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The sun has appeased a bit and paved the way for clouds to take over the sky for the coming couple of months. In many parts of the country, monsoon is already at its crescendo, while the others are desperately waiting for the season to arrive. Monsoon in India brings an instant change in the way people start eating and living.
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With the air a bit more moist than regular, it's better to wear cotton clothes and sip on as much water as one can. Also, because of the higher level of moisture in the air, food items are more susceptible to getting bad or developing a foul smell earlier than regular. In this humid weather, one has to take necessary precautions to make sure that their food remains fresh for a long time. Here is what you can do to make sure that your food remains free from moisture and fresh for a long time.
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* Airtight Container
Airtight containers are a great way to instantly lock and preserve the texture and taste of the food item. A lot of people have this common habit of simply keeping the food in the refrigerator without covering it properly. This not only exposes the food to the moisture present in the air of the refrigerator but also increases the chances of cross-contamination. Hence, one should always make sure that they put food in airtight containers before putting them inside the refrigerator.
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* Refrigerator
Instead of keeping things on the slab, a person should put everything in the refrigerator during monsoon. There are a lot of food items that do not have to be stored in the refrigerator generally. However, due to higher levels of humidity in the air, even food items with a longer shelf life become vulnerable to attracting bacteria. Keeping any food item, even for a small amount of time in the open can lead to the building up of moulds and fungus. In the refrigerator, the temperature is relatively lower which obstructs the growth or multiplication of bacteria in the food.
* Neem Leaves
Neem leaves are a great disinfectant that is used in the kitchen for cleaning purposes and keeping the worms away. In monsoon, a person can keep neem leaves in a jar of lentils, rice, greens, and other such dry things that are stored in the pantry. One has to simply make sure that the name leaves are dried before being kept inside these boxes. This is an age-old technique that has been used by farmers to keep insects or bacteria away from their crops. One can try this easy technique to see how it works for them.
* Keep Away From Damp Places
While storing the food in the refrigerator, one should always make sure that the dry food is kept away from the food. One should make a clear division for different types of food items to be stored. Also, while cooking, dry ingredients and wet ingredients should be segregated properly. No dry ingredients should come in the vicinity of wet ingredients. Even a little bit of contact with moisture can lead to the spoilage of food. It may also disrupt the taste and the texture of the food item.
* Dry Roasting
Dry roasting has been a very old practice in India to increase the shelf life of a particular item. This is used to enhance the shelf life of spices and other dry ingredients. One has to simply put the spices or the selected food item in a pan and dry roast for some time. This process helps in extracting any kind of moisture that might be present in the food. Another trick that one can do is simply sun dry the food as it helps in taking out moisture. The absence of moisture instantly extends the shelf life of food.
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* Keeping The Refrigerator Clean
Cleaning the refrigerator from time to time is also a factor that one must consider. Very often food gets spilled in the refrigerator and is not cleaned on an immediate basis. This leads to the accumulation of stains and food particles in different parts of the refrigerator. If not cleaned on time, these stored particles can lead to cross-contamination and the development of a foul smell. The moisture levels in the fridge will eventually affect the quality of other food items that are stored.
