8 Common Mistakes To Avoid In Order To Preserve Your Food Longer in Summers

No, it is not enough to place your food in the refrigerator to keep it longer… Certain best practices are to be adopted when others, on the contrary, are to be avoided… What are these harmless errors that should not be reproduced in order to optimize the conservation of the food? Shivani Sikri, Chief Nutritionist and Wellness expert at Nutri4Verve discussed some crucial mistakes to avoid in preserving food for a longer duration.

Unless the food is fully frozen, it is difficult to maintain over a few days and keep intact all its nutrients. “Indeed, as time advances, they gradually deteriorate; whether in terms of texture, taste or even nutritional values.”

FREQUENT STORAGE ERRORS, HIGHLIGHTED:

To make matters worse, we make several casual mistakes on a daily basis that are far from encouraging conservation. Improper food preservation or storage can lead to many troubles including bacteria or fungus growth, natural decay of taste and freshness, and even wastage.

Place the milk on the fridge door, put fresh food from different species side by side, and keep tomatoes in the fridge. mistakes are so common that they may surprise you.

COMMON MISTAKES

Mistake # 1: Putting milk on the fridge door

Every time you open the refrigerator, you expose the milk to a sudden change in temperature. In the long term, this ends up affecting its quality.

Mistake # 2: Not using containers

Whether our fridge is small or large, we often try to optimize the space as much as possible.

Thus, we start placing side-by-side and in bulk, foods that have nothing to do with each other, without taking the time to properly package them or place them in containers. 

"The proximity between unpackaged foods increases the risk of contamination by microorganisms, especially between raw and cooked foods. It is, therefore, preferable to keep them in airtight boxes, preferably of glass, to avoid this potential contamination.” 

Mistake # 3: Putting fruits and vegetables side by side

This harmless mistake, made by many of us, speeds up the ripening process of fresh foods.

Why? 

“Because said foods produce ethylene, a hormone that promotes ripening. Thus, placing foods side by side exposes them all the more to this hormone.

It is, therefore, better to put some distance between fruits and vegetables from different species.” 

Mistake # 4: Putting tomatoes, cucumbers, and herbs in the fridge

Tomatoes do not like too low temperatures: they keep less well in the cold and end up losing their flavour. Rather than putting them in the fridge, place them in a basket in the open air, however, away from direct heat or sunlight. The same goes for cucumbers and aromatic herbs. 

Small precision of conservation of aromatic herbs: it is recommended to place it in a glass of water outside the fridge.

Mistake # 5: Not putting nuts in the fridge

If you tend to put your nuts in the cupboard and not in the fridge… You are making a big mistake! To keep the shelled nuts fresh, place them in an airtight jar in the refrigerator.

Mistake # 6: Putting garlic and onion in the fridge

Moisture in the refrigerator can cause these two ingredients to soften, causing them to lose flavour and increase mould. Better to put them in a dry cupboard.

Mistake # 7: not keeping wheat flour in the fridge

Wheat flour can be stored “in a cool, dry place, protected from light”. What could be better than the refrigerator to meet all these conditions?

Some researchers even say that placing it in the fridge will even double its shelf life!

Mistake # 8: Waiting too long before tidying up leftovers

Some meals, consisting of mayonnaise or cream, must be quickly stored in the refrigerator to prevent them from deteriorating and ending up becoming toxic to the body.

Be careful, however, not to refrigerate a dish that is still hot.

These small yet nifty steps can help us keep our food fresher, tastier, and healthier for a longer period in summer. 

(Shivani Sikri is a nutritionist & Wellness Expert at Nutri4Verve, an Online Weight Management Diet Clinic)

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. NDTV is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information in this article. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts, or opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.