Food poisoning: Expert gives advice on safe food storage
Onions and garlic are super versatile food which is always handy to have around your kitchen.
Unfortunately, it can be very easy for allium vegetables to go mouldy if not stored properly, but there are some simple food storage solutions to help you reduce your food waste and save money.
It may seem sensible to simply keep both onions and garlic in your fridge, but this will quickly become soft and spoiled as they do not do well in cold or humid environments.
The ideal temperature to store onions and garlic is around 15 to 18 Celcius, but if exposed to lots of light or water they can begin sprouting, making them extremely bitter tasting.
Luckily, two professional chefs have shared the best place to store either garlic or onions that can keep them lasting up to a year if done properly.
READ MORE Mum’s fatastic method to store onions and garlic to keep them fresher for longer
How to store garlic
Liam Barker is a chef who specialises in Caribbean BBQ, and on his TikTok account @chefliamfoodeducation he explained that temperature is an important factor when it comes to storing garlic.
He said: “So you want to keep your garlic at room temperature in a cool, dry, dark place. You want good airflow over it because if you put it in the fridge, that’s where there’s moisture and that will make it sprout and then that causes that garlic to start to taste bitter.”
However, it should be noted that once garlic is pulled apart it will begin to dry out quickly, and it best preserved when kept together.
Liam explained: “Keep it out of the fridge, and try to keep it in a whole clove for as long as possible because as soon as you break that clove, that’s when it starts to go bad or start to sprout much quicker.”
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How to store onion
Mary Mammoliti is a partially sighted chef, television personality and recipe developer who is passionate about keeping cooking accessible for everyone.
On her TikTok account @kitchenconfession she explained that onions are best stored in a dark, cool and dry place such as a “dry well-ventilated basket” in order to keep them away from moisture and light.
Mary said: “Now, you can store onions in the fridge but you are going to reduce the lifespan of that onion. Generally, onions stored at room temperature they’ll keep for up to one year, otherwise they’ll last for several weeks.
“If you can, try and store them in the cabinet away from the stove, maybe with your serving or baking dishes. Put them in a basket and into the basement if you have the space.”
If you are cooking and have onion left over. Mary stressed not to throw it away, as you can chopped onion last a lot longer.
She said: “Diced or sliced onions will last for up to seven to 10 days in an airtight container. I recommend using a glass container because plastic will absorb the odour. So to decrease oxidation, moisture absorption, and stinkiness, stick with the glass container.”
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