HOW TO KEEP VEGETABLES FRESH LONGER - Daily Flasher
Do you want to know how to keep vegetables fresh longer? Storing vegetables the correct way will keep it fresh and keep it safe to consume. The simple tips below will help you to preserve them while maintaining its freshness as it is.
Wash the Lettuce thoroughly from the water. Remove any damaged, wilted, or damped leaves before washing.
Then dry the leaves well using a paper towel.
Cover the leaves in a paper towel and store it in polythene or an airtight plastic container.
Put the wrapped leaves in a crisper drawer of the refrigerator.
Replace the paper towel when it becomes soggy and wet. This method will help to keep the Lettuce fresh for 7-10 days.
Tomatoes grow in a warm climate hence need to be kept in the standard room temperature. Refrigeration can seriously affect the taste, color, and texture except for fully ripened tomatoes.
Fully ripened Tomatoes
Store the fully ripened tomatoes in a temperature between 55° F to 70° F. A wine cellar or a root cellar will serve this purpose.
In the absence of above items, keep the full ripened tomatoes in the refrigerator. Take out and provide them time to recover at room temperature before consumption.
Refrain from refrigerating unripe tomatoes. Keep them out in the standard room temperature.
To keep them fresh for longer, keep the stem side down until they finish ripening. Keeping the tomatoes upside down helps to stop moisture entering the tomato through the scar of the stem.
Remove the plastic bag the celery comes in and wrap the celery heads from aluminum foil (not too tight nor too loose).
Place them in the refrigerator (crisper drawer). This method will help the celery stalks to keep its freshness and crispiness as it is for 2-3 weeks.
How to keep Cucumbers fresh longer
Cucumbers usually get spoilt and do not stay fresh for long after you bring them home from the supermarket.
To overcome this, you can wrap each cucumber in a paper towel and put it all together in polythene or a plastic bag.
Put the bag with the cucumbers in the refrigerator. You will be able to keep them fresh for more than a week.
To overcome spinach getting slimy and rotten, you need to make sure you keep the leaves as dry as possible.
First, take the leaves and remove any damaged or wilted leaves.
Rinse the remaining leaves from water and dry them thoroughly using paper towels or a salad spinner.
Then place them in a clean container wrapped with paper towels. Finally, put them in the crisp drawer of the refrigerator.
This method will help you to keep spinach fresh for around 1-2 weeks.
How to keep Onions fresh longer
Onions tend to absorb moisture readily, and they may sprout if the humidity is too high.
Onions can be kept fresh for longer by keeping in a cool, dry, well-ventilated space.
Refrain putting onions in polythene bags as it will restrict ventilation. You can use mesh or net bags for this purpose.
Peeled onions need to be kept in an airtight container in the fridge. They can be kept fresh in the refrigerator for about two weeks.
Asparagus usually dries out when kept in the refrigerator for long.
Tie the asparagus bunch from a rubber band and cut an inch off the ends of the plants.
Place the plants in a jar of water. The jar should be filled with water up to one to two inches.
Cover the plants with a polythene bag and keep in the refrigerator. This method will keep the asparagus fresh for about a week.
Firstly cut off the green tops from the carrots as they tend to absorb moisture from the carrots.
Then dip the carrots in a container filled with water and refrigerate it. You need to replace the water if the water starts to look cloudy.
How to keep Potatoes fresh longer
Put the undamaged potatoes in a cardboard box, mesh, or net bag to allow adequate ventilation.
Store the potatoes in a humid and dark place with a temperature ranging from 45 to 50 F.
Regularly check the potatoes and remove any discolored or sprouted potatoes.
How to keep Garlic fresh longer
Garlic in a mesh
The ideal way to keep garlic fresh is in mesh or net bags at room temperature. Keep them at 60 to 65 degrees in moderate humidity.
Peeled cloves of garlic can be kept in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. This method will keep the garlic fresh for 1-2 weeks.
Click here to find out more about how to keep herbs fresh longer