Home-cooked meal is, without doubt, the best food one can ever ask for. You can ensure its quality from the scratch to the last bite. But the thing with fresh food is, its raw ingredients can get spoiled easily.
Take, for example, fruits and vegetables. Within days, they can get spoiled, withered and rotten even if stored in the refrigerator. Isn’t it such a hassle to go to the market every day? Are there any ways for them to stay fresh longer?
How to Preserve Vegetables Longer?
Did you know? Without using any chemical or preservative, you can keep your vegetables longer to at least a week of storage. There are many ways to do that and for each vegetable, it is different. The least materials you will need are a food container with lid and kitchen tissue.
How to Preserve Leafy Greens and Cruciferous Vegetables Longer?
To keep the leafy green and cruciferous vegetables longer, just follow these steps:
- Clean and dry the container well.
- Place a kitchen tissue in it.
- Put the vegetables on the tissue without washing it.
- Place another layer of tissue on top of it.
- Place the lid well.
- Store it in the refrigerator.
This way; kale, spinach, mustard greens, broccoli and all sort of leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables can be kept longer. The trick is to make sure you don’t wash it and store it in a closed container.
From time to time, check on the tissue and replace it as its function is to absorb the moisture inside the container.
If you don’t have a suitable food container, you can opt for a zip lock bag. As long as it is clean, dry and sealable, then you are good to go.
How to Preserve Marrow Vegetables Longer?
Marrow vegetables usually take longer to get spoiled even if placed outside the refrigerator. Take for example, pumpkin. You can put it on a dry shelf and it will stay fresh to at least a few days.
While for some marrow vegetables like cucumber, they are more suitable to be stored like those leafy greens. However, some do have a different opinion about this. Based from their experience, cucumber can stay fresh longer when wrapped with plastic wrap before storing it in the refrigerator.
Well, how about trying both methods and see which one did you prefer?
How to Preserve Root Vegetables Longer?
How about root vegetables? Well, root vegetables are much easier to be preserved than other vegetables. Some can be stored in a room temperature without refrigerators, such as potato and sweet potato:
- Brush off any dirt and soil around them.
- Put them in the basket.
- Place it somewhere cool and dark place.
Beet can also be stored like this except that you have to place a damp towel/tissue on top of it because it needs to be kept moist always.
While for some root vegetables such as carrot, radish, turnip and parsnip, they do need to be refrigerated. You can try this method to keep these vegetables in the fridge:
- Brush off any dirt and soil.
- Wrap a damp towel/tissue around them.
- Place them in an open container.
- Put it in the refrigerator.
For this method, you have to make sure from time to time that the towel is always damp as they will stay fresh longer if kept moist.
However, do note that for root vegetables, you have to cut off their greens first before anything else. And for the greens, you can store them like how you preserve those leafy greens.
How to Preserve Allium Vegetables Longer?
For allium vegetables, people hardly have problems in storing it as they do not get spoiled that easy. This is because allium vegetables such as garlic and onion can just be stored in a room temperature at a dry place. It is that easy.
Especially in Asian countries, these vegetables are considered as basic cooking ingredients. If you use them in your everyday cooking, there is a much easier way for you:
- Peel of the garlic/onion skin.
- Wash them clean.
- Cut them into smaller pieces.
- Put it in the blender and add cooking oil until it is totally immersed.
- Blend it until smooth.
- Put it in a jar/food container that is airtight.
- Store it in the refrigerator.
This way, you can preserve it longer and save more time when you want to cook. Whenever you need it, just take it out of the refrigerator and scoop the amount needed.
However, do remember to always use a dry and clean spoon every time you scoop it. Else, it will get spoiled easily. Preserving it this way will last for a week at least as the oil itself, act as a preservative.
While, for some allium vegetables such as leek, chives and scallion, you can preserve it by storing them in the freezer:
- Clean it well.
- Cut it into few parts.
- Put them separately in zip locks and zip them well.
- Place them in the freezer.
Whenever you need it, take out the amount needed. In cooking, they are usually used as garnishes. Usually, these vegetables are used in a small quantity only, thus, that is why you need to store them in parts.
How to Preserve Stem Vegetables Longer?
For stem vegetables such as lemongrass and celery, you will need an airtight jar/food container:
- Clean them well.
- Put them in a jar.
- Fill it with clean water up to half.
- Place it in the refrigerator.
Take them out whenever you need it. And remember, from time to time, do change the water to maintain its freshness.
It is not that hard to preserve your vegetables, isn’t it? Preserve your vegetables well and try it with these kitchen hacks to make your life easier!
Provided your methods are suitable, you can now cook happily without having to trouble yourself from going to the market everyday!