5 Easy Hacks for Food Freshness and Better Cooking Results

Whatever your level of home-cooking skill, the events of the last year have incentivized us to spend more time in the kitchen!  As well, the growing awareness of food waste highlights the need to ensure we use what we gather, whether from the market or our veggie gardens.

Here are some ways to maintain freshness, while minimizing spoilage, and keep you inspired to keep cooking instead of ridding a fridge of spoiled food!

1. Store herbs properly                                                                                                        

Once home, rinse them off.  Not only will they be ready for use when you start dinner, rinsing rehydrates the leaves so they will stay fresher longer. Next, trim the ends of your herbs with a knife or cut with kitchen shears. Roll them up in paper towels, and store in a container.  Most can be refrigerated for up to a week, and ready for immediate use to perk up a quick work-day meal.

2. Keep produce fresh, longer

A little humidity is helpful for keeping produce fresh longer, but too much moisture can invite mold to form.  Usually, you will dry produce after washing. However, there are exceptions to this practice.  Wonder why your asparagus becomes mushy after just a short while in the fridge? Try trimming its ends and stand it upright in a glass of water. It will last days longer! As well, storing whole carrots in a covered container of water will keep them firm.  The same applies to celery.

Once fruit like pineapple or avocado is ripe, you should move it to the fridge to slow the ripening process. If you really want to hit the pause button and maximize nutrients, freeze it!  Karen McCleave, an avid home cook from Ontario, suggests peeling and cutting the fruit into pieces. Individually quick freeze (IQF) the portions on a baking sheet. (This step will prevent them from freezing in one lump.) Next, place into a freezer-safe container for 3 months or even longer. Karen especially enjoys doing this with wild blueberries that appear in late summer. Filled with antioxidants, they will keep for up to a year in her freezer and are a delicious addition to smoothies, muffins and other baked goods.

3. Speaking of freezing…

These days, especially since dining out in many places has been put on hold, freezing fresh foods to enjoy them later also offers convenience.  Jenny McCoy, a cookbook author in New York, shares a few ground rules for freezing food.  They are: “Never, ever, ever freeze in glass jars unless you know they’re explicitly freezer-safe.”  Also: “Never, ever, ever use hot water to defrost something, whether it’s tomato sauce or raw steak or chicken soup or parsley. You risk cooking the frozen food, and changing its texture and flavor in ways you can’t control.”

With your fresh ingredients at hand, let’s turn to the tools to better ensure success when you  dive into a recipe or decide to create your own ingredient magic:

4. Use the proper cookware

When a recipe tells you to use a cast iron pan, use one!  If your current kitchen inventory only includes non-stick pans, look for a sale and buy yourself a stainless steel pan and a cast iron skillet. You’ll be ready for any cooking technique.

It is important to replace any cheap non-stick pans every few years because the coating can wear down. Also, older non-stick pans made before 2013 likely contain PFOA, an environmental and health risk, so avoid a garage sale “find” of such a pan. It is no bargain!

A quality set of pots will better ensure a successful result for your efforts. Karen McCleave recalls trying to make a sauce in her “student pot”. After throwing out two failed, curdled attempts, she realized that the pot’s thin construction was affecting the heat distribution. New pots meant consistent results. “They’ve been my kitchen investment pieces for decades”, she offers.

5. Sharpen knives

Not just for better results, but for your own safety!  Dull knives are more prone to slip when cutting, increasing your risk of injury. Be sure to sharpen your knives on a regular basis to avoid this problem.

Did you have a fellow who would drive around your neighbourhood sharpening knives from his truck? Most of us can’t count on that service anymore, but do-it-yourself knife sharpeners are affordable and widely available. Add one to your knife drawer.

Good things happen in the kitchen when you are prepared with the freshest food and the right tools to accomplish a delicious result. Go forth and create your culinary magic!

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