Is it better to eat vegetables as fresh as possible? In fact, fresher is not always better. For example, freshly picked vegetables may still contain pesticide residues. If stored for some time, harmful substances will gradually decompose and decay. Some people may question, won’t the nutrients be lost and attenuated after being stored for a period of time?
In fact, vitamin C is the most important ingredient in vegetables. For green peppers, spinach, cabbage, etc., the quality will not decrease just because they have been stored for a few days. Refrigerated cabbage contains even more vitamin C than fresh cabbage.
Of course, after a few days of storage of tomatoes, potatoes, cauliflower, etc., vitamin C does decrease. These data are just to remind friends that fresh vegetables are good, but don’t ignore the pesticide residues on them. Proper storage and handling can find a balance between removing pesticide residues and retaining nutrients.
Lord Bushwell, a food science professor at the University of Maine in the United States, found that after a week of storage in tomatoes, potatoes and cauliflower, their vitamin C content decreased; while after a week of storage in cabbage, melon, green peppers and spinach, their vitamin C content decreased. Its vitamin C content remains basically unchanged. Refrigerated cabbage is even richer in vitamin C than fresh cabbage.
