One question I'm always hearing people ask is how they can store foods for longer periods considering the high temperature, high humidity, intermittent power outages,poor food quality, insect and pest invasion...The list is just endless,we at this part of the world were handed the short end of the stick obviously, but we're going to make the most of this still and come out winners right?! Right.
So what are the best ways of preserving food items? Let's start with...
Beans
Beans are undeniably one of the best staple foods we have around. Delivering a high percentage of both proteins and carbohydrates,they seem like the perfect food. They do not need much work to be stored as long as they're completely dry. One problem though is weevils. Even if you store in airtight containers,they somehow manage to appear,this is because theEggs have been laid by the adults prior to storage. The most common method I see being used is to put the beans in an airtight container and put in the freezer. In an event where there is no power though, what to do? I did some research and realised beans can also be stored by placing neem leaves or dogoyaro as we know them here, in the sac where they will be stored. An alternative to neem leaves is tobacco leaves and bay leaves, they are mostly termed 'natural insecticides'. You can find out more. It is believed that these leaves exude strong chemicals that make the environment harsh for the weevil eggs to hatch. In my opinion,chemical pesticides are the wrong way to go as they do not just work on the weevils but also bear harmful implications to we the consumers.
Next, Bananas!!
Ripe bananas give off a gas which induces riiening especially when placed in a plastic bag. Bananas are best stored by buying them at different stages of ripeness from the unripe one which you can place in a well aerated, cool and dry environment like your store or pantry. Ripe bunches would be best stored in the refrigerator. In an event where there isnt power, make sure to remove from any nylon bag and keep in a cool aerated dry area. They should be consumed as quickly as possible too. Sometimes, the heat and humidity gets to the fruit and they ripen at the same time. In this situation,cut up your banana fruit in chunks and put in a ziploc bag and store in the freezer. This can be blended on removal or used with cereal,oats, yogurt, icecream or smoothies.
