Imagine cutting a carrot or capsicum in the morning and finding half of the unused portion decaying in the evening. It is a common sight in kitchens, especially in the summer season. The rise in mercury leads to dehydration of the vegetables and causes them to degrade quickly when they are half-cut and left out in the open on the countertop.
This not only causes waste of food and money but also leads to frequent visits to the nearby sabzi mandi every couple of days. With the advisory of heatwaves in Northern India, you need to be more careful about purchasing vegetables and fruits, cooking them, and storing them so that they don’t go bad. Here are a few ways you can prevent half-cut vegetables from getting spoiled.
Use Ziplock Bags
When you have a half-cut potato, tomato, onions, carrot, or capsicum, store it in a ziplock bag. Not only will it prevent the moisture from seeping inside but also prevent the natural hydration of the vegetables from evaporating. Most importantly, store the ziplock bag in the refrigerator maintained at an optimum temperature to keep the vegetables fresh.
Wrap In Paper Towels
When you have half-cut hydrating vegetables like zucchini and cucumber tend to lose moisture quickly. They need extra care. Therefore, if you have a half-cut cucumber, wrap it in a paper towel, put it inside an airtight container, and store it in the refrigerator. The napkin or paper towel will absorb the moisture and prevent such vegetables from getting soggy.
Plan Meals
If you made breakfast and have half-cut vegetables in the refrigerator, plan your meals ahead accordingly. It will help you minimise wastage and ensure that you save money and food. You can use the vegetables in the afternoon or at night while cooking lunch or dinner. If you have multiple half-cut vegetables, you can even prepare a bowl of mixed vegetables, salad, or grilled sandwich.
Keep Vegetables Dry
Though summer causes vegetables to lose moisture quickly, you still have to keep half-cut vegetables away from water or any other kind of moisture because it acts as a catalyst and causes more damage. Therefore, always pat dry the half-cut portion, wrap a tissue around the vegetables, and store it in an airtight bag or container.
Use Lemon Juice
You can also use lemon juice as a preservative for half-cut vegetables and keep them safe for a long time. The citric acid in the lemon can help to prevent the browning and decaying of vegetables and fruits like potatoes, avocados, and apples. Rubbing lemon juice on vegetables can help to maintain their freshness until you cook them.
Refrigerate Vegetables
It is an obvious tip but many people still skip on this one. As soon as you cut the vegetable, you must store half of it in the refrigerator if you are not going to use it for cooking. Low temperature in the refrigerator slows down the growth of bacteria which causes decaying of vegetables. It also maintains the freshness and crispy texture of the food item.