15 Useful Tips for Storing and Keeping Food Fresh During Tet Holidays

1 Keep fruits fresh for a long time

To keep fruits fresh for many days during Tet, you can apply the small tips below:

• Oranges, lemons, grapefruits: Use lime to paint the top of the stem.
• Apples, bananas, mushrooms, pears: To prevent browning, sprinkle a little lemon juice on them.
• Persimmons: Soak in saltwater for just 5 minutes and then rinse thoroughly, especially at the stem part as this is where mold can easily invade and cause rotting. After that, dry them and wrap the fruits tightly in plastic bags, and put them in the refrigerator.
• Watermelon: Soak the whole fruit in a 15% saltwater solution for half an hour, then dry the watermelon peel, wrap it tightly, and place it in the refrigerator.
• Cucumbers: Immerse the stem part in diluted saltwater, submerging about 1/3 of the fruit, and place it in a cool place or the refrigerator. Change the water once a day to ensure your cucumbers stay fresh for a week.

2 How to preserve fruits for longer

To preserve fruits for longer after purchasing, you should sort out any that are damaged or overripe, or use a knife to cut away the damaged parts. Avoid washing fruits before putting them in the refrigerator; only wash them before eating!

You can choose mesh bags to store fruits, maintaining airflow and reducing impact during arrangement. If using plastic bags or food containers, make sure there are still ventilation holes for air circulation, helping the fruits stay fresh longer.

Old newspaper is also a great tool for preserving the freshness of fruits. You can wrap each type of fruit tightly before placing them in the refrigerator to prevent bruising and moisture absorption.

When storing fruits in the refrigerator, avoid mixing them chaotically with other foods like vegetables or drinks; instead, arrange them separately to extend their shelf life.

3 How to soak dried bamboo shoots quickly

Soaking dried bamboo shoots in rice water will help them swell and clean more quickly, while also cooking faster. If you want to store them longer, boil the bamboo shoots for 30 minutes, then simmer on low heat for about 10 – 15 minutes, then remove and cut off any tough parts, washing the bamboo shoots clean.

Finally, soak the bamboo shoots in rice water or warm water to keep for later use, changing the water every 2 – 3 days.

4 How to boil green and delicious bánh chưng

Boiling green bánh chưng for Tết also requires special tips. To make the bánh greener, after boiling and pressing, remove the string and wrap it again with 2 layers of fresh leaves, then put it in a pot to boil briefly until the leaves turn dark green, then remove and soak the bánh in cold water, pressing it dry one more time.

5 Tips to keep flowers fresh longer using kitchen spices

Few people know that familiar daily spices in the kitchen can be a powerful ally in helping to keep flowers fresh longer.

• Use apple cider vinegar: Mix a solution of 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, 3 tablespoons of sugar, and a little warm water, then place the flowers in the solution.
• Use sugar: Sugar helps promote the photosynthesis process, which in turn helps flowers last longer. You can prepare a flower arrangement solution with 2 tablespoons of sugar or 1/4 can of carbonated soft drink.
• Use lemon: Similar to apple cider vinegar, lemon juice will help increase the acidity in the water, helping flowers maintain their freshness for many days. Just add a few teaspoons of lemon juice to the vase after adding water to complete.
• Use vodka: Vodka will help kill off some bacteria – the agents that cause flowers to rot easily, just add a few teaspoons of vodka to the flower vase.

6 Quickly defrost food

Defrosting food using the oven

Defrosting food

To defrost food using an oven, first, you should defrost the food by taking it out of the freezer and letting it sit at room temperature.

If stored in a plastic bag, food wrap, you can place it in the refrigerator for about 10 – 20 minutes before taking it out to defrost. If the food is in a tray or container, you can bring it outside to wait for it to soften.

Preparing to defrost

You can place food in a glass tray or bowls made from heat-resistant materials before putting them in the oven, making sure not to cover them to avoid causing explosions.

Avoid defrosting foods such as clams, oysters, snails,… or other shellfish to prevent danger.

Defrosting

Place the food tray in the oven, set the temperature to 70 degrees Celsius. Avoid setting the temperature too high, as the meat will cook on the outside but remain frozen inside. Limit the time the meat stays in the oven, as this will cause it to cook completely.

After about 10 minutes, take it out and turn the meat over; if it’s not fully defrosted yet, you can continue to do the same.

Some high-end ovens come with a defrosting mode, so you only need to select this mode.

Defrosting food with an air fryer

To defrost food using an air fryer, you first need to thaw the food similarly to the method of defrosting with an oven.

If the food is stuck tightly and hard to remove, you can place it in the refrigerator for about 10 – 20 minutes before taking it out completely.

Next, place the food in a plate or bowl made of heat-resistant material before putting it into the air fryer, then plug it in and set the temperature to 80 degrees Celsius for 5 – 7 minutes.

Every 5 – 7 minutes, open the fryer to check and flip the food to ensure it defrosts evenly on all sides!

7 Delicious chicken boiling methods for offerings

Before boiling the chicken for offerings, you can use a toothpick to secure the head of the chicken to the body, then place the chicken in the pot and pour cold water to cover it.

Boil the chicken on high heat until the water in the pot boils, then reduce the heat to low and boil for an additional 10 minutes. During the boiling process, be careful not to cover the pot. You can add a few slices of ginger or green onions to make the chicken smell better.

After 10 minutes of boiling on low heat, turn off the stove and cover the pot tightly for 20 minutes to let the hot steam help the chicken cook evenly.

8 Ways to eliminate refrigerator odors

First, use a small bowl and add about 1 liter of warm water, soap, or dishwashing liquid, and mix the solution well.

Add a little baking soda to clean the refrigerator, which helps neutralize sour odors and keeps the refrigerator sparkling clean. Take the drawers and shelves out to wash them once, then use a dry cloth to wipe them before placing them back in their original positions.

Besides the cleaning method mentioned above, you can use other ingredients like vinegar or baking soda, place them in a glass jar, and put it in the refrigerator to effectively eliminate odors; remember not to cover the jar!

Additionally, you can cut lemons into thin slices and place them on each shelf of the refrigerator to absorb odors very simply.

Moreover, you can use 1-2 tea bags placed in the refrigerator to help neutralize odors for about a month; afterwards, you can dry them and reuse them easily.

If you don’t have tea bags, you can use the peels of fruits like oranges, tangerines, grapefruits, etc., to overpower the bad smells, which is also very effective.

9 How to clean kitchen utensils

Cleaning electric kettles

Electric kettle is an essential item in every household. You can use some of the following ingredients to clean it:

• Using sodium salt: Add a little sodium salt to the kettle and boil with enough water. After the stains are cleaned, you can wash the kettle a few more times.
• Using baking soda: Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda to the kettle, fill it with water up to 1/2 of the kettle, then boil it, and wash it a few times to clean.
• Using loofah or tea leaves: You can put loofah or tea leaves into the kettle, boil it, and soak it for 1 day to remove the dirt.
• Using lemon: Cut a lemon and put it into the kettle, add clean water up to 1/2 of the kettle, then boil it so that the acid in the lemon helps clean the long-standing residue. Finally, wash the kettle thoroughly.
• Using a mixture of lemon and vinegar: Dilute vinegar and water in a ratio of 1:1 so that the amount of this mixture is equal to 1/2 of the kettle’s capacity. Add a cut lemon and boil the mixture, then let it cool and wash the kettle a few times with water.
• Using eggshells: Crush the eggshells and put them into the kettle. Add water up to 1/2 of the kettle’s capacity, use chopsticks to stir gently and boil. Finally, pour out the water and wipe it with a clean cloth.

Additionally, there are other methods such as using Coca-Cola, potato peels, taro,… or the hot-cold method, which are also great ideas for cleaning electric kettles.

Cleaning dishes

To clean dishes of grease faster, making them look brighter and cleaner, you should add a few tablespoons of vinegar to the dishwashing water!

Cleaning the microwave

You can use lemon to clean your household microwave by following these steps:

• Step 1: Pour water into about 1/2 cup (make sure to use heat-resistant materials)
• Step 2: Cut the lemon in half, squeeze one half into the cup of water, and place the peel and the other half into the cup.
• Step 3: Place the cup in the microwave and heat on high for 3 minutes.
• Step 4: Leave the microwave closed for 5 minutes to loosen any long-standing stains.
• Step 5: Wipe the microwave again with a clean cloth to finish.

Removing stains from cups, mugs, teapots

To remove stains from cups, mugs, teapots, you can use a few tips below:

• Using toothpaste: Wet the ceramic cup or mug, then apply toothpaste evenly on the surface, gently scrub with a brush, and rinse with clean water.
• Using a mixture of vinegar and salt: Dilute the vinegar and add a little salt to create a cleaning mixture for the cups and teapots. Use a brush to gently scrub the yellow stains and rinse with clean water.
• Using lemon juice: Pour lemon juice into about 1/2 of the cup or teapot, then add boiling water to fill the cup. Soak for a few hours or overnight, and the stains will be cleaned automatically.

Additionally, you can use other methods such as using coffee grounds, using baking soda,… to safely and effectively remove yellow stains!

10 Tips to eliminate the fishy smell of fish

To effectively remove the characteristic fishy smell of fish, you can use the following tips:

• Use rice water: After cleaning the fish, you can cut it into bite-sized pieces, then soak it in rice water for about 15 – 20 minutes, then take it out, rinse it with water, and let it dry.
• Use table salt: Dissolve a little table salt in water and soak the fish for about 5 – 10 minutes or rub salt on the fish before scaling and cleaning it to reduce the slime and fishy smell; finally, just rinse the fish with clean water.
• Use alcohol or vinegar: You can mix a few tablespoons of alcohol or white vinegar into water, soak the fish for about 5 minutes, then take it out, rinse it with water, and let it dry.

In addition, there are many other methods such as using fresh ginger, unsweetened milk, lemon, or spices like garlic, star anise, pepper, etc., which can also help effectively eliminate the fishy smell.

11 Ways to keep fish alive longer

If you haven’t had a chance to put the fish in water, you can take a thin piece of paper soaked in water and stick it to the fish’s eyes, which will help them live for an additional 3 – 4 hours. Additionally, you can drop 3 – 4 drops of white alcohol or vinegar into the fish’s mouth, then place the fish in water in a shaded area.

12 Tips for quickly plucking chicken feathers and cleaning chicken

To pluck chicken feathers quickly and cleanly, you can refer to the following tips:

• Dip the chicken in boiling water: You cut the chicken’s throat, wait for the blood to drain, then dip the chicken directly into boiling water for about 5 minutes, then take it out. Rub your hand in the direction of the feathers to easily pluck the chicken feathers; at this point, the feather roots have expanded, making it very easy to pluck.
• Use vinegar or alcohol: After cutting the chicken’s throat, soak the chicken in cold water for about 5 minutes, then take it out, apply vinegar or white alcohol all over the chicken, and let it sit for 10 minutes. Finally, soak it in a basin of cold water for another 5 minutes before proceeding to pluck the feathers.
• Use papaya leaves: Crush a handful of papaya leaves and put them in a pot of boiling water, then dip the bled chicken into the pot of papaya leaf water for about 3 minutes, take it out, soak it in a basin of cold water, and then pluck the feathers in the direction of growth.

13 Tips for preserving bánh chưng and bánh tét

To preserve bánh chưng and bánh tét for a long time, you can wrap the cakes tightly with plastic wrap and store them in the refrigerator at 5 – 10 degrees Celsius; however, it should only be stored for 1 – 2 days.

To extend the shelf life of bánh chưng and bánh tét, you must ensure the following factors:

• The wrapping leaves must be washed, wiped, and sun-dried to be really clean to minimize bacterial invasion.
• Avoid wrapping the cakes too tightly to prevent the rice from clumping, which affects the quality of the cake.
• Avoid wrapping the cakes too loosely so that the cakes do not become too disjointed and prone to spoilage.
• The cakes should be boiled thoroughly so that the sticky rice expands and softens, and the filling cooks evenly, avoiding moisture and mold inside. After boiling, you should place the cakes in a basin of clean water to wash off the slimy layer on the outside and let them drain completely to ensure the cakes are dry.

14 Delicious Sausage Frying Methods

Sausage is a very popular dish during the Tet holidays. To fry sausages deliciously and less greasy, you can try the 2 methods below:

• Frying sausages with water/coconut water/rice vinegar: Place the sausage in a non-stick pan and add enough water to cover the sausage. Fry over medium heat and stir continuously until the sausage is cooked, the fat melts out, and the skin turns a brown color, then it’s done.
• Frying sausages with an air fryer: Boil the sausages for about 3 – 5 minutes on high heat, then remove and drain, and arrange them in the air fryer, frying for 12 minutes at a temperature of 180 degrees Celsius.

15 Quick ways to peel eggs for braised pork dish

The braised pork dish will taste much better with boiled eggs added. You can peel the eggs super quickly and easily in 3 seconds with the following tips:

• Roll with your hands: Let the eggs cool completely, then hold the egg horizontally, strike it down on a hard surface, and gently roll it back and forth with just enough pressure to crack the outer shell, then gently separate the shell.
• Use a glass: Place the boiled egg in a glass with just enough water to submerge the egg. Seal the mouth of the glass and shake it several times to crack the shell inside, then gently peel the egg.
• Use a plastic container: This method can be used if you need to peel multiple eggs at once. The process is similar to using a glass; add water, seal the top of the container, and shake vigorously until the shell is completely cracked.

Hope that with 15 useful tips on how to preserve and keep food fresh during Tet that TasteVN shares above will help you have a meaningful, economical, and joyful Tet with your family!