Being in quarantine means we’re certainly not allowed to walk around freely as much as we’d like to. I’m really trying to respect and follow the lockdown rules and get out of our house only when it’s an absolute necessity. To be honest, being outside has become somewhat stressful. You need to prepare yourself for it, get permission through SMS, try not to forget your gloves, antibacterial sprays and car tissues.. Keep a safe distance from others, never touch your face, disinfect everything! You don’t even know where to start, by disinfecting the wheel, handbrake, gearshift or grocery bags? Going out is now a lot more complicated than it used to!

Since we’re all trying to stay inside as much as possible, supplying our kitchen cupboards with more food that will last longer makes complete sense. But what about fruits and vegetables? How can we keep them fresh longer?

Fruits and vegetables are normally kept at room temperature or stored in the refrigerator. That’s when we buy small quantities that are usually consumed within a few days. A simple rule –but  not so easy to follow these days- is to avoid washing them before storing, as washing fruits and veggies removes the layer that protects them from pests and helps them remain fresh. However, we can wipe them down and keep them dry, as moisture will induce rotting. If the temperature is low enough, we can store our fresh produce in baskets outside.

Potatoes, garlic and onions should always be stored in mesh bags or paper bags in cool and dry places. Avoid keeping potatoes with onions, as this will hasten sprouting in potatoes. Adding some apples to the place where you keep potatoes will allegedly help them remain fresh. Asparagus (after cutting the stems) as well as basil can be placed in a glass of water, just like cut flowers. Keep tomatoes (stem side up), cucumbers, peppers and aubergines in baskets at room temperature. The same goes for apples, oranges, pomegranates, quinces and pears but storing them in the refrigerator will help them last even longer. Bananas should not be stored in the fridge, obviously. If you have plenty of them and want to keep them fresh longer, you can wrap their stems in cling film. Bananas ripen really fast, so it’s better to keep them away from other fruits, as this will speed their ripening process too. If you do want to speed the ripening process of immature fruits, avocados for example, you can store them in a paper bag with bananas!

Store all your greens -lettuce, spinach, carrots (wrapped in cling film), broccoli (with wet stems), cauliflower and cabbage- in the refrigerator. Cling film will generally help fruits and veggies remain fresh longer. Mushrooms should be stored in the refrigerator as well, inside their packaging. Herbs, like parsley or coriander, can be placed in a glass of water or in a plastic bag and stored in the refrigerator. Fruits, like strawberries, all berries, cherries, sour cherries and apricots are stored in the refrigerator, inside the vegetable drawer that all fridges have nowadays.

Keeping herbs fresh –like parsley, dill, basil, thyme, rosemary and mint- is indeed a bit tricky, as these are ingredients we don’t always use on the daily but still need to have at hand when necessary. I personally love having pots with fresh herb plants but I know that’s not always an option. If that’s the case, you can chop your herbs and store them in plastic bags in the freezer. Another smart trick is to make herb ice cubes. Place fresh herbs in ice cubes and fill them up with water or olive oil. This way it’ll be easy for you to use them any time you need to.

Still have a few vegetables left from a lovely veggie basket I received recently and I need to cook them while they’re still fresh. Among others, I have some asparagus spears and fresh peas. They are so tender that they don’t even need to be cooked, so I’ll just keep them raw and add some to the potato salad I’m about to make. A potato salad with fresh vegetables and salmon.

Potato salad is a very popular, cold and light dish, yet very tasty and satisfying. The secret to a delicious potato salad is to cut the unskinned potatoes in half –after boiling them- and cook them on preheated grill until golden. Don’t forget to pour the salad dressing over the potatoes while they’re still hot, as they’ll absorb it better. Salmon, or trout if you prefer, is the last ingredient to be added to the dish once the potatoes have cooled down.