Fresh produce always has the finest flavour and health benefits. Even with a huge refrigerator, there's still the issue of "my fridge not being big enough." While not shopping frequently is a smart alternative, people also secretly despise the daily or weekly excursions to the supermarket, and even worse, forgetting that you bought all of your delights, only to discover them languishing lifelessly in your hidden drawer days later.
Read more: 7 Tips To Store Fresh Herbs This Season
The good news is that many veggies can be preserved for a week, a month, or even longer with a little attention. Yes, things won't survive that long, but enough will so that you may continue to eat fresh vegetables.
Important Points To Remember
Don't Buy Refrigerated Veggies
Usually, you can get them at vegetable trucks or farmer's markets. Anything that has been refrigerated must remain refrigerated or it will soon spoil.
Only Pick The Freshest Produce
Examine each item separately; discard those that appear "old," are rotting, damaged, overripe, or have bug holes. Only the finest, freshest vegetables will do.
Be Mindful
Your veggies will get damaged as you try to cram in more if you purchase more than can be stored in your spaces. Be practical about the amount of room you have.
How To Store Veggies Without Refrigerator?
The key to having vegetables preserved for a respectable length of time without needing to be refrigerated is in the initial selection of the vegetables. This is the step that is frequently missed yet is arguably the most crucial.
Storage spaces must be as dry, dark, and well-ventilated as possible. Bins should be made of easily washable materials; plastic is ideal as it dries rapidly and can be treated with bleach. Well-padded wire baskets and gear hammocks are necessary otherwise if they are not padded, they can create "pressure points" that can lead to bruises. Having said that, if you can hang your gear hammock where it won't collide with anything during choppy waves and can swing freely, it's a great place to store vegetables.
The bins and other storage containers should also be placed so you can see inside of them to regularly check on the produce. Put anything bruised on the dinner menu if you see it. Throw out anything that you overlooked and is currently decaying or moulding right away, and use bleach to clean the container.
As they mature, a variety of fruits, including tomatoes, avocados, bananas, kiwis, mangoes, pears, and plums, release a gas known as ethylene. Foods that are susceptible to this gas may ripen too soon. Thus, store foods that produce ethylene away from items that are susceptible to it, such as melons, apples, broccoli, carrots, and leafy greens. Additionally, wait to wash fruits like berries until shortly before eating them. Moisture promotes the formation of mould.
