Once the celebrations are over, we often find ourselves with an abundance of dried fruits and nuts in our homes. However, the real challenge lies in finding ways to keep them fresh long after the festivities have ended!
Are you curious about ways to avoid letting these wonderful things go to waste? There is no need to be afraid! Celebrity Chef Manish Mehrotra and Cookbook Author Krish Ashok are here to share their insights on the best ways to store your food for maximum freshness. Bid farewell to spoilage and welcome extended enjoyment.
Celebrity Chef Manish Mehrotra points out, “Now Dusshera, Diwali, and everything are over, and I’m sure everybody gets loads of nuts and dried fruit as a gift.” To this, Krish Ashok adds, “Unless you are completely irresponsible, there’s a bunch that you have not eaten, and you want to figure out how to store these safely for the longest.” So here’s how to store nuts.
Understanding the Basics
Krish Ashok enlightens us on the Indian usage of the term “dry fruits” to encompass both dehydrated fruits like grapes, figs, or apricots and nuts like cashews, pistachios, and almonds. Celebrity Chef Manish Mehrotra suggests a foolproof way to store dry fruits for an extended period. He advises, “The best way is to first segregate all the nuts and dry foods. Quickly put them in a nice airtight container or a tight zip lock bag, tag it nicely, and put it in the freezer or refrigerator. It will stay for a very long time.”
The Science Behind Preservation
Krish explains the science behind nut storage, emphasizing the need to reduce the temperature to prevent fats in nuts from going rancid. He notes, “At -15 Celsius, very few chemical reactions happen because there isn’t enough heat energy for it to happen.” Dried fruits like raisins, dates, apricots, or figs can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for a reasonably long time. However, nuts, containing a high amount of fat, will inevitably go rancid at room temperature over time.
By using these helpful tips from experts, you can make sure that your delicious nut treats stay fresh and tasty. This way, you can enjoy the festive feeling even after the celebrations are over. Learn the skill of properly storing nuts and enjoy the pleasure of savouring these delightful treats all year round.
