Before stepping into the kitchen!

By A A
India
July 20, 2021 11:24pm CST
Good Morning mylotters!! I could not sleep the whole night, so thought of starting the day earlier and stop trying to fake sleep!! I tried oil-pulling today for the first time and the taste of oil was.. Ugh.. I felt like puking and vomitted water.. After that, I brushed my teeth and applied kumkumadi oil on my face and washed my face after half an hour! So, when I started cooking, I felt I should know the nitties and gritties of kitchen and cooking!! The biggest concern for me was how to store condiments! The packaged condiments started decaying before 3 months of expired dates even in airtight jars!! So, I feel it is better to prepare yourself the condiments and masalas!! So, any tips for me how to store masalas and condiments and vegetables??? As we live in a humid and hot country, stuffs tend to get wasted way easier and faster!!
16 people like this
16 responses
@jstory07 (134393)
• Roseburg, Oregon
21 Jul 21
Just buy what you can use in three months.
2 people like this
• India
21 Jul 21
Storing them is a problem, a big problem!
1 person likes this
@cacay1 (83223)
• Cagayan De Oro, Philippines
21 Jul 21
@jstory07 , that is correct Judy.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (457918)
• Switzerland
21 Jul 21
Use glass jars and place the spices inside the glass jars and close with the lid. Only prepare a small quantity if you live in a humid place.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (457918)
• Switzerland
21 Jul 21
@anya12adwi Can you separate the big packages in smaller ones and freeze them?
1 person likes this
• India
21 Jul 21
I use glass jars!! A small quantity is good idea!! But packaged condiments are not available in small quantities..
1 person likes this
• India
22 Jul 21
@LadyDuck Will have to do!! I will buy a rack to keep condiments in fridge..
1 person likes this
@just4him (305965)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
21 Jul 21
I store my condiments in the fridge. They last longer.
1 person likes this
@just4him (305965)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
24 Jul 21
@anya12adwi I use them every day too. Some need to be stored in the fridge after opening.
1 person likes this
• India
24 Jul 21
@just4him What are those?
1 person likes this
• India
21 Jul 21
We use condiments on daily basis!! So storing the frequently used condiment in fridge is hassle as our fridge is in dining area!!!
1 person likes this
@Shivram59 (31745)
• India
21 Jul 21
@anya12adwi My mother stores masalas in glass jars.We buy fresh vegetables everyday.They are sold just at a stone's throw from our house.
1 person likes this
• India
22 Jul 21
@Shivram59 Wow!! Some condiments like sambar powder, it is good! But the chilli powder went bad!
1 person likes this
• India
21 Jul 21
I ordered air tight glass jars for condiments!! But they get insects even before the expiry date!
1 person likes this
@Shivram59 (31745)
• India
21 Jul 21
@anya12adwi We don't have any such pproblem here. The jars my mother uses were bought in 2014.
1 person likes this
• India
21 Jul 21
Store them in Air tight containers, But what is oil pulling
1 person likes this
• India
21 Jul 21
Squishing virgin coconut oil in your mouth for 1-3 minutes!!
2 people like this
• India
21 Jul 21
1 person likes this
@ThatDisha (4010)
• India
21 Jul 21
@anya12adwi It is a very good practice that one should do as it clear out all the toxins from your system, i am doing it since 3 years and never faced any problems!
1 person likes this
@ThatDisha (4010)
• India
21 Jul 21
Put neem leaves or a teaspoon of rice bundled in a cloth and put it in the container
1 person likes this
• India
21 Jul 21
Neem Leaves-- do they work?
1 person likes this
• India
22 Jul 21
@ThatDisha I will try it! Dried neem leaves or fresh neem leaves?
1 person likes this
@ThatDisha (4010)
• India
21 Jul 21
@anya12adwi I am not sure i have seen my grandmother doing so.She says it works
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (169881)
• United States
21 Jul 21
I don't know...but I have problems with humidity here too. However, I found a neat trick if you put the things say like spices in the oven for about 5 minutes at low heat..it makes them usable again.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (169881)
• United States
23 Jul 21
@anya12adwi This would involve only pest free spices. I hope if you find pests in them you toss them.
1 person likes this
• India
22 Jul 21
But what if you find some pests crawling in those spices?
1 person likes this
• India
23 Jul 21
@snowy22315 May be after buying it, I will microwave them! That's what you meant right?
@prinzcy (32322)
• Malaysia
23 Jul 21
What is oil pulling?
1 person likes this
• India
23 Jul 21
Squishing oil in your mouth for 3-5 minutes!
@allknowing (130066)
• India
21 Jul 21
Once a packet is opened that is kept in the fridge. The fridge does look packed but that is the only way I know
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130066)
• India
22 Jul 21
@anya12adwi The use is need based
1 person likes this
• India
22 Jul 21
And the more we push it back, the less we use it!
1 person likes this
• India
22 Jul 21
@allknowing And some times, you use when you see!!
1 person likes this
@prashu228 (37526)
• India
21 Jul 21
store bought ones spoil after some time..even i face the problem.. I prepare masala powder and at home..
1 person likes this
• India
21 Jul 21
Right.. I stored freshly prepared roasted cumin powder and it stayed for 2 years without any insects or pests!
@prashu228 (37526)
• India
21 Jul 21
@anya12adwi that's awesome
1 person likes this
• India
22 Jul 21
@prashu228 Hence forth, I will prepare one ingredient condiment myself!
@RebeccasFarm (86732)
• United States
6 Aug 21
Wow that is a real issue. Could you put them in the fridge?
1 person likes this
• India
7 Aug 21
Yep, I have put them into refrigerator now!
@cahaya1983 (11121)
• Malaysia
21 Jul 21
We have hot and humid weather here as well so I do understand the frustration. I just try to buy the things in small amounts. We don't mind doing groceries a few times a week as long as the things are fresh.
1 person likes this
@cahaya1983 (11121)
• Malaysia
22 Jul 21
@anya12adwi Yeah these days we also prefer not going out. I tried ordering groceries online a few times but I don't like that I'm not able to pick and choose items myself.
1 person likes this
• India
22 Jul 21
@cahaya1983 Same with me!! This pandemic taught me many things!! Now, I shop products looking at the expiry dates!! I don't trust online e-commerce platforms as they tend to morph the expiry dates!
1 person likes this
• India
21 Jul 21
That is the problem with us!! I don't like grocery shopping every week!! And that too, in days of pandemic, I don't wanna go outside..
1 person likes this
@DianneN (246613)
• United States
21 Jul 21
I would store everything in the refrigerator and not buy too much at once.
1 person likes this
@DianneN (246613)
• United States
22 Jul 21
@anya12adwi That would make it tough.
1 person likes this
• India
22 Jul 21
@DianneN Yes.. I will prepare fresh spices at home or I will buy in smaller quantities!
1 person likes this
• India
22 Jul 21
The only reason I hesitate in keeping spices in refrigerator because our refrigerator is not in kitchen!!
1 person likes this
• Shenzhen, China
21 Jul 21
Do you have a fridge,if not,i suggest you to buy a fridge which can help to preserve condiments.
1 person likes this
• India
21 Jul 21
We have a small traditional fridge!! No space to keep condiments there!
1 person likes this
• India
22 Jul 21
@jefferson126 Limited budget restriction! My mama was like a BIG NO!
1 person likes this
• Shenzhen, China
22 Jul 21
@anya12adwi ,can you change small fridge to a bigger one?
1 person likes this
@stanley777 (9402)
• Philippines
21 Jul 21
Store them in a dark area, or a fridge?
1 person likes this
• India
21 Jul 21
I have stored less used condiments in freezer!! But it is not a convenient option for the condiments that are used daily!
1 person likes this
@cacay1 (83223)
• Cagayan De Oro, Philippines
21 Jul 21
That was not good you cannot sleep. All you have to do is drink one glass milk before you go to bed. That is what I am doing if cannot sleep, or eat 1 banana.
1 person likes this
• India
21 Jul 21
We get here adulterated milk!! So, I avoid dairy related products as possible as I can!