Easy ways to stop your produce from going bad quickly.
How many times have you had to throw away produce from your fridge because it has gone moldy?? This happens to me more times than I want to admit and I always feel so sad throwing the food away! This is food that I spent hard earned money on. A few years ago I knew something had to change. So, I started learning a few new tricks all about how to help my produce stay fresh longer, and it has worked! This has in turn helped me to save money on groceries! Yay! I’m sharing the tips today in hopes that it can help you too!
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1. Know Where To Store Your Produce
I remember way back when I first moved out on my own and started shopping for myself for the first time. In my young college mind I thought that all produce needed to be stored in the refrigerator, boy was I wrong!
After I had hundreds of bananas go brown way to quickly on me, I started learning that the fridge is not the best storage place for everything.
As you try to keep your produce fresh longer, be aware of what stores best in the fridge, and what would store better on the counter or in a cabinet.
Produce That Stores Best In The Fridge:
- Lemons
- Limes
- Oranges
- Mushrooms
- Zucchini
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Pease
- Peppers
- Spinach
- Apples
- Berries
Produce That Stores Best Out Of The Fridge:
- Tomatoes
- Plums
- Peaches
- Cherries
- Butternut Squash
- Bananas
- Avocados
Produce That Stores Best In a Cool/Dark/Dry Place:
- Garlic
- Onion
- Potatoes
2. Store Your Veggies Dry
Vegetables, especially leafy greens, needs to be dried thoroughly before storing in the fridge.
After you wash your vegetables be sure to pat them dry with a paper towel to get rid of all the extra moisture. You can even wrap a paper towel around the lettuce to be make sure the moisture continues to be absorbed.
- Related: How to Eat Healthy For Cheap
3. Wash Strawberries In A Vinegar Bath
I learned one of my favorite hacks for keeping strawberries fresh from Melyssa Saves on Instagram. Giving your strawberries a vinegar bath is such an easy trick and makes a huge difference for the life of your strawberries.
To give your strawberries a vinegar bath just fill your sink with three parts water and one part vinegar. Pour your strawberries into the vinegar bath and let them soak for a few minutes.
Next, you will dry the strawberries completely on a paper towel before returning them to their container and storing in the fridge.
4. Store Leafy Greens In A Bag
Another trick to keeping your leafy greens fresh it to store them in a bag. This could be a grocery bag, or the bag they came in from the store.
The best way to store your leafy greens is to wash them well, pat dry with a paper towel and then place them into a plastic bag. Keep a little bit of air in the bag and tie it shut to seal.
5. Use A Paper Towel To Absorb Moisture
One of my favorite tricks for keeping produce from going bad is to store it with a paper towel. The paper towel will help to absorb any excess moisture. Berries and grapes will both stay fresh longer if you store them this way.
Simply wash your produce, pat dry, and then place them on a paper towel. Store them in an open container with the paper towel on bottom.
6. Separate Your Bananas
If you enjoy buying bananas (like I do!) try separating them from the bunch! Bananas will stay fresh for longer if they are separated from each other and stored individually.
7. Keep Fruit and Vegetables Separate
Another way to keep your produce fresh longer is to keep your fruits and vegetables stored separately in the fridge. Most fruits will emit ethylene which makes vegetable go bad quickly. Using separate drawers is a great way to keep them apart.
8. Wrap Celery In Tin Foil
I love juicing celery and using it as an after school snack for my kids (just slap some peanut butter on the celery and they will gobble it up!). Not only is celery a very budget friendly food, it will also stay fresh for a long time.
The trick to keeping celery from going bad quickly is to wrap it in tin foil! Yes! That’s it. This one simple trick will help keep your celery moist, fresh, and tasting delicious!
9. Store Potatoes With An Apple
This is a fun hack for preventing your potatoes from sprouting. All you need to do is add an apple to the container you are storing your potatoes in and they won’t sprout as quickly!
***Remember potatoes need to be stored in a cool, dark and dry place!
10. Freeze Produce Before It Goes Bad
If there comes a time when you feel like you can’t use your produce before it goes bad, you can always freeze it to prolong the life and prevent waste.
To freeze fruit try a flash freeze like this method I used to freeze my strawberries. Most veggies will need a to be blanched before freezing, like how I freeze my peas.
Freezing your produce should extend it’s life for an extra 3-6 months.
Products To Keep Produce Fresh
There are many free things you can do to prevent your produce from going bad. But, I get that sometimes we just want a product to help save us some hassle! Here are a few highly rated products to help!
Bluapple Produce Saver Balls
These Bluapple Produce Freshness Saver Balls are so easy to use! Just toss one into your produce drawer and they will absorb the ethylene gas from your fruit, making your produce stay fresh for much longer!
- THROW AWAY LESS PRODUCE: Technology that has been used in commercial shipping for decades! The Bluapple Produce Savers each have a 9g active ingredient packet inside that can last up to 3 months. Let Bluapple Produce Savers help keep your fruits and vegetables crisp, firm, and fresh, giving you more time to enjoy your produce and reducing waste and trips to the store!
Fresh Works Food Storage Container
I have heard amazing things about the Fresh Works Produce Saver Container. These containers have everything you need to keep your produce fresh, including a crisping tray and vent to help regulate the flow of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Plus, they have over 15,000 positive reviews, so you can’t go wrong!
- Set of 3 includes one 6.3 cup and two 17.3 cup containers with lids
- Save money, food, and trips to the grocery stores
- FreshWorks works best before you wash produce, so you can store now and prep later
Herb Keeper Container
If you enjoy fresh herbs, you might like this Herb Keeper Container. With this container you can keep your herbs fresh for much longer. It was designed with vents, a self watering feature, and dividers so you can store multiple herbs together.
- Clear Herb Saver: The air vents in the collapsible, clear lid help the fresh herbs breathe
- Herb Container: Flip & Slide lid and upper sheath provides easy access to herbs with minimal contact
Debbie Meyer GreenBags
Another popular product for extending the life of your fruits and vegetables is the Debbie Meyer GreenBags. These bags are so easy to use! Just wrap your produce gently into the bag and store as normal. Easy peasy and works like a charm!
- Debbie Meyer GreenBags extend the life of your fresh fruits, vegetables and cut flowers, reducing food waste and saving you money. Proudly made in the USA.
- PROVEN: Independent Lab-tested, reusable bags. Proven to extend the life of fruits, vegetables and cut flowers. (Lettuce, carrots, celery, bananas, grapes, strawberries, cherries, blueberries, mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes, herbs, fresh cut flowers and so much more)
In Conclusion
There are many different things you can do to help your produce stay fresh. Try a few (or all) of the ideas on this list to help you stop throwing away your hard earned money.
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