It’s all very well to say that food is best when freshly prepared and consumed. However, it is silly to keep slaving in the kitchen for longer hours than necessary when these kitchen gadgets and tools help to keep food fresh while retaining nutrients. There are ways to streamline processes and keep food fresh for longer, with a little bit of efficient organisation, judicious use of a freezer and some of these kitchen products:
You know how many packaged nuts and dried fruit now come in vacuum-sealed packs? This is because the packaging reduces exposure to air and slows down the process of decomposition. You can do this at home as well. Not just for nuts but for produce such as veggies, fruit, meat and so on. This machine also claims to protect silver and prevent it from tarnishing (oxidizing).
This is a low tech alternative for keeping things fresher. It works on the same principle, to prevent exposure to air; particularly moist air. I use these to re-seal open bags of frozen peas, for when there is some instant coffee powder or Bournvita left over in the packet etc. Remove excess air and just clip and refrigerate to keep things dry and fresh for longer.
This helps keep cold things cold and hot things hot without heating or refrigeration. So it’s great to take along on the go for trips, for office, school and college (when those become a reality again). Even at home, it keeps water hot and cold for 24 hours. Those inveterate tea drinkers can store an extra cup or two for later in the day. This can even help to preserve juices and so on. Choose one with a wide opening for easy filling and a pourer tab to minimize exposure to the outside air.
To prevent things from getting soggy, particularly in this moist weather, airtight jars are great for snacks, grain, flours, masalas, tea, coffee, powdered sugar, pretty much anything. Make sure that the jars and lids are completely dry before putting anything into them and then close tightly. Store these in the fridge to increase the shelf life even for things like bread, fried or baked snacks and even coffee.
Don’t you hate it when your veggie tray in the fridge is a mixed-up mess? I do. Storage bags help to sort and separate veggies and also help to separate different types of produce. This helps ventilate items, prevents things from getting soggy and prevents spoilage. The zipper keeps things from spilling and the see-through construction helps you check the contents of the drawer at a glance.
Don’t listen to people who stay stuff from the freezer is stale. Freezing is the best way to keep produce fresh and uncontaminated, and to retain nutrients. I always find that my freezer space, though very large by most standards, is inadequate. This is because I blanch and freeze spinach, stir-fry and freeze fenugreek (methi) and even some liquidised vegetables (eg. when you have extra tomatoes) and fruit purees (mango milkshakes and ice cream beyond the season!). I also always have bags of frozen peas and mixed veg (usually Safal) in the freezer because they always cook evenly and save the hassle or shelling and cutting when in a hurry. Besides this, my freezer is always well-stocked with meat, cold cuts, kebabs and seafood, and 3 flavours of ice cream (at least) in summer. So, a standalone freezer is definitely on my buying list. Make good use of these products and tools to keep food fresh for longer. Not only do they save on time and effort they also help prevent waste.
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