Top 5 Quarantine Food finds + Youtube video + Tips on How To Keep Food Fresh longer

Food is one of the most popular and highly purchased items online this quarantine period.

Now I'm sharing with you my top 5 quarantine food finds; guaranteed good and amazing because I've ordered more than once from these food sellers!

1. Kusina Filipino Food and pastries (@kusinafilipinofoodandpastries)- Filipino food with a twist and lovingly prepared using family secret recipes. This online food business is owned by one of my closest friends in college and she hails from a family that owns one of the most famous barbecue brands and restaurants in Manila. 

Their best- seller is Kusina Food Platter that has bagoong fried rice, cheesy baked salmon, pork liempo, buttered shrimps, salsa, and green mango slivers. The platter lives up to its name and the whole thing tastes good despite the size, which is pretty impressive given that most food platters end up losing their flavor and quality; the entire platter is balanced and I love the combination of baked salmon and bagoong rice. Another must- try is their Ube Cheese Rolls that have legit Ube Halaya in the middle!

2. My Weekend Bakes by Emily (@myweekendbakes)- owned by one of my friends in the beauty industry. Emily is known among friends and family for her signature Bibingka Cake and I love it! Moist, fluffy, lightly sweet Bibingka loaf cake with cream cheese chunks surprise inside the cake. I literally can finish a loaf in one sitting!

3.  Casa Elmira (@casaelmira)- one of the known cake shops in the south of Manila, specifically in BF Homes specifically known for their luscious caramel cake; this is currently my favorite caramel cake. Another must- try specialty of theirs is the super fluffy Melt-In-Your-Mouth Quezo De Bola mamon!

4. Cielin's (Facebool: https://www.facebook.com/cielinscakehouse/)- one of the jewels of BF Homes and is home to my most favorite chocolate cake! FYI, I don't like chocolate cake, but this one is really something. Smooth, dark, super moist chocolate cake with milk-dark chocolate icing. I've learned how to love chocolate cake because of this!

5. Sweet Project Dessert (@sweetprojectdessert)- an online food reselling business that brings Baguio's best- selling delicacies to Manila. When I learned that Vizco's is part of the list, I had to order ASAP because Visco's Strawberry Shortcake is the best of its kind.

Check out the video version of this list HERE.

Now that we're talking about food, I'd also like to take the opportunity to share with you some tips to keep food fresh and prolong their quality and freshness for as long as possible. This period of 2020 has enabled a lot of us to shop for food and gastronomic treats often, and definitely, spoilage is an issue. 

Food wastage is a major global issue because it affects not only communities, but the environment as well. A lot of people don't have access to good, healthy food, making it a privilege when in fact, it should be a basic human right and the growing need for food requires acres and acres of farmland, which in turn damages nature and contributes to the demise of wildlife. That's why we should practice sensible food shopping and of course, preserve excess food for as long as possible.

I'll share with you some tips that I have learned from my folks when it comes to keeping food fresh longer:

1. THE PAPER BAG TECHNIQUE

- I got this from one of my mom-in-law's friends and it works mainly for vegetables. In order to keep veggies fresh for quite a while, store them inside paper bags. It is because paper absorbs moisture and helps shield vegetables from the intense cold that can dry them out. I've tried it once and it works that's why I've been doing this technique for a year now, especially for my green leafy purchases.

2. FREEZE IT

- I learned this technique from my mother-in-law. For cakes and food that she cooks in batches, she will freeze the remaining so we can still eat it for later. I found that this technique helps prolong the freshness and flavor of food somehow!

3. GET A GOOD FRIDGE!

-  A good fridge is vital in delaying spoilage so you can keep food fresh longer, thus you get to save more money, time, and the environment too.

One good brand to consider is Beko; they're known for innovative appliances at a fairly affordable price point. Beko's refrigerator range features EVERFresh technology that keeps vegetables crisp and fresh up to three times longer. Units such as Beko GN163123P has Active Fresh Blue LightTM technology that encourages photosynthesis so vegetables can stay fresh longer; this is perfect for those who love vegetables! The same unit also has IonGuardTM technology that keeps bacteria and viruses at bay; this is a perfect feature to have in refrigerators because nowadays, it's not only important to keep food fresh, but bacteria and virus- free as well!

Another secret to Beko's powerful food preservation feature? NeoFrostTM Dual Technology; this technology maintains the ideal flow of hot and cool air to prevent frost build up and odor transfer.

I'm glad that Beko is offering these sensible appliances that address the main concerns of consumers when it comes to food.

A good fridge is really vital in preventing food spoilage. Take it from me: we once decided to stick with our outdated fridge and we had to deal with bouts of food spoilage as well as stomach flu! Eek!

For more information, just visit BEKO PHILIPPINES on Facebook.

I hope you guys enjoyed this post! Now I gotta eat dinner! :D