How to properly store vegetables at home

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

Most vegetables are best stored in a basement at a low temperature. But what if you live in a multi-storey building and you don't have any basement, and the temperature on the balcony is freezing in winter? Then the question arises: how to keep vegetables in an apartment, so that they stay fresh longer?

Preparatory stage

Many people use kitchen furniture drawers to store vegetables. But if space permits, then it is better to arrange a separate rack with wooden or plastic boxes that will be well ventilated. Wicker baskets or cloth bags are also good options.

It is best not to wash the vegetables you intend to store.

Vegetables must be re-sorted before storing them. It is better to throw away the rotten and hopelessly damaged ones immediately, and the partially dented or spoiled ones should be set aside and used for cooking in the first place. It is best not to wash the vegetables that you intend to store, because even slight damage to the skin can lead to food spoilage. On the contrary, they must be dried before laying.

Everything has its place

The main rule is that all vegetables should be stored separately, without touching each other.

Root crops - radish, beets - properly store in ventilated boxes, preferably wooden or cardboard, from zero to room temperature. Before frost, they can be kept on the balcony, and after that, you can find the coolest place in the apartment, far from heating systems.

Potato ideally store in a cool, dark place at a temperature of + 5 … + 10 degrees. In warmth, it begins to germinate, and in the light it turns green and loses its nutritional value. At temperatures close to zero, starch is converted to sugar, which makes potatoes unpleasant to the taste.

Best storage space carrots - a box with dry sand. But if this is not possible, then you can pack it in paper and a plastic bag and put it in the refrigerator or on the balcony. This will keep the carrots fresh for two to three months.

Cabbage during storage, it strongly evaporates moisture, so it is advisable to store it by hanging it by a stump or in a net. Do not pick off the top leaves - they will dry out and protect the head of cabbage from moisture loss. You can wrap each fork in paper, the main thing is then not to forget to periodically change it to clean and dry.

If you tie the leaves in a braid and hang the bulbs on the wall, then this method will also help to decorate the room.

Onion and garlic Before storage, dry it thoroughly in the sun or near a battery. They can be stored at room temperature, but it is also better to hang them in a net for good ventilation. If you tie the leaves in a braid and hang the bulbs on the wall, then this method will also help to decorate the room.

To save tomatoes fresh until January, you need to select green undamaged fruits, wrap each of them in paper, put in a box or basket and store in a cool, dark place. After a while, they will ripen and turn red.

Fresh cucumbers and bell peppers store well in the refrigerator in a tightly closed saucepan, plastic box or jar. Eggplant and squash can be put in the refrigerator in the vegetable compartment.

To parsley or dill preserved as long as possible, they must be thoroughly dried and hidden in the refrigerator in a thin polyethylene bag or plastic box. Green onions it is also better to keep in the refrigerator, but it is important to separate it from the bulbs first - it does not like when the roots come into contact with the feathers.

Greens can also be stored frozen. To do this, you need to chop it finely and place it in the freezer in a plastic bag. It is better to divide the herbs into small portions so as not to defrost the entire volume every time you need to take a little for cooking.

Vegetables such as carrots, beets, or bell peppers can also be frozen for the winter, but they must be thoroughly washed and dried before doing so. They can be stored in their entirety, or they can be cut - to prepare a kind of semi-finished products.