It’s every woman’s headache to keep kitchen treasures from getting spoiled. You can’t possibly stuff all of your food items into the ice box to keep them fresh or preserve them for long. How to avoid sprouting of potatoes and onions? How best to retain the aroma of spices and masalas? How to save pulses from insects and mould?
Here are some kitchen tricks to preserve vegetables, fruits and leaves:
- Throw in an apple into your bag of potatoes to keep them from sprouting.
- Tomatoes arranged stalk down will stay fresh longer.
- A few neem twigs, dry turmeric or garlic cloves dropped into the rice box will drive insects away.
- Coriander leaves and asparagus wrapped in newspapers retain their freshness for days.
- Rasam and sambar powders stored in the freezer retain their aroma.
- Carrots with their tips chopped and wrapped in airtight bags stay fresh for long.
- Lemon preserved in a bowl of water in the fridge stays fresh for weeks.
- Bananas wrapped in black-coloured packets stay fresh in the fridge without turning dark.
- A piece of asafoetida inside the red chilli jar keeps insects at bay.
- Coffee powder in airtight packets stays fresh in the fridge for months.
- A dash of rice powder to the jar of salt keeps it from turning lumpy.
- A few grains of rice to the salt on your dining table keep it running smoothly.
- A piece of blotting paper at the bottom of the dish keeps pappadams free from mould and damp.
- Pour hot water over heavily soiled dishes and scrub them with lemon to remove grease and oil with ease.
- Storage containers for rice and pulses washed with a pinch of baking soda rids them of stench.
- Vaseline rubbed on to metal, wood and plastic surfaces keep them clean of accumulated grease and grime. Apply the Vaseline and wipe it away.
