How to store vegetables and fruits for a long time
How to keep fruits and vegetables from your garden fresh for weeks or months? We've put together helpful tips and advice to help you succeed in creating the right storage conditions for your crops.
How to store vegetables
Potatoes
Unlike other vegetables, potatoes require a little more heat, so the containers should be placed higher.
Do not stack with apples in the same container, as the fruit emits ethylene gas, which accelerates the spoilage of potatoes.
Garlic and onion
Neither garlic nor onions (not shallots) are also never kept in the refrigerator. They require a cool, dry place with good ventilation and a temperature of 5-8 ° C. Mesh bags are ideal, in which a batch of vegetables is delivered to the store (they “breathe” well). If you don't have a special bag, take a regular bowl. Place the garlic in it and store in the pantry. You can also use a bag, just make sure it has enough ventilation holes.
A couple of interesting facts to note:
- potatoes release moisture, which accelerates the rotting of onions, so do not store them nearby;
- green onions and shallots can be kept in the refrigerator;
- Garlic can be used to make garlic powder, which is a great seasoning.
Want to stop crying when you cut onions? Refrigerate it for half an hour before peeling off the outer layers. Cut off the root last, as it causes tears the most.
How to store beets, carrots and parsnips
Carrots, parsnips, beets and other root crops must be well cleaned of soil and stored in a cool, dark place (for example, a cellar). If you cut off the tops with leaves, then vegetables will stay fresh for much longer.
Carrots and other root vegetables are well stored in layers in boxes of sand or peat. Keep them on the lowest tier of your basement, it's coldest there.
If you have a surplus of beets, cook the borscht and freeze it. For a richer color, add a little vinegar. Beets will be easy to grate if boiled beforehand.
Spicy pepper
Hot peppers are dried in the old fashioned way on a thread. Position it so that the pods do not touch each other. This will ensure good air circulation and the pepper will dry properly.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are stored at room temperature away from direct sunlight. Any unheated room or ventilated cellar will do. If the vegetables are still green, place them in a shallow box, separating each fruit with paper, then they will ripen. At 12 degrees, this process will take about 26 days. If you raise it to 20 ° C, then it will take only two weeks. Never store tomatoes in the refrigerator if you want to keep their original refreshing flavor.
Lettuce
The salad is not stored for a long time, it is a perishable product.This is the only vegetable we recommend rinsing and drying before putting it in the refrigerator. Food is usually washed just before cooking. Water destroys the natural protective coating that prevents mold growth.
Rinse the lettuce leaves with cold water and dry on a kitchen towel (if there is no special centrifuge for drying greens). Then place the lettuce in a plastic container with ventilation holes.
If you pick salad from the garden, then do it only in the morning. Otherwise, it will wither quickly.
Zucchini
Zucchini do not like cold as much as root vegetables. They should be stored at temperatures between 10 and 18 degrees. If the room is colder, they will deteriorate, and if it is warmer, they will become tough and fibrous. You can put zucchini under your bed in your bedroom, provided it is always cool in the room.
How to store fruit
The best way to store apples
Apples can be refrigerated for short storage. Place them in the fruit drawer and cover with a damp towel.
Never leave apples in a bowl on your kitchen counter unless you are planning to eat them soon. Already at a temperature of +10 degrees, the fruits ripen 4 times faster than at zero. And if the room is more than 20 ° C, then the fruits will become overripe in a matter of days.
For long-term preservation, fill cellophane bags with apples and put in plastic boxes. The thermometer should be kept at zero, then the fruits will not lose their properties and will not deteriorate within six months. If you do not have a special cellar for root crops, then it is also possible to achieve similar conditions. To do this, place a double cardboard box of apples in a cold hallway or basement.
If apples are frozen, they will release juice when thawed. Make sure the temperature does not drop below freezing.
Storage of berries
Never wash the berries unless you intend to eat them right away; water removes the thin protective epidermal layer from the skin. Unfortunately, this perishable product cannot be stored for a long time. However, if necessary, wrap the berries in a paper towel and place in a tightly closed container. Store in a cool dry place, or in the refrigerator for a maximum of 2-3 days.
Tropical fruits
Tropical fruits quickly lose their flavor in the refrigerator or at low temperatures. If possible, store bananas, avocados, citrus fruits, as well as pineapples, watermelons, eggplants, cucumbers, peppers, and beans at 10 degrees.
Herbs
Dill and parsley will last up to two weeks if the stems are immersed in a glass of water and covered with a plastic bag. Most other herbs (and herbs) can be stored for a short time in the refrigerator, unwashed in tightly closed plastic containers with enough liquid to prevent premature wilting. For longer storage, use moisture-permeable paper and cellophane.
Storing fresh herbs
Most fresh herbs will wither quickly in the refrigerator. You've probably noticed how basil or parsley turns brown. These leafy herbs (along with cilantro, mint and dill) are best placed in a glass of cold water, like a bunch of flowers. Prune the stems and change the water every two days. Just pinch off the leaves when you need them. This will stimulate even more growth. You can also dry or freeze greens, and canning them in vinegar or using them for pesto.
Dried herbs should not be placed near the stove or in the immediate vicinity of burners. Heat and steam will quickly cause them to lose their flavor almost completely. As always, choose a dry and cool place.
General Tips
A few general tips will definitely come in handy.Remember, frozen rhubarb, sweet corn and green beans do not lose their flavor after thawing, so feel free to store them in the freezer.
Cucumbers, beets, cranberries, tomatoes and almost all fruits (especially peaches) are great for canning. As one American singer sang on this theme: "My grandmother always keeps a piece of summer in jars."
Actually, in any refrigerator, if it is not a freezer, the temperature is kept + 3- + 7, depending on the setting of the thermostat. Therefore, potatoes in dark boxes are perfectly stored there.