* Wash vegetables before peeling or cutting to preserve the water soluble vitamins.
* Peel vegetables as thinly as possible to preserve the minerals and vitamins.
* Soak potatoes and eggplant after cutting, to avoid discoloration.
* If you boil vegetables in water, do not throw the water, keep it to make gravies.
* To avoid browning of apples after cutting, apply a little lemon juice on the cut surface. The apples will stay and look fresh for a longer time.
* Keep coriander leaves in a muslin (cheese) cloth bag in the refrigerator. They will remain fresh for a longer time.
* Remove the stems of green chilies while storing them .This will help them to stay fresh for long.
* After peeling onions cut in half and soak in water for about 10 minutes before cutting to avoid crying.
* Soak almonds in a cup of boiling water for 10 minutes .The skin will peel off easily.
* Chopping vegetables can be done in different ways using a sharp knife and a wooden chopping board. Cutting on a marble slab will blunt your knives.
* Remove the outer leaves and husks from the corn (bhutta). Holding the corn upright with the flat end firmly in a board, take a sharp knife and run it down between the kernels and the cob to strip them away.
* Wrap the fruits and vegetables in newspaper before refrigerating to keep them fresh for long.
* Chopping dry fruits - Freeze them first for one hour & then dip the knife into hot water before cutting them.