Storing food can help you reduce waste. Besides, you do not have to run grocery errands multiple times a week. There are tips and tricks you must know when you are in charge of household chores.
When you know the correct way to preserve some food items, you can continue using them for a longer duration. At times, you might forget that you have kept something in the refrigerator. Now, if you have not stored them properly, they might get rotten.
However, if you have preserved them the correct way, you can still use them after some days of buying. This food wastage might seem trivial in the beginning. However, it can create a major impact on your finances.
Soon, you might feel like urgent funds are not available in your cash reserve. After analysing the whole situation, you might come across that this has been causing a lot of money wastage also. Now, if you have taken care of the food storage, you might not have to spend money on the same thing again and again.
The situation might get out of your control when you cannot arrange extra cash amidst a crisis. Although, for the time being, you can resort to temporary solutions like an unsecured loan from a direct lender, do not ignore this problem. Otherwise, this will intensify, and debts will become a part and parcel of your life.
A simple yet effective solution to this issue could be learning how to store some food items properly. Acquire this habit of preserving food the right way and see how you can save your time and money at the same time.
How to store food for longer without losing its freshness?
It is not possible for anyone to go to the grocery to pick up some specific items. Spices can be stored longer following the instructions provided with them. You must go through what has been instructed so that you can keep using them for a long duration.
· Storing herbs
They are the trickiest to handle as they can easily decay. This happens as the temperature cannot be maintained. It is difficult for them to be the same for a longer duration.
However, this problem is easy to resolve as herbs like cilantro, asparagus or green onions can be kept alive in a glass of water. All you need to do is to remove the bottom of these herbs before dipping them in the water.
You can even cover the outer part of the herbs with a wet towel. This will prevent them from fading away.
· Arrange groceries according to date
Now, dry items like whole wheat or refined flour or pulses come with a packaging. It will have the date of expiry mentioned on it. One of the smartest way to ensure that you get long lasting packaged is by checking the expiry date.
Get those that have expiry dates far off. This means you can keep them for longer and do not have to buy them frequently. Besides, you might keep these packets unorganised and this can easily make you forget the expiry date.
For this reason, it is crucial for you to keep checking the dates from time to time. Organise them and place them serially according to the dates of expiry. Repeat this process so that you are aware of when you should not be using that particular spice or food item.
Besides, you can get the refill on time. Keep an eye on your pantry so that you can get exactly what is needed. This will ensure that you do not bring surplus things.
· Use airtight containers for snack items
You bring different types of snack items from the grocery. In order to make sure that they do not become soggy with time, you must keep some airtight containers handy. Place the items inside and close the lid carefully.
These containers will keep them as they are for longer duration. You do not have to complain for snack items not remaining crisp for the longest of time. This is a small change and you just have to spend money one time.
The impact you can see on the frequent buys you have to cover from the groceries will be remarkable. Thus, get some of these containers if you do not have them and check on your own. If convinced, you can get some later as well.
· Keep veggies smartly
Now, when it comes to storing carrots, you might simply dump some of them on the fridge basket. This way, you will let them decay easily. Then, you will have to consume them as early as possible.
However, if you have this habit of buying in bulk, you must make sure that the right arrangement for storing them is there. You do not have to go out of the way to store them. Remove the green tops and place all of them in a container full of cold water.
Why cold water and not normal water? Cold water will help in retaining the crispiness and crunch factor of the carrot. You can keep the container in the fridge.
This increases the shelf life of the carrot. You can easily consume them within 2 weeks. Now, in the case of mushrooms, you will have to implement another trick. It is to store them in paper bags.
You get plenty of these bags when you shop for groceries. You can now utilise them for mushroom-storing purposes. There is no need for you to store potato, onion, ginger, and garlic directly in the fridge.
Keep an apple in the basket where you want to keep your potatoes. Never keep potatoes and onions together. Besides, store ginger and garlic separately in a dry place which is completely free from moisture.
Avocados or any vegetable that has been chopped but needs to be stored would need airtight containers. This will ensure that germs do not get a chance to sit on them. Apply oil on the surface of these veggies to elongate the time of storage.
· Nuts and berries storage
Berries are something that needs to be washed right away if you buy them from the market. They cannot be stored for long. However, prepare a solution with one-part vinegar and three parts water. Use it to wash the berries thoroughly, as they might have been coated with pesticides.
This bath of berries in the solution will make sure that no bacteria or mould gets created on their surface. For nuts, you will have to use your freezer, as this is where they can stay fresh longer.
The bottom line
Food storage also needs some science, as you must know what could happen when you do not follow certain tricks. Keep the pointers discussed in this blog in mind.
