Most of us face this guilt of wasting vegetables and fruits as they end up going into garbage just because we fail to keep them fresh for a longer time or use them immediately. It’s tough to see hard earned money go waste since vegetables and fruits cost a big chunk of money in the grocery bill. We have shared a conversation which we three had on storing things to stretch their shelf life and also minimize wastage of fresh goods.
Tanya: Ever since I moved to US I have been facing problems in keeping few of my vegetables fresh especially tomatoes & green leafy veg. Since we use tomatoes quite a lot I buy in large quantities, I am unable to store them longer because it gets contaminated.
Bharani: Yes T, For tomatoes you could keep them in a cool dry place until they are ripe and they will stay fresh for two weeks. Once they are ripe you can store them in the fridge. I have problems storing fresh herbs and garlic for a long time. I buy coriander and curry leaf in bulk from the Indian store for a week, but mostly they go stale soon and I end up throwing them in the bin.
Akki: I don't like it when curry leaves becomes wrinkled and dry so I usually have two ways to store them. First I pat them dry, remove the leaves from the sprigs, put them in a tissue paper and then in box with holes and store them in a refrigerator or another way roll them in a tissue paper towel, store them in a box and freeze them. So far this has worked for me. For coriander and mint leaves I have a tupperware box with holes.
Tupperware’s fridge smart Holes are necessary for coriander and mint so that they can breathe out and the moisture isn't retained in.
B: Oh nice A, I usually store in an airtight box with paper towel at the bottom. Will give this method a try for sure. I had problems storing green chilies too, later figured out that they stay longer if the stem is removed.
T: Hey girls why don't we make a list of items and how and where we should store them. It would be easier for us to look into it and put it into practice.
A: Hey that's a nice idea. Let's all share our suggestions and help each other out.
If you get a good deal on any veg or fruit then there is no harm in buying in bulk but make sure you use them before they go bad. Sometimes instead of just trying to keep them fresh longer you could make something out of it that will last longer, like with tomatoes, garlic or ginger you could make pickle or chutney, with bananas you could make muffins or freeze them for smoothies, you can squeeze lemon juice in ice cube tray and freeze them. We can make a healthy vegetable broth with all the vegetables. Even for milk if your expiry date is nearing and if you have a lot of milk left then it can be used to make paneer or make a special kheer. So next time before you throw away your precious veg in the bin or let it rot not knowing how to use them before they go bad use these suggestions and try a new recipe with it and surprise yourself.
P.S: If you still fail to save your vegetables from rotting :P then you can either throw them in a pit covered with mud to make your own home made manure or put the veggies into your kitchen garden.
The above suggested methods are what we regularly use to keep our veggies fresh for longer. In case you have a suggestion or tip that works well for you please share with us and we will try them too.
Happy storing !!
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