Ways to Store Leafy VegetablesImage Credit source: Getty Images
Winter season has knocked. Cold winds have started blowing everywhere and colorful vegetables are visible in the market too. Leafy vegetables are eaten a lot in winter. Apart from keeping the body warm, it also provides many benefits. It includes spinach, fenugreek, mustard, bathua and green coriander. In Indian homes, only leafy vegetables are prepared during the winter season. In such a situation, housewives buy it more. Even though they are rich in nutrition, you cannot keep them for long.
As soon as you keep leafy vegetables in the fridge or outside, within a few hours they start withering and even turn black. The biggest reason for this is the way of storing them. Actually, it is beneficial to prepare leafy vegetables immediately. But if you still want to store them for a few days, then we have brought some methods for you, which will help in keeping them fresh for 1-2 days.
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Store without washing, dry first
Often people make the mistake of washing vegetables as soon as they buy them and keeping them in the fridge. By doing this, moisture remains in the leaves, due to which they rot quickly. Therefore, first spread the leafy vegetables on newspaper or cotton cloth and dry them in air for 10–15 minutes. Store them only after this.
wrap in paper towel or cloth
After drying the vegetables, keep them wrapped in a dry cloth or paper towel. Due to this, extra moisture keeps coming out and the vegetables do not wither. This method is considered very effective especially for coriander, mint and fenugreek.
keep in an airtight container
By keeping vegetables directly in plastic bags, air cannot escape and they become moldy. Therefore, keep them in an airtight container or a box with holes, so that some air can flow in and out and the vegetables can breathe. Due to this the vegetables remain fresh for 1-2 days.
Keep spinach and mustard separate
The texture and moisture level of every leafy vegetable is different. Therefore, vegetables like spinach, mustard and bathua should not be kept together. If you keep them in separate polythene or containers, they will remain fresh for a long time.
Use the crisper box of the refrigerator
The crisper box at the bottom of the fridge is the best place for vegetables. Here the balance of temperature and moisture is maintained. By keeping vegetables in this box, they remain fresh and crisp for 2 to 4 days.
Water method for coriander and mint
Another effective way to keep coriander or mint fresh is to keep them in water. For this, without cutting the roots, keep them in a glass filled with water and cover them with a plastic cover on top. Due to this the leaves do not wither and remain fresh for 34 days.
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