Consuming seasonal products throughout the year does not mean that you inevitably have to give up certain types of food for a few months. There are conservation techniques that will allow you to eat, for example, spring fruits, in winter and thus save money in your kitchen. Learn to make canning at home, it is easy and a good practice to take advantage of surpluses. For example, if your tomatoes are overripe and about to go bad, you can make fried tomato sauce and vacuum pack it to use at any time of the year .
How to preserve food to save in your kitchen
In the fridge there are also a whole series of good practices to save and eat well. For foods already cooked, it is better to wait for them to cool before putting them in the refrigerator, and they must be stored in suitable and airtight containers so that there is no exchange of aromas or flavors. Do not refrigerate fruits such as pineapple, mango (or any tropical) or banana if you do not want them to lose some of their qualities, and if you are going to take cheese, cold cuts or fruit to eat, do it a while before to enjoy more of its flavor .
Keep dry food
Dry foods, such as pasta, rice, legumes, preserves or long-lasting fresh products, such as potatoes, onions or garlic, keep them in the pantry, but be careful, this is where they are in the I forget a lot of products that end up expiring in the end. One trick is, every time you come back from shopping and cans and packages are added, put those with the closest expiration date in front.
Using the freezer to preserve food
Freezing is the best way to keep the product in good condition for longer while preserving all its qualities, both organoleptic (flavor, aroma, texture) and nutritional. But many times we do not do it in the proper way or in the most effective way or in the most economical way, for example, a good idea is to do it in portions, in order to be able to defrost as it is needed in the kitchen and wasting less.
As you know, once a food has been defrosted, it cannot be refrozen because it could cause contamination problems, but what you may not know is that it is better to let the product thaw in the fridge or defrost it in the microwave than to room temperature. If it is a food that you are going to boil later, you can also put it without unpacking in water.
All kind of aliment
Taking advantage of all the edible parts of food is today almost an art, although not long ago it was common in any home. What we usually throw away can be useful for other preparations, and buying the whole pieces is also cheaper. Therefore, a double saving for our pocket. Here are some ideas on how to cook with waste, or what is the same, with remains:
Leaves for future broths
Logs, dark leaves or stalks, instead of throwing them away, store them in airtight bags in the freezer. When you have enough, make a broth with them.
Fruit skins
Tomato skins can be seasoned and candied over low heat with a drizzle of olive oil to add to salad or to accompany many dishes in an original way.
You can also make original aromatic oils and vinegars with citrus skins.
Vegetables
If you have many vegetables but in small quantities, freeze them already cut to make a quick sauté in the pan without having to defrost them previously. Ideal for emergencies.
If, taking advantage of the season, you buy more fruit, you can make jams or compotes. They can also be frozen in pieces to make a delicious frozen dessert at any time of the year.
Always keep the head and bones of frozen fish in airtight bags. When you have enough, make a fish broth. The heads of crustaceans and their shells are also used to make a stock.