As Kenyans continue fighting the Coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak, many have had fears of a lockdown being initiated, despite President Uhuru Kenyatta allaying the fears and stating that his worry was based on what Kenyans would eat and how they would manage such a crisis.
With food shortage being experienced in several parts of the country, storing food has become one of the best options for Kenyans, in case of a lockdown.
Kenyans.co.ke on Thursday, April 9, complied ways in which fruits and perishable foods such as chicken, fish and vegetables can be stored in fridges to make them last longer, according to a report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
Freezing food stops the growth of bacteria and moulds. However, over time, quality and taste can be lost, as explained by food nutritionist Florence Okoth.
Fruits
"Fruits and vegetables can go stale and lose taste. For other foods such as meat, taste can also be lost. However, freezing is a well-proven method and one can have to shop later after two or three months, that is sufficient time to restock," the nutritionist informed Kenyans.co.ke.
Fruits that require peeling before consumption should be peeled prior to freezing. Peeling is done by scalding the fruit in hot water, steam or hot lye solutions. The fruits can then be prepared for freezing by adding syrup pack, sugar pack, unsweetened pack, and tray pack and sugar replacement pack.
A report by BBC in early April added that one can spread berries, peach slices, cherries, melon slices and the like out on a baking tray and fast-freeze before tipping into a bag and sealing. Some fruits, such as nectarines, peaches and apricots, benefit from a toss in sugar and lemon juice to retain their colour. Bananas, though they make ice cream, can be frozen by being cut into pieces.
Flavour
One should wrap food well to eliminate air and maintain its flavour. Use freezer bags to ensure all excess air is removed from food and foods can be labelled or stored on different shelves.
Freezer bags are advantageous as they can be washed and re-used. Plastic boxes can also be used, but it depends on the shape and how much they can contain food.
Milk can be frozen but its structure can change over time, with the fat being separated from the liquid suspension. This can be revived through shaking.
Leftovers
You can store restore leftover foods, instead of throwing them away; which can be later reheated or defrosted.
Before storing food in a fridge, one has to ensure that it has completely cooled.
Below is a table indicating how long foods can be frozen.
