Winter is very near, temperatures are dropping, and the food groups that are becoming scarce are vegetables and fruits. These foods are sources of vitamins, minerals, and fibe,r so they are important in the human diet. However, today I want to share some tips on how to store fruits and vegetables to be able to consume them in the winter season.
Edited with Canva
In winter, fresh fruits and vegetables increase a lot in price, so I always buy a couple of months those that are in season and have a good price or make preserves, and jams or freeze them for later use. Want to see the different options? Keep reading, and I'm sure you'll like these tips.
The last few months of the year, I keep glass jars to store some dried vegetables, fruits and spices. Many of these jars I also use to put cookies in and give them as gifts to friends and family. Christmas time is a great time for this.
Whenever I am going to store my food in jars, I wash them very well and sterilize them as it will guarantee the hygienic quality and durability of the preserves.
I also use airtight bags and containers to freeze some products.
Another fundamental aspect that I take into account is the quality of the vegetables and fruits when buying them. Choosing the best quality, guarantees their maximum utilization.
Regarding vegetables such as corn and squash, I wash and dry them very well. Then I freeze them. Just take them out of the freezer and add them directly to a soup or a broth to make a cream (pumpkin).
There are other vegetables that I love to freeze so that I can have them available in the winter season. These vegetables are peas. I buy them fresh, remove the pods, place them in airtight containers and freeze them. They keep very well this way, and when I want to prepare rice or chicken with vegetables, they are tender as if they were freshly harvested.
Many vegetables are suitable for canning. With tomatoes, I prepare Neapolitan sauce. I use it to make pasta or pizza.
Mushrooms are a good garnish or snack in cold weather. You can stew them and store them in olive oil in glass jars.
If you want to enjoy the crunchiness of some vegetables, pickles in vinegar are ideal. I usually prepare pickles, but I also prepare turnip and carrot. It is a refreshing option when accompanied with grilled meat or chicken.
In winter, the cold weather awakens my appetite a lot, but to avoid eating high-calorie foods, antipasti are a good option. I usually prepare them with eggplant, but this cauliflower option is delicious too.
Now, if I want to eat some vegetables in more elaborate preparations, spring rolls are an excellent option. I prepare them and then freeze them. To eat them, I put them in a pan with very hot oi,l and without defrosting, I incorporate them into the oil and enjoy a delicious snack filled with vegetables.
In the case of fruits, many are ideal for making jellies and jams to use in breakfasts or to make some desserts.
However, there are some that I freeze their pulp and use to make fruit juices. Such is the case of passion fruit, soursop, strawberries, blackberries, peaches, and guavas. Some of these fruits are typical of the tropics. Can you imagine being able to enjoy them in the middle of winter? It is amazing!
To preserve frozen guavas, I peel them and cook them. Once they are cold, I remove the seeds and then freeze the cooked pulp.
If at any time I miss eating crunchy veggies, I solve this by making chia seed sprouts or mung beans. These take 4-6 days to sprout, but once they are ready, I can use them in my sandwiches. It is delicious!
Don't think that I do all this in one day. On the contrary, I go little by little. I buy the vegetables and fruits that are at a good price. I do buy a lot so that I can guarantee that I will have enough to make the work of canning worthwhile.
These tips that I share have allowed me to:
- Enjoy vegetables and fruits without paying high costs, which means savings.
- To have the availability of home-prepared foods and not resort to canned or industrially processed foods.
- Plan my meals and allow me to eat more balanced meals.
If you have any doubts about some of the preparations that I show in some of the photos, do not hesitate to leave your questions in the comments, and I will gladly share the recipe.
All images are property of the author
(Camera cell phone: POCO X3 Pro, Xiaomi)
