cooking process. This is called the blanched process that can keep the vegetable fine for up to a year. However, not all vegetables can be blanched, and these include artichokes, Belgian endive, eggplant, lettuce greens, mashed vegetables, radishes, and sprouts.

 

For Fruits: Peel and chop the fruits and toss them into freezer bags, but don’t dump it in one big freezer bag. Freeze small portions only, which you can toss into the blender to make a smoothie. 

 

It’s essential to learn how to store food properly, especially during lockdown. How about you? Share with us any other tricks and steps to keep food fresh – share it in the comments below.