When the going gets tough and days are rough, preserving limited kitchen stock is of vital importance. Owing to a series of unique food-related practices, Sri Lankans have their own hacks that have been passed down from generations to reduce wastage and make the optimum use of supplies. 7 Star brings you some of the well-known secrets practised by people across the country to maximise the shelf life of their kitchen stock.

1. Meal Planning Meal planning is perhaps the most crucial step that households are forced to make during these challenging times. Rather than asking what’s for dinner every night, meal planning helps decide the required ingredients for a period of preferably one week, so that the number of trips to the grocery store can be minimised, while that one trip will provide all the ingredients you need to prepare the meals. It’s easy! Simply ask yourself which recipe each meal will follow for a course of one week, prepare the list of ingredients required for each recipe and simply purchase them in one shop stop.
2. Bay Leaves in Flour Here’s an old trick to keep away the flies, weevils, and other insects away from your dry rations and increase their shelf life. All you need is a couple of bay leaves to add to the container that you store flour in, so that they may be able to repel pantry insects and keep your grains safe.
3. Dry Chilli in Rice Another traditional kitchen hack to preserve your dry rations. Dry chillies! Yes, dry chillies have the ability to prevent weevil infestations in your rice, flour, lentils or dry beans. So why not attempt this little trick to improve the shelf life of your rice? It’s simple and effective. Oh, and be sure that the dry chillies that you use are whole.
4. Eggs in Coriander Leaves The relationship between eggs and coriander leaves offers a healthier life span for the latter. The trick is to place a kitchen towel in the box that you wish to store coriander leaves in, place a raw egg in one corner with the leaves, and add another kitchen towel on top of it. Store in the refrigerator for coriander leaves that will stay fresh for up to one month.

Have you tried these kitchen hacks before? If not, now may be the best time to make the best use of some of these traditional yet effective food preservation methods.