In this world, when we want to consume food of our choice, we search tips to make the food last longer. We are concerned about seasonal fruits and vegetables that are not available for the whole year. For example, in summers, we want Oranges and Strawberries etc. In winters, we want water melons, pomegranates etc. Due to technology, we can now enjoy all fruits and vegetables throughout the year. We can apply various tips to keep our food safe for long terms.
Many underdeveloped countries use old methods to store food for long terms, for example using herbs, salt, spices and vinegar etc. Several women who know home chores also adopt these methods to store food. Advancement in technology has helped to use various preservatives to store food. We have seen refrigeration, defrost and preservation strategies in successful homes of developing and underdeveloped countries. Some interesting tips are the following, which will help you a lot in preserving your favorite foods for long time durations.
1. Storing onions, ginger, olives and garlic for long term usage
If your home cooking requires usage of Garlic, Ginger, Olives and Onions, then some interesting tips are to firstly put all these contents in separate, clean and air tight containers. Second step is to add some salted water (brine), or add some lemon drops or olive oil or some vinegar. In this way, you can easily use any of these vegetables any time of the year. Refrigeration is suggested to avoid any fungal attacks on these vegetables.
2. Freezing meat
If you want to use meat for long time, it is recommended that you must have a working freezer that should not face load shedding or low voltage. Freezing point should be high and it’s always preferable to use meat within two weeks. When the meat is taken out for usage, it should either be fully used, or the part that has to be used, should be defrosted and remaining meat should be frozen again. Defrosting whole meat and putting back the remaining meat after defrosting, in freezer, will perish meat.
3. Mangoes preservation
It is usually suggested to harvest green mangoes from trees that have not ripped yet. Several chemical powders are available that help to ripen mangoes within a month. If you want to store mangoes for a longer time, it’s recommended to freeze green mangoes and to use them either as it is, in pickles or to wait for some time, till they become yellow. When the mangoes turn yellow, they can be used in desserts and meals.
4. Preserving cookies, oats, cereals, pulses and wheat
It’s suggested to use clean, air tight containers to preserve cookies, oats, cereals, pulses and wheat. In this way, chances of fungal attacks reduce. Also, the hardness or crispiness of any of these contents does not get affected.
5. Putting peeled potatoes or onions in water
You can put peeled potatoes in water for a long time to avoid iron rotting. It’s recommended to keep on changing water almost daily. In this way, potatoes can be used for longer time duration. Same procedure can also be adopted for onions.
6. Keeping celery in water
Celery is very sensitive. In order to use it for longer times, it’s recommended to put celery in a container filled with water. If the water is changed daily or thrice a week, then celery can be used for longer durations.
