Storing food in cold water. What is a cooler bag

Most modern housewives have a certain stock of products for all occasions. The composition of the universal food "basket" for each family is different, depending on the number of households and culinary traditions. Why is it good to always have the necessary products on hand? You can always prepare versatile dishes in case guests arrive or bake a pie if one of the children wanted “delicious”. And you will also save a lot if you make vegetable or fruit preparations during the harvest season. It's no secret that zucchini, tomatoes and cucumbers are cheaper in autumn than in winter - why not take the opportunity to stock up on vitamins for the winter?

What products are bought in reserve

You can safely stock up on dry products with a long shelf life - salt, sugar, spices, pasta, flour and cereals. So you can not depend on seasonal price fluctuations and feel more confident in the future. It is important to properly store such products so that they do not deteriorate or become “prey” for kitchen bugs.

Salt and spices

Salt can be stored for decades, and nothing will happen to it if it is hermetically sealed. But even if the salt becomes wet, it will not deteriorate, but will only lose its “marketable” appearance, and it will be difficult to measure it for cooking. Store salt in a dry, warm place in glass, ceramic and plastic jars with tightly closed lids. You can put a few toothpicks or fried rice grains in the salt container, which absorb moisture well. It is better to store iodized salt in a dark and cool place so that it does not lose its properties - in this case, the salt can be stored for up to four months.

It is customary to keep spices in small special containers in a dry and dark place away from stoves and radiators, otherwise they will lose their piquant flavor. Subject to all the storage rules, seasonings are remarkably worth up to 2 years with the preservation of taste.

Sugar and honey

Sugar is stored for eight years in tightly closed glass and plastic containers, away from moisture and high temperatures. Upon contact with liquids, granulated sugar sticks together into lumps, and lump sugar gradually dissolves. Sugar has another not very pleasant feature - it easily absorbs odors, so try to keep it in an airtight container and shake it periodically so that it does not compress.

Honey stands remarkably indoors for several years, and even if it is candied, all useful properties will be preserved in it. For this reason, honey is used in oriental cuisine as a preservative for marinating meat and fish, as a result of which these products do not spoil for several months.

Cereals and pasta

It is recommended to store cereals in the kitchen in ceramic, stainless steel, glass and plastic containers, as well as in linen bags, which are pre-soaked in saline and ironed. Ordinary metal cans are not suitable due to possible oxidation, and paper and plastic bags do not guarantee tightness. Instead of tight lids for air access, jars can be covered with a cloth or gauze folded in several layers. To protect against bugs, it is recommended to put a bay leaf in each jar or fabric bag, the aroma of which repels voracious insects. Rice is stored for up to 1.5 years, millet - no more than 4 months, buckwheat - 20 months, semolina - 14 months, and oatmeal - up to 5 months. By the way, storing cereals in the refrigerator prolongs its “life”, and bugs rarely survive at low temperatures. If you are in doubt about the shelf life of the cereal, lightly toast it in a dry frying pan before cooking.

Flour

It is usually customary to stock up on flour for a long time, especially if there are children in the family who ask for either pies, or pancakes, or sugar buns. It is the aroma of baking that makes the house cozy and warm, and in order to bake bread or buns at any time, you need high-quality flour that is properly stored. Airtight jars with rubber gaskets are suitable for flour, ensuring a snug fit of the lids, since kitchen bugs are not accidentally called flour eaters - flour is their favorite delicacy. This product also feels good in linen bags soaked in a salt solution.

When choosing a place to store flour, keep in mind that it is afraid of the sun, moisture, temperature changes and does not “like” odorous products, so do not keep flour near coffee and spices. Premium wheat flour is stored up to 12 months, rye flour - up to 6 months, whole grain flour - up to 3 months. Buckwheat flour retains its properties for six months, rice flour - 9 months, and all other types of flour (corn, soy, oatmeal) may lose their taste after a year. If you have a lot of space in the refrigerator, store the flour there and it will "last" longer than usual.

Vegetable and ghee

Vegetable oils in closed glass bottles are usually stored for at least two years in a dry, dark place at room temperature. Keep bottles away from heat sources, as too high storage temperatures gradually destroy vitamin E. Unrefined oils are best stored in the refrigerator after the first use.

Melted butter, prepared correctly, can be stored for years in a closed earthenware dish, and, over time, its beneficial properties are enhanced. Pure ghee without impurities can not even be put in the refrigerator, although it feels better in a cool place. Ayurvedic doctors believe that the older the oil, the stronger its healing effect.

Berries, fruits, nuts

Traditional fruits for the winter are canning, drying and freezing. Compotes, jam, jam, marmalade are cooked from fruits and berries, jelly, candied fruits and marmalade are made. Soaked apples, candied and dried fruits are very tasty. Fruit preparations are stored for years if cooked with a sufficient amount of sugar (1: 1). By the way, many varieties of apples will lie perfectly in the cellar until spring.

Nuts are considered a very healthy product, so if you manage to keep them as long as possible, your family diet will always be varied and nutritious. Inshell nuts can be poured into canvas bags and hung in a dry and dark place - in this form they will remain edible for six months. Peeled nuts are not stored for more than three months, and the container for them should not be very airtight, because without air, the nuts “suffocate” and become moldy. For the same reason, you should not use a plastic bag as "storage". In the refrigerator, nuts are wonderful for 8 months, and in the freezer - a year.

Sunflower and pumpkin seeds are stored dry in closed containers, in a dark place and away from moisture. Under such conditions, the seeds are edible for a very long time.

Mushrooms

Inveterate mushroom pickers never miss the mushroom season and try to prepare mushrooms for the year ahead, using a variety of methods. Mushrooms can be dried in the oven, in the air or in a special electric dryer, and they are stored by hanging on a string or in cloth bags. Properly dried mushrooms retain their aroma and beneficial properties for up to three years.

Mushrooms are pickled, salted, fermented and fried for long-term storage, caviar is made from them and frozen in a freezer for 6-12 months.

Vegetables

Stocking up on vegetables for the winter is a good thing, especially if you have a cellar. Some varieties of cabbage can be stored underground until May, potatoes, carrots and beets will last until April, onions and garlic will survive well until spring at room temperature. The bulbs and heads of garlic connected in braids look very picturesque - the kitchen seems warmer and more comfortable with them. In the cellar, you can even keep green tomatoes in wooden boxes sprinkled with sawdust. During the year, vegetables are perfectly preserved in the freezer, and it is quite possible to store a pumpkin in an apartment at a temperature of no more than 15 degrees with the stalk up.

And salted vegetables, lecho, squash and eggplant caviar, sauerkraut, vegetable salads, pickled green peas and corn, salted and pickled garlic, adjika, tomato paste can be stored for up to three years if all the rules for cooking vegetables and sterilizing jars are followed.

Dried vegetables have an unusual aroma and spicy taste. If you have the opportunity, time and desire, try drying carrots, beets, tomatoes, onions, garlic, herbs and roots. A pinch of dried vegetables tossed into a soup, vegetable stew, or sauce adds flavor, brightness, and richness to dishes. You can also dry peas, beans, beans and corn for the winter. Dried vegetables like to winter in cool, well-ventilated areas in glass jars or cloth bags.

Meat and fish

Canned meat and fish at room temperature should not be stored for more than a month, and in the cold, the shelf life is significantly extended - the stew "will withstand" up to six years of storage, and canned fish (in oil) - up to two years. Meat, poultry and fish can be salted, smoked, dried - such products are stored for six months or more, depending on the method of preparation. Cold-smoked meat, for example, can be stored for three years, and salted and smoked lard will lie perfectly in the freezer for a whole year.

Beverages

It is better to buy coffee in beans to preserve its taste and aroma, and if you want to stock up on ground coffee, choose vacuum foil packaging - such coffee will lie quietly for a year or two without losing its taste. Leaf tea is good for brewing all year long, but it is better not to store tea in bags, as it will become completely tasteless. Fermented expensive teas need coolness, so their place is in the refrigerator, and so that they do not absorb foreign odors, take care of a quality container. By the way, coffee and a refrigerator are clearly not made for each other, especially if the package is already open. However, freshly roasted coffee beans keep well in the freezer for up to two months.

Alcoholic drinks "like" coolness, low humidity and darkness - in such conditions they can stand for years, while it is better to put the wines on their side and provide them with complete rest. Bottled beer should be stored in dark glass bottles with the neck up - in a cool place, but not in the refrigerator, as too low temperatures "kill" the yeast.

Now you know which foods keep the longest without a refrigerator, and how long your strategic stock will last. When stocking up for the winter, consider the appetites of family members and the possibilities of your home. Over the years, you will learn to accurately determine how much cereal, butter and vegetable preparations your family needs. This is the art of housekeeping. We wish you abundance all year round!

Summer is not only a long-awaited time when you can soak up the sun and swim in various reservoirs, but also the season of holidays, going out into nature and, of course, the summer season! Whether you're having a picnic, going to the country, or heading "savage" somewhere south to the sun and water, our tips on how to store food without a refrigerator in the summer will come in handy. In addition, these life hacks will be indispensable for those who may travel by train, bus or in their own car not at all on vacation, but on a business trip or to visit relatives.

In general, here are our life hacks that will tell you how to keep food fresh longer:

To keep bread fresh longer, keep a few slices of raw potatoes with it in the bread box.

Banana bunches usually spoil quite quickly - blacken and become soft, to prevent this or at least delay it - wrap the base of the banana bundle with several layers of foil. The foil will be indispensable when needed.

To keep the cheese fresh for as long as possible, place it in an airtight plastic container and add a few cubes of sugar.

Very often, the salt in the salt shaker becomes wet and ceases to be crumbly. This is not only unaesthetic, but also terribly inconvenient - you have to constantly wash and dry the salt shaker, and even add new salt. Which soon falls into disrepair again. We will tell you a secret: to make the salt crumbly, add a little rice to it (in a ratio of 5 to 1). The rice will absorb all the excess moisture and prevent the salt from getting wet.

To keep milk fresh longer in a pack or bag, add a tablespoon of salt per 1 liter of milk to it.

If you need to take dairy products, such as sour cream or cottage cheese, on the road, prepare the products before leaving so that they can keep their freshness as long as possible. To do this: place the fermented milk product in an airtight container, tightly close the lid, turn over and send for an hour in the refrigerator, and preferably in the freezer. The whole point of this method is inverting, because in this way a vacuum “cushion” is formed, which will not allow the formation of bacteria that spoil the freshness of the product.

If you need to keep peeled onions fresh. By the way, this method should be adopted by every housewife who, after cooking, retains an “extra” peeled onion. Take a saucer, cover the bottom with salt, and place the onion cut side down on it, then cover everything with a plastic bag - this way you keep the freshness of the peeled onions.

Bought a whole bucket of strawberries, but don't want to sprinkle it with sugar and even more so make jam? Do you need strawberries to keep their freshness longer? Then take cold water and add ordinary table vinegar to it in a ratio of 10 to 1, place the washed berries in the resulting solution. Strawberries will retain their freshness, but will not lose their taste! By the way, vinegar is also useful in order to keep the peel of boiled potatoes in their uniforms intact, about this.

If you took lettuce leaves on the road, then you know that they quickly deteriorate - they become lethargic. To avoid this, prepare lettuce leaves (sort, wash) and wrap them in foil. That's all! As they say, everything ingenious is simple.

But if you need to keep any other herbs fresh, just put them in a plastic bag and put them in the freezer, but this method is for those who have a refrigerator at hand. If not, then place a bunch of greens in a glass of water, just like a bouquet of flowers.

Now exotic fruits do not surprise anyone, they can be found on the shelves of almost any grocery store, so avocados are no longer a curiosity, but a product that is firmly included in the diet. If you need to keep the freshness of this fruit without a refrigerator, or you bought a slightly greenish fruit, then wrap the avocado with newspaper, place it in a plastic container and put it in a dark place.

People have been doing without this miracle of technology for centuries. What did not come up with! And in the basement they stored food, and created special cabinets where ice was laid. And the refrigerator, as we imagine it now, appeared only in the last century. And even then not everyone. Surely, even your grandmothers found a time when such household appliances were not just a luxury, but an unheard-of miracle. So don't worry. Life without a refrigerator is possible, although not as comfortable as with it.

To protect the bread from drying out, it should be kept in glass, porcelain or enameled dishes, covered with a lid.

Bread does not go stale longer if it is wrapped in parchment paper and placed in a plastic bag or cellophane. Without parchment paper in plastic bags, bread quickly loses its taste and even becomes moldy, especially rye bread, which has a higher moisture content.

For long-term storage, fresh bread is cut into pieces, put in a plastic bag and placed in the freezer of the refrigerator. Before eating, the required amount of bread should be kept for 3≈5 minutes in an oven heated to 150≈200 °C. The bread will be fresh, like freshly baked, with a pleasant taste and aroma.

If you need to keep a large amount of bread longer, for example, on a multi-day hiking trip, it is placed several loaves in clean bags of dense fabric, carefully protecting it from getting wet. To prevent the loaves from touching each other, sheets of paper are laid between them. Every day at a halt, the bread is aired and inspected. When traces of mold appear, the loaves are fired over the red coals of a fire.

FLOUR, CEREALS, PASTA

These products are hygroscopic, able to quickly absorb foreign odors. Therefore, it is recommended to store them in a dry room with a constant temperature and without strong odors.

Before storing flour, cereals, pasta should be well dried, put in cloth bags or paper bags. Stored products must be monitored systematically. They are periodically checked for taste and smell. The shelf life of well-dried flour of the highest grade without loss of quality under favorable conditions is ≈ 10 years, and of low grades is less, since this flour is richer in soluble carbohydrates, fats, and enzymes.

When infected with insect pests, the flour is sifted and poured into a clean container. Cereals and pasta affected by insects are laid out on a baking sheet and dried in an oven or oven, winnowed and placed in a clean container.

MEAT

Meat, separated from the bones, is preserved better.

In hot weather, beef and lamb keep longer than lamb meat, poultry and fresh pork.

Fresh meat and fish are preserved longer if they are shifted with nettle or bird cherry and wrapped in a damp towel.

The meat will not spoil for 3-5 days if wrapped in a linen napkin soaked in salicylic acid solution (1 teaspoon per 0.5 liter of water). Before eating, the meat is thoroughly washed with cold water.

The meat will remain fresh for 4-5 days, if dried, put it in a pan (enamelled), pour yogurt, cover with a plate on top, press down with a load and put in a cool place.

The meat is well preserved if it is wrapped in a cloth, abundantly moistened with a solution of strong vinegar, and put in a sealed dish or hung in a draft. Immediately before eating, the meat is thoroughly washed in cold water. The ancient Greeks and Romans used bee honey to preserve fresh meat. At the same time, the meat not only remained fresh, but even supposedly did not change its natural taste.

A large piece of fresh meat will last for several days if it is wiped dry, smeared on all sides with melted beef, pork or lamb fat, wrapped in parchment paper and hung in a cool place.

Sometimes it is convenient to keep the meat not raw, but in the form of a semi-finished product. Here are some easy ways:

1. The meat is boiled for 5-10 minutes in salted water, allowed to cool without covering, and then placed in a ventilated place. In very stuffy weather, it should be boiled the next day (for 1 minute) and then cooled in the same way.

Beef and lamb should be kept for 3 minutes, young veal and lamb - about one minute.

2. Lightly fry the meat on all sides until a crust forms, put in a gauze bag and hang in a ventilated place.

3. Cut the meat into large pieces, rub thoroughly with salt and pepper, put in a glass dish, close the lid.

4. Scald the meat with boiling water or lower it for a few seconds in boiling water. So, the surface of the meat will turn white. This means that the top layer of the protein will be cooked.

5. Hold the meat, turning over a burning gas burner or over another fire, until a thin, dry crust forms on its entire surface. Then tie the meat with twine and hang it in a draft.

6. Lamb for kebabs is separated from bones and films, cut into pieces of the desired size and sprinkled in a basin with 9% vinegar with stirring until the red color of the meat disappears. Then the semi-finished product is salted, pepper, coriander and other dry spices are added. Can't put onions. The pieces are tightly placed in an enameled can or bucket, poured with the resulting marinade (the meat should be completely covered with marinade) and covered with a rag moistened with vinegar. The can is closed with a lid and tied with gauze from flies. If the meat is used in parts, each time the rag is thoroughly washed and again moistened with vinegar. In hot weather, the last layer of meat should be used in a maximum of a week; in cool weather, you can count on ten days of storage.

Boiled meat, as well as ham, tongue, poultry are recommended to be stored in a small amount of broth.

In summer, meat or birds need protection from flies. For proper storage, rub meat or poultry with pepper or grated horseradish. You can also wrap it in a cloth previously moistened with brine from pickled cucumbers.

From sausages without a refrigerator, raw-smoked types are best stored. Lubricate the cut with oil or egg white so that it does not wind up, and put it in a dry, dark place. But boiled species are best disposed of as soon as possible.

BIRD

To keep a bird for several days, wrap it tightly in a clean cloth soaked in vinegar. As the rag dries, wetting it with vinegar must be renewed. Even in warm weather, the bird will remain fresh for several days.

Gutted game lasts longer than gutted game.

Boiled chicken will last longer if it is salted and rubbed with red pepper.

FISH

At room temperature, the fish begins to deteriorate after 24 hours, and at a temperature of minus 1 ° C - after 100 hours.

Fresh fish can be stored in the summer for several days if it is gutted, the gills removed, not washed, but wiped dry with a clean towel, rubbed on top and inside with salt and a little ground pepper and hung in a draft, protected from flies with a fine mesh or gauze.

Up to two days, fresh fish is preserved, wrapped in a cloth moistened with a solution of salicylic acid at a ratio of 1 teaspoon to 0.5 liters of water. Before cooking, such fish should be washed with cold water.

Canned fish may be stored at temperatures from plus 15 to minus 1 °C. However, excessively long storage of canned goods in heat adversely affects the quality of their contents.

Canned fish in uncorked metal cans deteriorate very quickly. Therefore, having opened the jar, you must immediately transfer the contents to glass or faience dishes.

In hot weather, milk can be prevented from going sour by placing the container of milk in a large pot of cold water and covering it with a clean cloth, the ends of which should be immersed in water.

You can also wrap a jar or glass with a layer of cotton wool, wrap the cotton wool with a thread so that it does not slip, and put it in a small bowl or deep plate filled with cold water. As the water evaporates, add fresh water.

In the summer it is good to keep dishes with milk in a draft.

The "secret" of past centuries is unglazed ceramics. Liquids, imperceptibly to the eye, in microdoses, seep through the ceramic walls of dishes, evaporate, and thereby cool the contents.

Milk is stored longer if it is boiled with the addition of a small amount of sugar, and in summer ≈ soda (on the tip of a knife).

BUTTER

For long-term storage, mae la should be kept in an opaque container. Under the action of light, it turns yellow and loses most of the vitamins it contains. So that the oil does not absorb foreign odors, it must be stored away from pungent-smelling objects and products, and to preserve the taste, it must be stored (even for two to three days) in the coolest place.

The oil is kept fresh by wrapping it in a cloth soaked in a mixture of water and wine vinegar. As the fabric dries, it should be moistened again.

For the same purpose, the oil can be tightly packed in a glass jar and poured with 9% vinegar so that it completely covers the oil.

When stored for a short time, the oil does not deteriorate even at normal room temperature, if only it is isolated from direct exposure to sunlight. Oilers made of ceramics and other opaque materials are suitable for these purposes.

In the warm season, the oil can be stored for 3 weeks. To do this, it is wrapped in small bags (200 g) in parchment paper, placed in an enamel pan with salt water (20 g of salt per 1 liter of water), covered with a plate, a load is placed (a bottle of clean water) and stored in a cool dark place. It is advisable to change the water daily.

For better preservation ghee it is carefully packaged in a hot state in dried jars, covered with prepared dry lids, corked and stored in a cold, dark room.

VEGETABLE OIL

It is recommended to store sunflower oil in a dark, cool place. To avoid the appearance of bitterness, it is necessary to let the oil settle, drain from the sediment, add 1 teaspoon of table salt and one crushed bean grain per 1 liter of oil.

To preserve any vegetable oil, it is poured into clean, dry dark glass bottles and 2 tablespoons of vodka are poured into each so that the bottles are filled under the cork as a result. Bottles are sealed with cork or polyethylene stoppers and stored in a standing position.

CHEESE, BRYNZA

To protect cheese or cheese from drying out, place a piece of sugar in the bowl in which they are located and cover tightly with a lid.

To prevent the cheese from drying out, carefully wrap it in a dense, moistened cloth. It is better to soak in salted water.

Pickled cheeses and brynza should be put in a glass or enamel bowl and poured with salt solution (strength up to 20%).

If the sliced ​​​​slices of cheese lie for a long time, they will become weathered, dry, lose their taste and aroma. Therefore, it is necessary to cut the cheese no earlier than an hour before serving it to the table.

EGGS

For long-term storage at home, eggs must be fresh. Freshness can be defined as follows:

1. Dip the egg in salt water. Fresh sinks, stale floats.

2. Look at the egg in the light. If there are no dark spots, then it is fresh.

Lubricate fresh, thoroughly washed and wiped eggs with a thin layer of any fat or protein, wrap in paper, put in a basket and hang in a cold, ventilated place.

Fresh clean eggs are placed in a vertical position with a sharp end down in a box, sprinkling each row with dry sawdust, wood ash or well-dried sand. In this case, the eggs should not touch each other. Store in a cold place.

The eggs are dipped in a solution of salicylic acid (2 teaspoons per 0.5 l of water), after half an hour they are taken out, allowed to dry (without wiping). Store in a cool dry place.

Fresh clean eggs are placed in an enameled bowl and poured with salt water, for which water is first boiled with table salt (20 g per 1 liter of water), the solution is cooled and eggs are poured into it. The dishes are taken out to the basement, a plate is placed on top, a load (a bottle of water) is placed.

The eggs are placed in a net, dipped in boiling water, removed and placed in cold water. Under the influence of boiling water, the protein in the immediate vicinity of the shell coagulates and clogs the pores. Due to this, air cannot penetrate deep into the egg and cause it to spoil. When the eggs are dry, they are placed in a jar and put in a cold place. From time to time, the eggs should be viewed and the jar rotated.

Long before the advent of refrigerators, urban residents stored fresh chicken eggs by filling them in a container with water left after slaking lime. If the shell is not damaged, the eggs can be stored for several months at above zero temperatures.

Soft-boiled eggs keep well in a cool, dry place.

YEAST

Fresh yeast is best stored at a temperature not exceeding 6-8 ° C.

The following method also helps to preserve yeast: the yeast stick is crushed into small pieces and dried (in the summer - in the sun, and in the winter on a central heating battery, etc.); before use, crushed yeast is diluted in warm water.

You can put a fresh stick of yeast in a bag of flour. The crust that forms on the yeast must be cleaned off with a knife before using it. Flour, helping to preserve the yeast, does not deteriorate from contact with them. You can try fine salt for the same purpose.

Crumble fresh yeast, put in a clean bottle, pour cold water over it and plug the neck with cotton wool. Keep a bottle of yeast in a dark, cool place, changing the water once a day in warm weather, and every 3-4 days in cold weather. This should be done carefully so as not to drain the yeast residue.

SPICES, SPICES

Drying is the best and most convenient way to preserve spices. At the same time, dried dill, celery, parsnips, mint can be used all year round for both first and second courses. It is recommended to store them only in tightly closed porcelain or glass jars or boxes in a dark place. Each type of spice is stored separately, with the exception of ready-made spice mixes.

Spices in uncrushed and unground form are preserved better, since they are less exhaled and do not lose their merits. If stored incorrectly, hot pepper, for example, loses its sharpness, and red ≈ color and aroma. Therefore, it is best to grind black pepper immediately before use.

Spices should be stored so that they do not accidentally fall into the hands of small children.

Dry tea should be stored in tightly closed glass, metal or plastic tea caddies, preferably with two lids. This protects the tea from loss of aroma and from the perception of foreign odors.

To avoid loss of aroma coffee beans stored in hermetically sealed containers (jars with ground stoppers, tins with tight lids). Shelf life of ground coffee in airtight tin containers is 1 year, in cardboard boxes - 6 months.

Cocoa it is better to store in a glass, earthenware or metal container with a tight-fitting lid. Some lovers put a vanilla stick there.

Salt will always be dry if you add 8-10 grams of potato flour per kilogram of salt to the dishes where it is stored.

VEGETABLES

Purified potato cannot be stored. In extreme cases, it can be left for an hour, and even then in water, and, moreover, not in sliced ​​form, but with whole tubers, otherwise the potato will lose a significant part of the nutrients.

small-toothed garlic is preserved better than large-toothed. More effective is storage at a temperature of minus 1≈3 °C.

Onion store in a cool dry place. It is best to weave into braids or place in bags of rare fabric. Let it dry well before storage.

Onions and garlic can be stored woven into braids, always at a stable room temperature, excluding moisture from them. Before tying the onion, you need to cut off the bottom of it so that the onion fly does not develop there.

Half an onion will not wither for several days if you brush the cut with margarine.

It is better to store garlic by cutting off its roots and singeing the bottom over a candle or gas. They also do it differently: they dip the heads in liquid molten paraffin and let it drain. Paraffin covers the head with a continuous shell, preventing the evaporation of moisture from the garlic cloves.

You can store peeled garlic in bottles with vegetable oil. Such oil acquires an unusual, pleasant aftertaste, and garlic is stored all winter, as if it had just been plucked. In glass jars, sprinkled with dry flour so that there is a 2 cm layer of flour above the top layer of garlic, unpeeled garlic will also last all winter.

To save cucumbers and zucchini fresh, they should be kept in a shallow bowl with cold water. Cucumbers and radishes will stay fresh for 3-4 months if placed in an enamel bowl with cold water, stalk up. Change water every 2-3 days.

If you have to store tomatoes at room temperature, they should be placed in a box or basket in 3-4 rows, sprinkled with dry sawdust and put in a dark place. Healthy and fresh tomatoes keep well in a basket hanging in the shade in a well-ventilated place.

Fresh tomatoes can be stored until January. For this, green, healthy fruits are selected in the fall. Wrap each fruit with paper, put in one row with the stalks up in a box or basket covered with straw, and store at a temperature of 11-13 ° C in a dark place.

So that the bursting tomato does not become moldy, you need to thickly sprinkle the cracks with coarse salt.

Before storage, carrots should be sprayed with an aqueous infusion of onion scales.

When storing cabbage in a cool dark place, it is better to hang it with the stalk up, be sure to leave 2-3 top green leaves on it.

To better preserve dried fruits and vegetables, put a bag of loose paper with quicklime (approximately 10-15% of the weight of dried foods) in the dish where they will lie. Lime will absorb moisture from the air in the dish, and that from the food.

GREENERY

Even from a short stay tied in bunches of greenery in the sun, in warmth, in the wind, the amount of vitamins in it sharply decreases.

Greens will last longer if you keep it by lowering its roots or lower cuts into cold water.

You can wrap the greens in damp paper or a rag and leave in a cool room.

Small bunches of dill, parsley are well preserved if wrapped in a green cabbage leaf or even a burdock leaf.

Greens (parsley, dill, celery, cilantro, spinach, etc.) are dried or salted (100 g of salt per 400 g of greens).

FRUITS, BERRIES

Before storing apples for storage, it is necessary to sort them by size - large apples breathe harder and ripen faster than small ones. Then they should be kept in a cold weak solution of potassium permanganate. Chilled and disinfected fruits last longer.

Raspberries, garden strawberries and blackberries are practically not subject to long-term storage. At a temperature of 0 ° C, they are stored only for two to three days. . *

Black currant berries are more resistant. Under these conditions, the period of their possible storage is from 3 to 15 days (depending on the variety, degree of maturity and quality of the berries).

For several months, you can store fresh cranberries and lingonberries. Their stability is explained by the high content of organic acids, primarily benzoic, which has an antiseptic effect.

Lingonberries and cranberries are usually stored in small boxes or barrels in a cool place. Often, berries are poured with cold boiled water and stored for a long time on a balcony, in a barn or cellar.

Lemons

Lemons keep fresh for up to 1-2 months, immersed in cold water, which should be changed every week.

Well preserved lemons buried in flour.

Lemons keep for several months if they are wrapped in parchment and placed in dry sand.

Lay the lemons in a dry place so that they do not touch each other and hold for 5-6 days, so that their skins dry slightly. After that, put in glass jars, cover with a glass lid and place in a cool place. Softer lemons should be placed on top to consume them earlier than others.

You can wrap the lemon in tissue paper or parchment paper and put it in dry sand. In this form, lemons are stored for several months.

Cut the lemon into thin slices and place in a glass or enamel bowl with a lid, thickly pouring, layer by layer, sugar (the top layer is sugar). Put in a cool place.

Oranges, tangerines, lemons remain fresh for a long time if they are greased with vegetable oil, put in a plastic bag and stored in a cool place.

PICKLES

Open jars with cucumbers or tomatoes must be isolated from the air. To do this, insert two clean plastic bags nested into each other (two in case one leaks) into the jar and pour water into them.

To a modern person, accustomed to everyday amenities as something taken for granted, such a formulation of the question may seem strange. But let's imagine that you went to the country, to a picnic, in the end, your refrigerator may simply fail and you need to somehow turn over while it is being repaired. It’s good if it’s winter outside, but what if it’s August? How to be?

Ready meals and products can be stored in the basement. In rural areas, if there is neither a refrigerator nor a basement, food can be stored in a well by hanging it on a rope.

If there is ice, you can use a large saucepan or boiling water to store food and ready meals. Pieces of ice are wrapped in paper and placed tightly on the bottom. Food is placed on top, covered with paper and again ice wrapped in paper. The pan is covered with a blanket or some kind of thick cloth and put in a cold place. If there is no ice, it is replaced with moistened sand.

Keep cooked foods separate from raw foods. Try to prepare as much food as is necessary for the family for one day. On the 2-3rd day, it not only loses its nutritional value and taste, but can also deteriorate.

Sausages and lard in summer it can be stored in tiled stoves. Thoroughly clean the oven and place paper-wrapped food inside. In a draft (draft) in the oven, they will be fresh for a long time.

Raw meat it will last longer if you wrap it in a clean cloth moistened with vinegar or salt it well and put it in a dish, and cover it with a lid on top. Place a saucer at the bottom so that the blood from the meat drains into it.

Bones and meat with bones even in the refrigerator they are not stored for a long time, and therefore their storage outside the refrigerator is problematic.

Cooked meat It is better preserved in a dry form, so the water in which it was cooked must be drained.

Grilled meat long preserved if it is filled with fat. However, make sure that there is no water left in the fat.

If you need to store smoked meat for a long time, do not wash it.

In the summer, protect the meat from flies. Do not place raw vegetables, dairy and cooked products nearby.

open canned food use immediately. If there is some left, transfer to a glass dish and cover.

Canned vegetables should also be opened just before consumption.

Milk should not be stored in aluminum containers. After boiling it, pour it into a glass, enamel or earthenware dish.

Do not cover freshly boiled milk. It takes on an unpleasant odor.

Boiled milk will last longer if you add a little sugar to it.

Milk can be kept fresh longer if the glassware with it is placed in a bowl or wide saucepan with cold water and covered with a clean, wet cloth so that its edges sink into the water. Even evaporation of the water from the cloth will keep the temperature in the bowl of milk low.

Sour cream, cottage cheese, butter well preserved if they are placed in any dish in cold water. In summer, the water should be changed several times a day. Cottage cheese is well preserved without a refrigerator if it is wrapped in a clean, damp white cloth and kept at a temperature not exceeding 10-15 ° C. The fabric should be rinsed in cold water once or twice a day.

To keep the surface of the cheeses from drying out, wrap them in a damp cloth.

Flour and cereals best stored in tin crates or boxes. It can also be in bags, but then at least once a month you should ventilate, mixing. Place some charcoal on top of the bag. Thanks to him, you can avoid the penetration of insects, dampness and prevent the appearance of rottenness.

Eggs for long-term storage, they are placed in boxes with the sharp end down and covered with shavings, sand or straw.

For such storage, eggs are not washed. You can also grease each egg or fill it with paraffin and put it in a jar. Regardless of the method of storage, they should be kept in a cool place.

Fresh vegetables they are stored for a long time if they are put in a box and covered with dry sand (so that they do not touch each other).

Peeled vegetables can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. At the same time, avoid metal utensils. Also, do not keep boiled vegetables in a metal bowl.

Potato store in a dark, cool place at a temperature not lower than 0 °C. At lower temperatures, starch quickly turns into sugar, potatoes become sweet, tasteless. Light also contributes to the formation of a harmful substance in potatoes - solanine.

Onion and garlic in winter, it is better to store woven into wreaths and suspended so that they do not touch other objects.

Lettuce, radish, green onion and other vegetables will stay fresh for several days if wrapped in a cloth moistened with a solution of vinegar and water.

Parsley and green onions you can have it in winter. To do this, plant parsley roots and onion heads in flower pots or boxes and place them in the kitchen on the windowsill. Watering should not be frequent.

pork fat long stored in glass, enamel or earthenware in a cold room.

Vegetable oil it will not go rancid if you pour it into a dark glass bottle to the top, pour 50 g of vodka and cork well. Store the oil in a cool dry place.

Mushrooms buy only if you are absolutely sure of their quality, and this quality is determined by competent persons, and purchase as much as is necessary for a single use.

Fresh mushrooms and dishes from them cannot be stored even in the refrigerator.

So that dried mushrooms do not lose their flavor, they should be stored in jars that are hermetically sealed.

Salt, sugar, black and red pepper easily absorb moisture, so they should be stored in a dry place in a tightly sealed glass or porcelain container.

To prevent salt and sugar from absorbing moisture, place a few grains of rice in the bottom of a salt or sugar bowl.

Salt will also be dry if you mix it with starch (for 500 g of salt - 30 g of starch) or put blotting paper on the bottom of the jar in which it is stored.

Poppy burns out quickly. Fresh poppy seeds are best kept in a linen bag in a cool, well-ventilated area. Poppy seeds should be ground only before use: ground, it spoils faster, bitter.

Yeast keep fresh for two weeks if cut into small pieces, put in a jar, cover with cold water and put in a cool dark place. Yeast does not lose its fermentation properties for several weeks if it is rubbed with flour, dried, put in a cup or glass and sprinkled with flour on top. You can also put the yeast in crushed salt.

nuts well preserved if they are washed in cold water and dried in the open fresh air. When the nuts are completely dry, they are put in a bag and hung up.

Dried fruits and vegetables are well preserved in gauze bags in a suspended state in a cool room. From time to time they should be reviewed and selected spoiled.

Dry dough products stored for a long time if put in a tin box, close tightly and keep in a cool room.

Cake will not dry out if you put an apple in the box where it lies.

Black and white bread should be kept separately. White easily absorbs the smell of black, as a result of which its taste deteriorates.

Imagine that one winter, frosty morning, the electricity went out. Of course, we have all experienced this at some time and endured this slight inconvenience, which will soon be eliminated by the utilities, and everything will be as before.

After a few hours, you realize that a little more, and the house will become cold, like at the "north pole". Plus, you can't make yourself scrambled eggs and hot tea because there's no gas either. You rush to the radio, but it doesn't work. On all AM and FM, the waves of the spare transistor, only noise and crackling are heard. Then somewhere in the depths of your soul there is a panic. Well, how long to wait for electricity ?!

However, this time, it will not appear for a very long time, and maybe never. And you will have to learn to do without this achievement of civilization. After a few days, the remaining frozen food will need to be thawed, as the refrigerator does not work and there is no heat. Unless, of course, you have a wood or coal stove in your apartment ... But, since you are also careless, like many people, it is unlikely that you could have foreseen such a development of events. Therefore, it is unlikely that they prepared for it and stocked up in advance with everything necessary to live without electricity. So, most likely, further events do not promise anything good.

Such a story is only one of the possible scenarios of the cataclysm that awaits humanity. We live in an unsustainable world with a fragile infrastructure and an ever-increasing number of terrorist threats and environmental hazards. And all because the level of economic instability has increased significantly, people are more isolated. Therefore, it would be right, in order to save one's own life, to prudently prepare for a possible catastrophe.

Today I will tell you how to stock up on the food supply you need to survive and provide yourself and your family with food for a long period of time.

What foods can be stored without refrigeration?

Dry foods can be stored for a long time. For example, cereals (peas, rice, buckwheat, barley, millet), instant pasta (Mivina, Rolton, Doshirak - 12 months) are well stored. Regular pasta also keeps well, but must be made from durum wheat. In this case, they are usable - more than a year. However, cereals should be sorted out every couple of months ...

Of course, you can not do without meat stew. But you need to know that only real army stew has a long shelf life of products without a refrigerator (up to several years). It is produced in tin cans coated with grease.

Canned fish is not suitable for these purposes. Their term is not durable and they quickly deteriorate, releasing a very dangerous poison. So we won't risk it.

Dried fruits and raisins are ideally preserved for a long time and do not lose their useful qualities. Just before storing them for a long time, you need to carefully sort and dry them.

Don't forget to stock up on powdered milk and egg powder. These products are very important, especially if there are children in the family.

Most of us do not have the skills to preserve food for several years. Therefore, you should be aware that even such simple products as cereals, flour, salt and sugar, if the storage rules are violated, can deteriorate very quickly.

How to increase the shelf life of products?

We need to take a responsible approach to this issue. Otherwise, you can not only destroy all stocks, but also get poisoned. This is all the more dangerous because there may not be a doctor nearby, and there are not enough medicines. Therefore, let's find out how to store them correctly:

Flour, cereals

The room for these products must be clean, carefully cleaned. Barn pests, rodents must be eliminated. Before laying bags, boxes, food containers, decontaminate the basement using special smoke bombs with insectofungicides. After that, do not forget to ventilate the room. Treat the bookmark shelves with a disinfectant solution.

Make sure that there are no sudden temperature fluctuations in the basement, as this can lead to condensation, self-heating and moldy products.

Before placing bags of flour on the shelves, check its moisture content. This is not difficult to do: dry, shelf-stable flour feels warm and creaks between your fingers. Raw and unusable - cool to the touch. Does not creak when rubbed.

Place a linen bag in a second, slightly larger one. Put some dried calendula flowers on its bottom first (buy at a pharmacy). This plant is remarkably repellent to insects.

The shelf life of polished, steamed rice is quite significant. But you need to remember that this cereal absorbs moisture very quickly, so it can quickly deteriorate.

Grains should be poured into dry, disinfected airtight bags. A small amount of rice can be placed in three-liter glass jars, tightly closed and stored in a dry, cool and glass-safe place.