In the fall, you do not know where to look first in the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables. Remember the basic rules how to let them bring you only pleasure and benefit!
Seasonal Fruits Are Healthier
It is a well-known fact: seasonal fruit grown in the region, are more useful than the imported exotic ones. They contain more vitamins and antioxidants, which are destroyed during long distance transportation. They are not treated with paraffin or subjected to other manipulations turning foreign fruit into glossy props.
How to Store Fruits?
Do not wash fruit before you put them into the fridge, otherwise the fruit will deteriorate quickly. Simply wipe them with a paper towel or dry cloth and wash just before use. Keep different types of fruit separately. For example, in perforated paper or plastic bags (to enable them to “breathe”). Some fruits (apples, pears, plums, apricots and melon) excrete ethylene – a gas stimulating the ripening of other fruits. If you put the “sensitive” kiwi, peaches, nectarines, and watermelons near, they will spoil faster. But unripe fruits should be kept in a dark place at room temperature, so they will ripen faster and retain vitamins better than if you put them into the fridge.
How to Reduce Food Poisoning & Other Health Risks?
Even high-quality seasonal vegetables can contain nitrates accumulating in the body and turning into dangerous compounds – nitrites, which poison the body. You can reduce the risk of poisoning, if you observe a few simple rules:
remove the top leaves of the cabbage, do not use stalk and thick veins of the leaves for food;
cut off the tips of the carrots, remove the core;
buy round radish, it contains less harmful salt than the long one;
remember that cucumbers and zucchini accumulate nitrates in the peel and around the stalk; leeks – at the bottom of the thickened part; greenery (lettuce, dill, parsley, spinach, etc.) – in the stems.
How to Store Vegetables?
For the vegetables not to spoil early, learn how to store them properly. Potatoes, garlic and onions are stored in a dark place at room temperature. Carrots are stored well in the refrigerator compartment for fruit and vegetables. It can be kept with broccoli, cauliflower, corn, radishes and celery – keep them in separate plastic bags with holes for air circulation. Here, you can also place the greens and fresh herbs, except for basil: it is “afraid” of the cold, so it prefers a container of water and a place on a windowsill. But peppers, cucumbers, zucchini can be placed on the top shelf of the fridge – in the warmest part of it. Tomatoes do not like subzero temperatures either, so they may be left on the table on a plate or in a plastic container.
Mushrooms
This tasty, but heavy protein food, is difficult to digest and is a greater burden for the stomach, so mushroom dishes can be eaten only by healthy people. Mushrooms are strictly prohibited to little children. Be careful! Opposed to meat and fish, which become rotten and get a very unpleasant odor, spoiled mushrooms do not manifest themselves outwardly. Large size and softness of the mushroom tells you it is spoiled.
How to Store Mushrooms?
Mushrooms are a highly perishable product. They begin to decompose in only 4 hours after being picked. Therefore, start processing them as soon as you bring them home. Immediately immerse the cleaned mushrooms in vinegar or salted water so they do not darken. Put the mushrooms in a colander and rinse, repeatedly immersing it in a bowl of cold water. Boil the mushrooms twice (the first water should be poured out immediately after it starts boiling). When mushrooms go down to the bottom of the pan, they are ready.
