As the winter of 2020 is not like our regular winters, we need to change our approach to winter-cooking a little during this lockdown.  

The winter is coming again like any other year. But the difference is, in the past, we liked to lock ourselves indoors to avoid cold but this time, nature forced us into lockdown due to COVID. So we are staying home and keeping a distance from any gathering. We are eating at home whether we like it or not. Though winter-cooking appears the same as it was in the previous years, we surely have to add some extra caution due to the present unavoidable situation.

As winter is knocking at our door many of us may be planning how to have a great winter cook time. Whether you are a home chef or a student who has plenty of time this winter, if you are looking forward to having a great time in winter-cooking then here are some tips on how to approach winter-cooking in this lockdown:

• Clean Your Refrigerator 

New-season new foodstuffs! Start with cleaning out your refrigerator and stores. Certainly, you don’t want to stuff your refrigerator with old and unorganized food storage. it’s not a good idea to start your winter cooking with an unorganized refrigerator and store.

So, first, organize the ingredients which are preferred for cooking in winter. 

• Make a List

After cleaning out your store and refrigerator, think of the foods that you might want to cook and enjoy this winter. Make a list of the ingredients that you will need now and then. It is quite irritating if you find out that some ingredients are missing at the time of cooking. Moreover, your meal will not taste good even if only one ingredient is missing. And then again, it’s not one of our regular time. In a lockdown, it’s quite a hassle to go out to stores whenever we want. 

So carefully think of what you want to cook and make a list of ingredients and other stuff. Also, take into consideration the rare items that you think you will probably need. So that during cooking nothing will go wrong.

• Go for Fresh Food 

When you buy any foodstuffs, it should always be fresh. Especially, the fruits and vegetables. The freshness of the winter foods has its value. Fresh ingredients give your cooked food a special taste that is appreciated by everyone. Use any fresh winter item to cook and it’s bound to be delicious!

Due to lockdown, it is hard to get fresh vegetables and fruits daily. So, when you go out to buy food, try to buy as fresh as possible so that you can store your food items for a few days. Also, make sure to check the expiry date of the processed food you buy.

• Store the Foods Properly

It is important to store the foods and ingredients properly and keep them in the right place. Store the food in the refrigerator that needs to be kept in a cold place. You can use vacuum-sealed airtight containers or standard mason jars to store dry items.

Although it’s not a must, using the appropriate sized jar to store your ingredients as you continue using your stored food is a great way to stock the dry items in a better state. As it is a time of lockdown, taking cautious steps can save us from the unwanted hassle.

• Enhance the Quality of Your Winter-cooking

Here are some tips that may help you to boost the quality of your cooking:

• To make the food look more appealing, cut fruits and vegetables in different shapes. It makes the dish more attractive.
• Winter vegetables are colorful. Take advantage of them and make your food more tempting.
• When you cook any food, keep the person in mind you are cooking for. Try to cook as they will like it. Age and personal preferences are important to remember. Children like foods that are crispy and spicy. Again, elderly people like foods that are easily chewable. So, it’s important to think about the preference of the people you are cooking for.

• Know the Foods That Are Enjoyed by All

Some foods most people like during winter are roasted pumpkin and ginger soup, chicken noodle soup, goulash soup, vegetable soups and salads, baked potato, spicy poppers, and some more. Have the ingredients ready at home to prepare them anytime. 

Some desserts can also make the meal more appealing. Apple trifle dessert, ginger parkin cake, pumpkin pie, etc are good examples. 

• Eat Warm

Eat warm foods. Rather than taking out foods from the refrigerator, we recommend you cook food every time before eating and have them while they are warm and cozy. Any kind of soup can be a great option to make you feel warm and give you a healthy blast. Warm salad is also a great food that you can enjoy any time of the day. Having a good gas range can help to easily get warm food during winter. You can read more to have a better idea.

• Celebrate Winter-cooking 

Life is as tough as it could be!

Although we can’t celebrate occasions and make social gatherings like before we should try to make the best out of whatever we have. 

Enjoy the winter-cooking with your family. Celebrate cooking. Cook food together with them whenever you can. Make them a part of your kitchen. Take the advantage of modern technology and include the loved ones virtually who are far from you. 

Winter-cooking is a fun thing for anyone who loves to cook. It’s a great time to give your family a healthy food-time. Although the winter of 2020 is different from our previous ones, by taking the right approach we still can manage to enjoy the winter-cooking in the lockdown. 

Don’t worry too much. Follow the tips and have a healthy blast in the winter!