The kitchen on which each product is assigned its place is much more convenient and pleasant than when there is a mess everywhere. Remember, surely there have been occasions when you opened a refrigerator or looked in the kitchen cupboards and with all the abundance of food, there was nothing to eat. And during the general cleaning of the kitchen you discovered deposits of old cereals, from which you can no longer cook porridge or an old flour that is no longer suitable for baking. Hardly such a situation will inspire you as a cook. But we can help you to rectify this situation with the help of putting things in order in the kitchen cabinets. To do this, it is necessary to take several steps.
do the cleaning
Get rid of excess bottles, jars, old boxes of food, in any case do not keep the leftovers of food. Most often in the old food residues formed sulfur dioxide and sodium benzoate - harmful to health chemicals. Throw away everything that is stale and even more so with expired shelf life. After all, it is often the expiry date is the main indicator of the quality of products. If, for example, flour or cereals are stored for a long time, they lose their flavor and nutritional value. Do not feel sorry for anything that you do not use for a long time. Be honest with yourself - why and for whom do you keep all this? Throw it all to the maximum and without regret. Know that the kitchen is a model of the purity of a real woman.
Shopping
After you remove all the shelves, you are ready for the second step - the purchase of the necessary products. Choose organic products without the addition of chemicals. From cereals, give preference to whole grains, for example, unpeeled rice or whole grains of oats, which are rich in fiber and contribute to the prevention of bowel diseases. Beans, peas and lentils contain viscous fibers that regulate the amount of sugar in the blood, and are an excellent source of protein and allow you to reduce the consumption of meat. Olive oil contains monounsaturated acids, which are very useful for the heart. Therefore, olive oil is one of the most favorite cooking fats for many chefs around the world. Choose olive oil marked "extra-virgin". This olive oil is considered the best, because it is obtained after the first pressing of olives, and has a low acidity. Fresh spices are a source of antioxidants. Perhaps, among those few products that you can store for a long time, you can note canned fruits and vegetables. Thanks to them you can feel all the generosity of summer all year round. Even though some vitamins (such as thiamine) are lost in foods due to canning, fat-soluble vitamins A, I, E, and K and most of the nutrients are preserved.
Fresh Spices
Secrets of Acquisition and Storage
1. When choosing spices, pay attention to their shelf life. Many of them have come a long way to get to us on the table, but have lost their freshness and useful properties.
2. Make sure that at home you do not store old, already tasteless spices. If so, then they must be discarded.
3. Test the spice yourself, trying it with the tip of the tongue.
4. Buy fewer spices, but more often.
5. Give preference to whole spices, then grind them in a coffee grinder as needed.
This will preserve their taste and aroma longer.
6. Freshly purchased spices should have stronger and bright flavors than stale, this contrast will help you to better identify the latter.
1. Keep spices in airtight containers as the air deteriorates their flavor.
2. Bottles with rubber gaskets and lockable locks are ideal. Check if the bottles are tight, keeping them under water for an hour. If the water leaks, the gaskets must be replaced.
3. Store the spices in a cool dry place, because light and high temperatures adversely affect the quality of the spices. But do not freeze them.
4. Know exactly the storage life of each spice.
Whole spices such as nutmeg and peppercorn are stored for 6 to 12 months. Ground spices such as curry, chili peppers are stored for 3 to 6 months, as well as oregano and basil.
5. Check the freshness of the herbs, rubbing them between your fingers. You should feel a pretty strong flavor.
Use clean storage containers
Keep dry foods in clear clean containers, jars and boxes. When purchasing natural foods, remember that they can not be stored for as long as processed. Using transparent storage containers, you will see which products can still be used, and which ones have already begun to deteriorate and need to be discarded. Prefer glass containers plastic, as some plastic containers can evaporate various chemicals.
Keep an eye on the order
The order in the kitchen cabinets can significantly affect your food. It is important to group the products correctly (for example, by different categories of cooking). Keep all products for breakfast in one place. This will save a lot of time in the mornings.
Equip the kitchen with additional shelves, use a variety of design solutions, moving and unfolding shelves, so that all products are in your view, and not in the far corners of the kitchen cabinets. Sign each shelf. For example, one for spices, another for cereals, etc. Take care of the additional lighting of cabinets so that all the shelves can be clearly seen.