Today, more Americans prefer eating amazing, cooked-from-scratch meals made inside their home kitchen. A quiet revolution was taking place even before circumstances changed in Spring 2020. Many people preferred their creations rather than fast-casual creations from restaurant chains, according to a study conducted by The Spoon. They found that 95 percent of millennials (18 -29 years old) and 93 percent of older adults preferred cooking meals at home over than visiting a restaurant. A fraction relied on home delivery services. Others used ingredients they selected from scratch to make their meals. These chefs understood that properly stored ingredients are key to making sure their meals tasted flavorful and fantastic. Choosing kitchen storage that blocks sunlight can help ensure that every dish tastes flavorful.
In today's blog, you'll learn how to store five kitchen essentials to keep them fresh and elevate your meals to the next level.
Sunshine and Air Can Impact the Freshness of Ingredients
Many home chefs understand must they must store food items under ideal conditions to protect their freshness. This means storage that blocks sunlight should be your top priority. Photodegradation is the scientific term for ingredients that degrade in sunlight and oxidize in air. UV radiation and the oxidation process can trigger a process that can break down the nutrients and destroy the flavor of foodstuffs. Some companies use amber glass to prevent this process.
Five Ingredients and Kitchen Supplies That Require Special Storage Conditions
There are five ingredients that home cooks should protect from sunlight to ensure their freshness and flavor.
1. Coffee
Most Americans enjoy waking up with a steaming cup of hot coffee early in the morning. Its delicious flavor and intense, beautiful aroma can instantly wake any sleepy person up after a long night's sleep. Coffee connoisseurs understand that the secret to an unforgettable cup of coffee starts with the beans. They must be stored properly to maximize their freshness, flavor, and consistency, according to the National Coffee Association. Also, the professional industry group says air, moisture, heat, and light can change the flavor of your coffee — even if you select high-quality beans to roast.
Although coffee beans look lovely, don't place them inside transparent canisters. These clear containers allow light in that can compromise their flavor. To preserve their freshness, only store them in an attractive, airtight, opaque container at room temperature.
Here’s another tip: don't place your beans near hot ovens or warm stoves. Heat will impact their freshness. Also, avoid sunny kitchen locations where heat and light can oxidize your beans.
Coffee starts to lose its flavor immediately after its roasting. Try buying smaller batches of freshly roasted coffee more frequently, enough for one or two weeks.
You can store your coffee using our exceptional Reverse Pantry Door, which offers hidden pantry storage that blocks sunlight and a beautiful design that complements your kitchen. It includes two adjustable spice racks, one adjustable standard shelf, and one fixed standard shelf. For details, visit this page.
2. Spices
Many amateurs and professional chefs use delicious spices to prepare yummy meals that impress their guests. But cooks must store these seasonings properly to ensure they maintain their flavorful punch. Knowing how to store your spices properly also helps them taste fresh, which is just as essential as choosing the right blend to compliment your dishes.
Whenever possible, select whole spices. Ground spices begin to lose their flavor after three months, while whole spices can last for years. Then you can use a rolling pin or coffee grinder whenever you need a small amount for your dishes.
Spices have similar storage requirements as coffee beans. They must be placed in dry, dark areas since light, air, moisture, and heat can degrade the taste of spices. So don't place spices in clear storage bottles, especially if you use a spice rack on your kitchen wall. This storage can expose your seasonings to too much light. The best canisters for spices are steel tins. Additionally, never keep your racks near a dishwasher, stove, or oven, which can expose them to heat.
The best area to store your spices is in a dark, dry cabinet with a solid door. Murphy Door makes an excellent, easily accessible Spice Rack Door. It has a beautiful storage area that allows you to extend your pantry and kitchen storage into your doorway.
3. Wine
If you're a wine lover, then you may be surprised to learn that you should drink it within a few years of their initial release. Only a small selection of wines benefit from long-term aging. According to Wine Spectator Magazine, owners should keep their bottles inside in a professional storage area to protect their flavor, like a dark, cool, wine cellar.
Make sure your storage area maintains a consistent temperature range between 70 degrees and 45 degrees to ensure its flavor and quality; it’s just as important to choose storage that blocks sunlight, such as enclosed shelves or rooms. Temperatures higher than 70 degrees will age and cook your wine, resulting in a flat aroma and poor flavors. Readings below 45 degrees can dry out corks, causing air to seep in and damage your wine. Light, especially the sun's UV rays, can prematurely age and degrade wine. Ideally, humidity levels should remain at 70 percent.
Murphy Door has a fantastic Wine French Door that can help you save space and make a statement at the same time. It has four fabulous adjustable wine rack shelves, two adjustable standard shelves, and two fixed shelves.
4. Root Vegetables
Many restaurant chefs use these staple vegetables in delicious entrées and side dishes around the world, but they must be stored properly to maintain their peak flavor and freshness. Refrigerators create a high humidity environment that can cause root vegetables to rot and impact their flavor. The best way to store these vegetables is at room temperature in a wire mesh or natural fiber basket.
- Onions – Store these root vegetables separately from other vegetables inside a mesh produce bag. Make sure they are in a low-light, low-temperature environment. Use a wicker basket with a lid and dispensing hole at the bottom to rotate your stock while keeping light out and letting in air.
- Potatoes – Place these vegetables in metal bins, ventilated baskets, or sturdy cardboard boxes with holes poked in the sides. Cover the container with newspaper so no light can enter. If your potatoes turn green, they have received too much light.
- Garlic – Keep garlic in a terracotta pot away from other root veggies to preserve them longer. It needs low temperatures and total darkness.
- Squash – These vegetables can mold quickly inside a refrigerator's vegetable drawer because it has high humidity levels. Keep squash in dry, dark conditions.
- Carrots – You can store them within a crisper drawer in the refrigerator as long as it has humidity control.
5. Kitchen Implements
Your kitchen utensils can also fade and discolor thanks to direct light. If you have wooden spatulas or spoons, sunlight can cause them to dry out, crack, and splinter. It can also bleach the color from cork and damage rubber implements. Store your utensils inside a dark area to extend the life of your kitchen tools.
Are you searching for elegant, functional storage that blocks sunlight and can transform your house into a dream home? You can trust Murphy Door to provide you with gorgeous storage areas that blend perfectly with your home's décor. If you want more information, then contact us today.
