Inside: Need some easy tips on how to make fruit or vegetables last longer? Check out these simple ideas. Make strawberries last longer with paper towels, which veggies to keep in the crisper drawer and which to put in the pantry, and what needs to be washed before you store them!
It's getting to be that time of year when produce gets so cheap. I usually go overboard buying way more than we need.
Then, it gets pushed to the back of the fridge and I find it a couple of weeks later.
As much as I love to stock up and save it can sometimes be so challenging with fruits and vegetables. It's hard to find the right balance of buying enough, without buying too much and having it spoil.
So how do you stock up and save on produce without it going bad? It's not always easy, but there are a couple of tips to make your produce last longer. Check out some of my favorite tips below.
Store Fruits & Veggies Separately
Fruits can produce a gas that will quickly ripen most vegetables. Because of this, you will want to store the fruits and vegetables separately.
An easy way to do this is to keep one drawer in the fridge for fruits and one drawer for vegetables. This will help gas from quickly ripening the vegetables.
If you don't have the room for a separate drawer for each you can also buy an absorber on Amazon. This will help capture the gas from the fruit and slow down the ripening of the vegetables.
You will also want to make sure they aren't sitting next to each other on the counter.
Don't Wash Them
I love washing my fruits and veggies so they are all ready to go when we need a snack, however, that will speed up how quickly they go bad.
Moisture can increase any bacteria growth on fruits and veggies, so you don't want to wash them until you are ready to use them if you can.
Another idea is to wash a day or two supply of fruits or veggies at a time. This will make them last almost twice as long.
Make Sure They Can Breathe
Most fruit and vegetables like to breathe. I wouldn't recommend storing your fruits and veggies in an airtight Ziploc or Tupperware.
If you are going to store them in a plastic bag make sure you poke some holes in the bag to let them breathe. So many of the produce bags from the grocery store won't let them breathe properly.
You can also get special storage containers for fruits and veggies that let the air in. I have found these to be very helpful so they last longer.
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Remove Rubber Bands
Removing the rubber bands from around vegetables is a quick way to help them last longer.
Green onions, asparagus, and leafy greens often come bundled together with a rubber band. I have noticed that they last longer if I take them out of the rubber band.
If your vegetables come with a rubber band or tie wrap, remove them when you get them home from the store. It only takes a few minutes but helps them last longer.
Store Them Properly
Not everything should be stored in the fridge. Potatoes, onions, and avocados do better stored at room temperature.
Bananas do better if you break them apart and don't leave them in a bunch. Make sure you store each fruit or veggie the way it should be stored.
It will help them last so much longer.
Produce to store in the fridge:
- avocadoes (once ripened)
- asparagus
- blueberries
- blackberries
- broccoli
- cauliflower
- celery
- cucumbers
- leafy greens
- strawberries
- zucchini
Produce to store in the pantry/countertop:
- apples
- avocadoes
- citrus fruit
- garlic
- pears
- potatoes
- tomatoes
Freeze Them
If you see some of your fruits and vegetables are going bad then you might be able to freeze them.
Most fruits and vegetables freeze well. Even if they get a little mushy they are still good in a smoothie.
You can see some good tips for flash freezing to help save those fruits before they go bad.