It happens many times that we get a discount on food products, especially vegetables. In hurry, we grab them without thinking about the storage issues. However, vegetables should be consumed when fresh to enjoy all their benefits. Furthermore, the vegetables rot after a certain period of time and the only option left with us is to throw them. In this whole process, instead of saving money we end up wasting it. However, you can adopt certain techniques to preserve the vegetables for a longer period.
The vegetables are perishable food items i.e., their texture and nutritive value remain intact for only 2 or 3 days. However, proper storage techniques can increase the shelf-life of vegetables to even more days.
Here’s what you can do:
- First and foremost, buy vegetables only according to their purpose and needs. Do not buy too much for the sake of stacking or for saving money. Buying seasonal vegetables is better as they are more nutritious.
- Always store vegetables in a cool place and refrigerate them. If stored in hot temperature, then the bacteria start developing and breeding on the food item.
- Do not wash the vegetables before storing them. Such vegetables will rot early.
- While buying green leafy vegetables, ensure that the leaves are shiny, green and crisp. Yellow colored leaves have low nutritive value. To store them, wrap them in a moist cloth or in a polythene with holes in it and then keep inside the refrigerator.
- Never keep green vegetables in a newspaper or inside polythene without holes.
- Vegetables such as carrot, radish, etc., must be stored along with their leaves. This way, their leaves keep them fresh for a longer period of time.
- You can also freeze some of the vegetables such as mushrooms and peas. For freezing peas, you remove their outer covering and then store those rounded peas in a container inside a freezer.
- Potatoes and onions should not be stored in a fridge. Instead, they must be stored in a basket in a dry place away from sunlight. This way they’ll last longer.
- There are different ways to store ripe tomatoes and unripe tomatoes. The ripe ones should be stored at room temperature and away from sunlight and its stem side should be up. On the other hand, the unripe tomatoes should be kept with their stem down in a cardboard box.
So, these were some of the tips to properly store the veggies and increase their shelf-life. Follow these to avoid wastage of vegetables.
Image Sources: