Food preservation tips will be a powerful "assistant" to help you keep each meal fresh and safe. When storing food for many days, a small mistake can easily cause food to spoil, lose nutrients, and even affect the health of the whole family. Therefore, knowing a few small secrets will help make kitchen work easier and more secure every day.

1. Effects of hot weather on food

The hotter the weather, the easier it is for food to "spoil" if we do not preserve it carefully. When food is contaminated with bacteria such as cholera, typhoid, dysentery or E.Coli..., an unsafe meal can also cause trouble for the whole family due to food poisoning.

That is why keeping food clean, from choosing to buying to preserving and processing, is always something you should not be subjective about - especially on hot days like this.

2. Tips for preserving food in hot weather

2.1 For fresh food

To keep food fresh and nutritious, you should definitely not ignore the following tips for preserving fresh food:

Fresh food such as meat and fish: It is best to buy just enough for use. Do not store too much because it will spoil and lose nutrients if left for a long time. When you buy it, you should prepare it, wash it and let it drain before putting it in the refrigerator. If you use it during the day, put it in the refrigerator, but if you leave it until the next day or longer, you should put it in the freezer.

Green vegetables: You should pick out the roots and rotten leaves, then put it in a sealed food bag and put it in the refrigerator. You can add a layer of paper to keep the vegetables dry. A small note: if you do not eat it right away, you should not wash the vegetables first because it will make them quickly soggy and easily leak water in the refrigerator. Mustard greens and other leafy greens are best when used within 3 days, do not leave them for more than 1 week because they will lose their freshness.

Fruit: When you buy it, you should wash it, drain it or dry it with a towel before storing it in a bag in the refrigerator. The best storage time is about 4-5 days.

A food preservation tip is not to wash vegetables before storing them in the refrigerator because it will make them spoil faster.

In general, whether it is frozen food or vegetables, we should not store it for more than 7 days to ensure that the meal is always fresh and safe for the whole family.

2.2 Tips for storing cooked food

Not only fresh food, cooked food also needs to be stored properly:

After cooking: Let the food cool completely, then divide it into portions, store it in a sealed container or cover it with plastic wrap before putting it in the refrigerator. This helps the food not to absorb odors and limits bacteria from entering.

When storing: Remember to keep cooked food separate from raw food - absolutely do not store it in the same compartment. This is a simple but very important way to prevent bacteria from spreading from raw food to cooked food.

Before eating again: You should boil the dishes that have been refrigerated thoroughly and note that you should only reheat and eat them again at one time. Soups should only be kept in the refrigerator for a maximum of 24 hours. Braised dishes and salty dishes can be kept a little longer, but it is best not to leave them for more than 3 days.

If you see a strange smell, color change or any unusual signs, you should absolutely not use it because it can seriously affect your health and the health of your family.

2.3 Tips for preserving frozen foods

Women who have the habit of buying food in reserve should not ignore the following tips for preserving frozen foods:

Prepare immediately after purchase: For families who go to the market once a week, you should clean fresh meat and fish immediately after purchase to limit bacteria due to hot weather.

Divide into portions: Divide food into portions that are just enough for each meal to avoid defrosting and refreezing many times - this can easily cause food contamination.

Clean - drain - store tightly: After washing, let the food drain completely and put it in a sealed box or specialized bag before putting it in the freezer. Absolutely do not let the food liquid leak into the refrigerator.

Do not refreeze thawed food: Freezing and defrosting many times not only reduces the quality but also increases the risk of bacteria growth.

Storage time: Temperature from -18 to -30°C: can be stored for about 12 months. Temperature -36°C: can be stored for up to 18 months. However, the longer the food is left, the more nutrients it loses, the more easily it oxidizes and the flavor changes.

Clean the refrigerator regularly: Clean the refrigerator every 1-2 weeks, treat stains immediately to limit the spread of bacteria from one food to another.

Fresh meat and fish should be processed immediately after purchase to limit bacteria caused by hot weather.

So with just a little ingenuity and attention from preparation, preservation to regular refrigerator cleaning, we can completely rest assured to cook delicious, safe meals for the whole family every day. Keeping food fresh is also keeping health and loving the family with the simplest things.