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You thought it is more than enough to keep vegetables fresh by just refrigerating them? You might be a housewife, a cooking daddy, or a small garden owner who is continuously looking for the best way to keep the fresh produce longer.
This concern has been growing since the implementation of MCO 2.0 in Malaysia. Most people refuse to go to the grocery store too often due to the pandemic. So, they will buy more at once to store the items in the house. The problem is, the vegetables you bought are too fast to rot and become mouldy, such a waste!
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Let us dig deeper for some hidden hacks to keep vegetables fresh for longer period. Before that, we need to understand vegetable storage times:
Different Storage times for different types of vegetables
Based on Unlockfood.ca, below is the guideline of average storage time for selected vegetables at their best quality:
Infographic by Chocobo Trading
Factors that affect Vegetable freshness:
There are three main things to consider if you want to keep the vegetables fresh.
Humidity
Different types of vegetables have different optimum humidity level to stay fresh.
When the environment is too dry, water contained in the veggies will evaporate into the air and make them dry out and wilt.
If it is too humid, water in the air will attach to the veggies’ surfaces, cause them to become mushy or rot.
Temperature
NOT ALL vegetables are suitable to be stored at low temperature!
Veggies such as tomatoes and potatoes can stay fresh longer if you put them in a dark and cool place away from the fridge.
Air Flow
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Produce that best left at room temperature needs air circulation.
Sometimes, premature spoilage might happen if you store your fresh produce in plastic bags. In this case, you should take the veggies out of the plastic bags to let them breathe.
Storing Hacks to Keep Veggies Fresh for Weeks:
1. Start from buying the freshest produce
Photo by Adli Wahid on Unsplash
The first step to get the veggies’ most extended storage life in your kitchen is to select the best quality produce.
Do remember always to ensure the characteristics such as bright and lively colour in the leafy greens. Also, check if the vegetable is still at their peak of crisp. For non-leafy produce such as tomatoes, make sure there are no signs of wrinkling, mouldy spots and leaked fluid.