How to preserve food longer and avoid wasting it

In oil, pickle, in salt. Vegetables, like fruit, are among the easiest foods to waste, as we don't know how to preserve them. Yet there are many natural methods which allow us not only to avoid wasting fruit and vegetables, but also to have them available all year round. The same goes for fruit, which finds its most natural preservation in a single recipe: the one that allows it to be transformed into jam.

NATURAL METHODS TO PRESERVE FOOD

Having your favorite fruits and vegetables even out of season is possible; you just need to know how to preserve them healthily and naturally, using traditional remedies, so you don't waste money buying preserved foods.

However, it is important to proceed correctly and choose the right home preservation method in order to avoid the development of some microorganisms, especially pathogenic ones., capable of deteriorating our food with a consequent loss of all its nutritional properties.

ALSO READ: Don't waste food, here's how to store leftovers safely

HOW TO PRESERVE FOOD WITH NATURAL METHODS

In fact, preserving means inhibiting the activity of these microorganisms with methods such as cooking, sterilization or drying or through the use of ingredients such as salt, vinegar, sugar or salt water: all natural ingredients that are never missing in our kitchens and with exceptional preservative properties.

PRESERVATION WITH NATURAL METHODS

Let's see what the simplest and most effective methods are for best preserving fruit, vegetables, and greens.

Before you begin, make sure that the jars you will use for your home canning are properly sterilizedThis will ensure a longer shelf life than other techniques. The process is simple: place the hermetically sealed glass jars on the bottom of a large enough pot, add cold water until they are completely covered, then cover the pot with a lid and bring to a boil. boiling water.

Once the jars have been sanitized, you can proceed with choosing the preservation technique best suited to your needs.:

HOW TO PRESERVE VEGETABLES NATURALLY

This is the ideal technique for preserving vegetables. If they're raw, wash them thoroughly, dice them or slice them, arrange them in jars, and then follow the same procedure described for sterilizing jars to eliminate any microbes. If you want to preserve cooked vegetables, before sterilizing them, simply wash them, cut them, and then bring them to a boil in salted water.

• HOW TO PRESERVE VEGETABLES IN OIL

For this type of conservation choose theextra virgin olive oil as it is tasty and rich in unsaturated fats which are important for health. This method also allows for the best and longest preservation mushrooms, little onions and artichokes, the important thing is that when you put them in the jar they are very dry. Don't leave any empty spaces and always check the oil level Stir until the vegetables are completely coated. If you notice the oil has reduced after a while, add more.

HOW TO PRESERVE PICKLED VEGETABLES

The vinegar It is an excellent preservative: However, it must be of good quality and made from white wine or applesThis is a perfect preservation technique for carrots, spring onions, and cucumbers. Again, the vegetables must be washed, blanched in a vinegar and salt solution, then dried and jarred.

HOW TO PRESERVE VEGETABLES IN SALT

Il salt, once the moisture has been absorbed, it dehydrates the vegetables, helping them to be preserved. Use wooden, glass, or earthenware containers and arrange the vegetables alternating layers of salt. Perfect for example for the capers.

PRESERVING OLIVES IN BRINE

It is the technique that has always been used for the conservation of olivesPlace them in a container with a solution made up of 1 liter of water for every 100 grams of salt.

PRESERVATION OF AROMATIC HERBS

This is a method used to preserve the herbsThe process is very simple: dry them in the sun and once dry, store them in metal, cardboard, or glass boxes with cork lids.

JAMS FOR PRESERVING FRUIT

As for fruit, it can be preserved in the form of jam or jam. In both cases it will be necessary to cook it for about 2 or 3 hours in a pan and with a quantity of sugar equal to half the weight of the fruit usedOnce cooked, place it in sterilized jars, close them and turn the jars upside down so that it forms the vacuum effect and leave them like this until they have completely cooled.

JAMS: THREE RECIPES NOT TO BE MISSED

• Persimmon Jam: The Super Quick Recipe
• Chestnut Jam: The Recipe for Making It at Home
• Homemade Banana Jam: A Versatile and Easy-to-Make Recipe