How to keep the germs at bay, as you fight the pandemic? Here are some tips right from the expert. Executive Chef, Rakesh Ghai at ITC Kakatiya, Hyderabad who tells us how to stay on top of your kitchen game during the lockdown:
1. Buy enough produce only for a week at a time. A lot of items can be stored for prolonged
use via processing then freezing and pickling. Items like green leafy vegetables can first be blanched, then pureed and frozen for future use in gravies and sauces.
2. Stock up on canned or dehydrated products when fresh produce is not available. They have a long shelf life and allow you to stay at home for as long as possible, before having to make the next grocery run.
3. Take regular inventory of your dry storage area, and immediately throw out any spoilt items immediately. Not doing so regularly allows for the spoilage to spread to other ingredients as well. Packaging like cans and plastic bottles can be wiped clean with a disinfectant near the doorway before storing it in your kitchen or pantry.
4. Always wash your hands for a minimum of 20 seconds after touching any package that comes from outside. Or use an alcohol-based rub afterwards.
5. All fruits and vegetables can be disinfected in a vinegar-water solution before storing in the refrigerator and must be rinsed once more before final consumption.
6. Try to make your home kitchen a no-waste kitchen. A lot of vegetables have many nutrients in otherwise discarded parts such as stems and leaves. Finding new ways to include these in your diet can prove to not only be beneficial for you but reduce the amount of biowaste produced in your home. Find ways to utilize your product to the fullest, and use methods to preserve them for as long as possible.