Fresh fruits and vegetables are things that we cannot store for long in its natural state. If you look at the amount of produce that you throw out in a year, 90% of them would be of rotten fruits and vegetables. Sometimes we just tend to overstock our refrigerator and not using them soon enough will result in spoilage.
Here are a few ways to keep your fruits and vegetables fresher:
Potatoes and onion
- Do not keep potatoes and onions in the refrigerator. The moisture levels in the refrigerator will ruin them and cause them to sprout.
- Instead store potatoes and onion in a dry and cool place.
- For it to last even longer, store them in a stocking in that dry cool place so that the moisture cannot get them at any cost.
- You can even store potatoes with apples. It is found that the ethylene gas in them will keep the potatoes fresh and also prevent the potatoes from sprouting.
Green leafy vegetables
- Green leafy vegetables if stored in plastic bags traps ethylene gas which will cause it to ripen faster and ripen faster and rot.
- So it is a good idea to store green leafy vegetables in aluminum foil which releases the ethylene gas and also prevents moisture loss that keeps in fresh.
Berries
- Do not wash berries with water till the moment you are going to eat it.
- Instead just wash it vinegar and allow it to dry. This vinegar coating will prevent mold from setting in and also increase shelf life.
Lettuce
- Like other leafy vegetables you can store it in aluminum foil but the best method for lettuce is to cover it in a bowl using a paper towel, followed by cling film.
- The paper towel will soak up all the excess moisture that it usually releases that makes it all brown and withered.
Avocado and apple
- Soak your apples and avocados in lemon or lime water. The acidity in these citrus fruits will prevent the oxidation that causes the brown color that makes them look unappetizing.
- You can even try dipping them in salt water to prevent oxidization.
Rotten vegetables
- If you notice even one or two pieces of fruit or vegetable rotting them discard them immediately before it spreads to the rest of the lot.
Placement in the fridge
- Do not place fruits or vegetables in the door of the fridge. Instead store them in the designated fruit and vegetable tray, where the temperatures do not fluctuate as much as the door.
Long term storage
- Freezing, pickling and canning is the only way to go about preserving fruits and vegetables for long periods of time.
Bananas
- Wrap the crowns of the bananas to make them last longer. Never wrap them in plastic unless you want them to ripen faster.
- It is best to keep bananas away from other fruits as bananas contain he maximum amount of ethylene gas that will cause the others fruits and vegetables around it to ripen faster.
Air circulation
- Do not over stock the refrigerator. Poor air circulation and produce kept too close to one another is another major reason for fruits and vegetables to rot as then they are not stored at the optimal temperature.
Mushrooms
- Mushrooms naturally contain a lot of moisture. So it is best to store them in brown paper bags and not plastic. The plastic only traps the moisture and makes it rot sooner.
Written by: Rasha Ashraf
