This simple hack keeps green chillies fresh for months

Technology and gadgets have made kitchen life easier. On one hand, a toaster makes toasting bread easy, and a blender helps blend shakes and dips faster. And then there is the refrigerator that helps increase the shelf life of fruits, vegetables, and herbs. But, one thing many of us don't discuss is that the fridge also dehydrates food and makes it dry faster. One such common problem is the drying of green chilies in the fridge. Let us understand why it happens and how we can prevent it. When it comes to green chilies and their life in the fridge, they often turn dry and wrinkled because they gradually lose moisture. According to Chef Vaibhav Bhargava, refrigerators are designed to remove humidity from the air, which helps preserve many foods but can cause vegetables like green chilies to dehydrate over time. He further states that when chilies are stored loosely or in an open basket, the moisture in the chilies evaporates more quickly, leading to shriveling and loss of freshness. Also, temperature fluctuations and frequently opening the fridge can accelerate moisture loss. Step 1: First remove all the stems from the green chilies. Step 2: Wash them in water with a little turmeric powder and rinse well.Step 3: Use a cotton towel and dry them completely. Step 4: Transfer them to a ziplock bag, add 2-3 cloves of peeled garlic and store it in the refrigerator. Temper curries and dals: This is one of the most common practices, where you just need to chop the chilies and add them to hot oil along with mustard seeds, cumin, or curry leaves. This simple tempering can enhance the taste of dishes like dals, curries, and vegetables. Mix into chutneys and dips: One can also blend green chilies with coriander, peanut, mint, coconut, and yogurt to make fresh and spicy chutneys and dips that pair well with pakodas and sandwiches. Add to stir-fries and omelettes: Another way of adding green chilies to daily meals is by sautéing them with vegetables or adding them into omelette batter for an instant burst of flavour. According to experts, the Scoville scale is used to measure the pungency, spiciness, or heat of chili peppers based on the concentration of capsaicinoids in the pepper and is recorded in Scoville Heat Units (SHU). Green Jwala: A native of Gujarat, this chilli is not common, and its SHU ranges from 20k to 30k.Teja: It is a relatively hot chilli pepper, grown in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, and its SHU is anywhere between 50k to 70k.Lavang: This chili is native to Maharashtra and is considered a medium-hot chili with an intense flavour and aroma. It has a SHU of about 30k-50k.Bhoot Jolokia: This chili is grown mostly in Assam and Nagaland and is also known as "Ghost Pepper." This is one of the hottest chilies in the world, with a SHU of 1,041,427.Kanthari: It is also known as "bird's eye red chili" and is grown in India, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia. This popular chili has a SHU of 50k–100k.Bhavnagri: This chili is native to Gujarat and the SHU of the Bhavnagri chili pepper is around 30–50k. It is mostly used in sambhar and chutneys.Dalle Khursani: This chili is grown mostly in the Eastern Himalayan region of Nepal and in some parts of India, and it has a SHU of approximately 100,000 to 350,000.Kashmiri: This is one of the most popular chilies grown in Jammu and Kashmir and is rich in vitamin C. Its SHU ranges from 1k to 2.5k.Guntur: This chili is grown in the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh and is known for its bright red colour, high pungency, and SHU of 50k to 85k.Images Courtesy: istock