7 Tips To Make Fruits And Vegetables Last Longer
While it is prudent to keep non-perishables on hand, you may be surprised to learn that a wide variety of fruits and vegetables are also built to last. You can store properly fresh produce favorites for months. Knowing how to make the most of what you buy allows you to stretch your dollar and keep your kitchen stocked with nutritious foods. Here are some ideas for extending the life of fruits and vegetables.
Give your greens an ice bath.
An ice bath is a great way to keep the moisture in your green vegetables, cool them down, and avoid the wilted appearance that old greens can get after a while. You must wash your greens in ice-cold water to rehydrate them, then pat them dry with paper towels. After discarding the rotten leaves, place your clean and dried fresh produce in an airtight container.
Avoid cutting the lemons in half.
Instead of cutting a lemon in half, puncture it with a fork or skewer if you only need a squeeze of citrus juice for a recipe or drink. This way, you can squeeze out what you need without completely drying out the lemon.
Isolate gassy produce.
Some fruits and vegetables, such as apples, ripe bananas, pears, and potatoes, produce ethylene, which speeds up the ripening process of other fruits and vegetables. As a result, if you need something to ripen quickly, store it with your apple supply. However, if you want to extend the lives of the produce, keep them as separate as possible. That is, give bananas their spot in the fridge, avoid storing potatoes and onions together, and keep apples in a separate section of the fridge.
Make a veggie vase.
Wrap damp paper towels around the base of your asparagus or herbs, or store them upright in a glass with an inch of water. It will keep them hydrated and will slow the wilting process.
Store salad greens.
You should store salad greens and fresh herbs in tightly sealed bags with a small amount of air in them. If you leave your herbs in their original packaging, they have a higher chance of going bad before you use them. When storing chopped salad greens in the fridge, add them to a bowl lined with paper towels and cover them with plastic wrap.
Wrap in the paper, place in plastic, and store in the freezer.
If you want to consume fresh produce that is high in nutrients, you should do so within 1-3 days of purchasing it. However, if storing them is your only option, wrapping the unwashed leaves in a paper towel and allowing the towel to absorb excess moisture will extend the life of your greens. Place your wrapped green leafy vegetables in a plastic bag, and place it in the refrigerator. Remember to keep different varieties in separate bags.
Store your produce dry.
Some moisture will keep the produce fresh; too much moisture will promote mold or mushiness. Before putting away anything you’ve washed, ensure it’s thoroughly dry. There are a few exceptions to this rule: Scallions prefer to be stored upright, roots-down, in room temperature water—and they’ll grow that way indefinitely as long as you change the water now and then.
