You can store and preserve food in many different ways. Actually, every food item has a specific lifespan that you can extend by preserving it correctly. In other words, by knowing the best methods to store foodstuff, you can keep them for a longer time.
Purpose of preservation of food
If like many other people, you remove the plastic around the food item after purchasing food and put it in the refrigerator to consume it one day, you will likely have lots of moldy food. Physical methods of food preservation can have many wonderful advantages such as:
Decrease food waste: if you know how to preserve and store different kinds of food, there is no need to discard spoiled food and damage the environment and waste your money.
Keep fruits and vegetables fresh for a long time: if you store the fruits and vegetables properly, you can keep them fresh for a longer time.
Benefit from seasonal fruits and vegetables throughout the year: this is a wonderful benefit of storing food items. For example, by drying peaches, you can have tasty dried peaches in winter.
Make use of food items in camping and travel conditions: the majority of methods of preserving and storing food do not need electricity. For this reason, you can benefit from all types of food during summer and winter camping
The best methods to store foodstuff
1. Canning
The most cost-efficient and affordable way to preserve and store all kinds of food is canning. You can store all types of jams, jellies, sauces, purees and vegetables in sealed jars. It is important to wash the food that you want to store well. Peeling and half-cooking it if required is the next stage of canning. If the chosen foods are not acidic, you should add a bit of lemon juice or vinegar to them and then put the food into the sealed jar. By canning the food items at home, you will save lots of money and because you make use of glass rather than plastic and metal dishes, you will not encounter the dangers of canned food outside. Also, canned food keeps its nutritional value to a considerable degree. This is one of the best methods to store foodstuff.
2. Freezing
Freezing is probably the first thing that you think about when you hear about food preservation. It is much healthier to freeze food at home than outside. Many foods can be frozen like vegetables, soups, purees and chopped fruits. You must pack the food in a way that no air can penetrate it; since these parts get dry and sometimes brown spots sit on them. Of course, if only one point is dry, it can be detached and the rest of the food can be eaten. You must not freeze food for a long time. So it is recommendable to write the date of freezing on it in order to keep it healthy and fresh.
3. Drying
One of the best ways to store and preserve vegetables is by drying them. Dried food can be kept for a longer time and need less space. The required moisture for home-dried foods must be 20% or less. There are different methods for drying foods such as dryers, hanging vegetables in the kitchen (if the kitchen is wet, this is not a good method for humid places), making use of the oven and finally using sunlight for drying the foods. Some vegetables and herbs must be a little boiled before drying. This is one of the best methods to store foodstuff.
4. Fermentation
Fermentation is one of those ways of preserving food that improves the value of your food. Fermentation can be useful for the digestive system and immune system with probiotics or beneficial bacteria. For fermentation, you must first crush or grate the food and then add brine (or other salty substances).
5. Pickling
The most delectable way to preserve all kinds of food is to soak vegetables and fruits in vinegar. Mixed pickles, olives, mangoes and many other foods are good instances of this food preservation. Of course, sometimes a little salt and honey should be added to this mixture. This is one of the best methods to store foodstuff.
6. Putting food in a cold place
Over the past century, this was the most common method of storing all kinds of food. Of course, when you carefully evaluate the current conditions, you will know that this method is still the most frequently used one: utilizing the refrigerator. You can use apples, pears, root vegetables, cabbage and celery for months if you preserve and store them properly. You should store different fruits in different ways. You can put fruits and vegetables like apricots, strawberries, grapes and chives in the refrigerator. But kiwis, peaches and pears should reach room temperature and then be refrigerated. You should know that pomegranate, orange and ginger are not needed to be placed in the refrigerator.
The practical method to store vegetables
To store and preserve leafy vegetables, it is necessary to wash them first and put them in a paper towel or cloth. Then place the towel in an impenetrable container or plastic bag. Vegetables like lettuce, cabbage and spinach can be kept for a longer time by using this method. Pumpkin and root vegetables like garlic, onions and potatoes should be kept in a dark, cool and dry environment outside of the refrigerator. Unripe tomatoes must be preserved at room temperature and far from direct sunlight until they are completely ripe and then put in the refrigerator.
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The best way to store beans
Beans can be kept for a longer time and you can use them for several years. Just keep in mind to use sealed glass containers or zipped plastic bags to preserve and store beans in a cool, dry place far from direct sunlight. If beans have been stored for more than a year, it is recommendable to pour a teaspoon of baking soda during cooking to make them soft.