Many people cut vegetables on holidays and store them for later use, in their refrigerator. While dieticians often say this can result in the veggies losing their nutritional value considerably, time-pressed families can't help resorting to such measures for ease of work in the kitchen. There are certain methods you can employ to make veggies stay fresh and packed with nutrition, for a longer time.
Don’t wash vegetables
Strange as it may sound, avoid washing vegetables to extend their life. This is because the presence of water could lead to spoilage. The best way to store fresh vegetables is to keep them sealed in ziplock covers in the refrigerator. They could be removed from the covers before cooking, cleaned and used.
Avoid water content
The presence of water in cut vegetables leads to the growth of bacteria. In order to prevent this situation, wipe the cut vegetables properly with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel before storing them in the fridge. Moreover, a paper towel could be laid at the bottom of the container in which the cut vegetables are kept. The paper towel will absorb any moisture remaining in the vegetable pieces.
Separate containers
Take care not to store in a single container, fruits and vegetables which emit ethylene gas as decay could set in earlier. Tomato, avocado and plantain should be kept separately. Leafy vegetables, broccoli and carrots also get damaged easily and should never be stored in the same container.
Blanching vegetables
Blanching is another method to store vegetables for a long time. The procedure is as follows:
Immerse vegetables in boiling water and immediately wash them in ice water. Remove the water content thoroughly and store it in an airtight container in the freezer.
Remove air
While storing vegetables which are cut into pieces in airtight containers or Ziplock covers, ensure that there is no air in the container or cover. This is to prevent decay.
