Fruits and vegetables can spoil and lose nutrients when stored incorrectly
[Introduction] Did you know that storing things in the wrong place can cause their nutrients to evaporate? Below, the editor will share some tips on how to store these foods properly.
1. Milk: Store away from light
Light not only sterilizes but also "kills" the nutrients in milk. Studies have found that milk exposed directly to sunlight for 4 minutes will sour and spoil; under the fluorescent lights of a supermarket refrigerated display, its "best shelf life" is only about 4 hours.
Vitamin B2 in milk is very sensitive to light and is rapidly lost under it. Light also causes the lipids in milk to oxidize, leading to the gradual degradation of other nutrients such as vitamins A, D, B6, and B12. Milk in glass or plastic containers is most susceptible to this effect.
Expert advice: When buying milk at the supermarket, it's best to choose the ones hidden at the back of the shelf; after pouring milk into a glass, it's best to finish it within 4 minutes; when buying milk, choose a paper carton, and as soon as you get home, put it in the refrigerator at 2°C-6°C.
2. Tea: Green tea in the refrigerator, black tea at room temperature
Green tea has many health benefits and has been proven to help prevent heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, etc., mainly due to the catechins it contains. However, studies have found that after 6 months at room temperature, the catechin content in green tea decreases by 32%.
Expert advice: Green tea that is often consumed can be stored in the refrigerator at around 5°C; for unopened tea leaves, if you want to store them for more than a year, they should be placed in the freezer. To prevent the tea from becoming a "deodorizer" for the refrigerator, it is best to seal it in a tin can before putting it in the fridge.
Oolong tea, black tea, and jasmine tea do not need to be stored in the refrigerator. As long as they are kept in a dry, sealed, light-proof, and odor-proof container, they can be stored for a relatively long time.
3. Fruits and Vegetables: Two types together, spoilage can be "contagious"
Just like humans, spoilage between fruits and vegetables can be "contagious." A study from Pennsylvania State University warns that apples, almonds, red peppers, peaches, cantaloupes, and tomatoes, when stored with other fruits and vegetables, release ethylene gas, causing the latter to ripen and spoil quickly. In addition, storing these fruits and vegetables with cruciferous vegetables and green leafy vegetables will cause the leaves of the latter to turn yellow and rot quickly.
Expert advice: "Delicate" green leafy vegetables should be stored in the refrigerator and eaten as soon as possible. Radishes, carrots, cabbage, potatoes, onions, apples, pears, etc., are all durable foods suitable for storage on a balcony. For root vegetables like potatoes, the smaller the size, the higher the vitamin C content. They can be stored in paper bags to prevent excessive light and oxygen from damaging the vitamin C.
4. Cooking Oil: Add a vitamin E capsule to the bottle
For convenience, many housewives often store cooking oil next to the stove. Unbeknownst to them, the high temperature there will speed up the oxidation of the oil, making it more likely to become rancid. Vitamins A, D, and E in the oil will also be oxidized to varying degrees, reducing their nutritional value and even producing harmful aldehydes and ketones. Even when not stored in a too-hot place, studies have found that the antioxidants in bottled olive oil decrease by 40% after 6 months, while common soybean oil, peanut oil, and sunflower oil have more unsaturated fatty acids and are therefore more unstable, with nutrients easily damaged during storage.
Expert advice: The best storage temperature for cooking oil is 10°C-25°C. It should be stored away from heat sources such as gas stoves, rice cookers, and microwaves; after buying bottled oil, you can divide it into smaller bottles to avoid repeated opening of the cap, which causes the oil to oxidize and produce a rancid smell; it is best to use dark, not transparent, glass bottles for storing oil; you can add hot salt to the cooking oil in a 40:1 ratio to absorb moisture and keep the oil clear and fragrant; you can also add 1-2 vitamin E capsules to the cooking oil to enhance its antioxidant capacity.
5. Seasonings: Scallions, ginger, and garlic are best wrapped in tin foil
Many studies have confirmed that spices like chili, fennel, and cinnamon have anti-cancer and cold-fighting effects. However, these health benefits do not last forever; for example, the capsaicin in chili powder is only effective for about 9 months.
Expert advice: Garlic becoming hollow, green onions drying out, and ginger growing green mold have always been problems in the kitchen. The best solution is to cut tin foil into a suitable size before storing, tightly wrapping the unwashed scallions, ginger, and garlic. This can extend their shelf life to at least one month. Scallions can be cut into sections or chopped, then placed directly in the freezer in a fresh-keeping box; garlic contains allicin, which has a bactericidal effect and is not easy to spoil, so it is recommended to store it whole.
6. Grains: Don't buy bulk brown rice
Studies have found that grains contain a large amount of vitamin B2, and light has a great destructive effect on their nutrients; germ rice is easily affected by sunlight and ultraviolet rays, which can easily lead to the oxidation of vitamin E; in pasta, vitamin B2 will be lost by 50% after being exposed to light for just one day, and even weak light can reduce it by nearly 80% within 3 months; folic acid in flour is also extremely sensitive to light and oxygen.
Expert advice: Don't buy too much rice at once, a 15-30 day supply is enough; brown rice must not be bought in bulk, although it is nutritious, its shelf life is very short, usually only half a year. Especially its vitamins A and C will be completely oxidized after about 3 months in the air, losing their health benefits.
When storing, pasta, rice, and grains are best kept in opaque containers or rice bags. Brown rice, sesame seeds, and nuts contain oils and are prone to spoilage and rancidity at room temperature, so they need to be refrigerated or even frozen.