Every day, we open the refrigerator and make a seemingly innocent gesture that is damaging our fruits and vegetables. A daily habit that not only wastes money, but also compromises the nutritional value of our foods.
Immediate washing: a costly mistake
Most of us, as soon as we get back from the supermarket, wash all fruit and vegetables immediately before placing it in the refrigerator.
This gesture, made with the best intentions, is actually accelerating the deterioration process of our fresh produce.
In fact, residual humidity creates the perfect environment for the proliferation of mold and bacteriadrastically reducing the shelf life of food.
The impact on nutritional quality
When we wash fruit and vegetables in advance, not only do we compromise their preservation, but we also risk losing them precious nutrients. Residual water can in fact:
- Accelerate the oxidation of vitamins
- Changing the structure of minerals
- Altering the consistency of food
How to properly store fresh products
The ideal time to wash fruit and vegetables is immediately before consumption. This simple trick allows you to:
- Prolong the freshness of products
- Keep the nutritional properties intact
- Save time and energy
Exceptions to the rule
Some products, such as salad and leafy vegetablescan benefit from early washing, provided they are dried carefully with a centrifuge or absorbent paper and stored in special containers with absorbent paper on the bottom.
Economic savings
By adopting this simple practice, it is possible reduce food waste by up to 40%resulting in significant savings on the monthly family budget dedicated to food spending.
Changing this daily habit may seem difficult initially, but the benefits in terms of freshness, flavor and economic savings are immediate and tangible.
