Do you know that around 40% of food items in the United States are never consumed and instead thrown away? Your veggies, fruits, and other perishables that you can't seem to eat before they expire might be part of the problem.
In any event, you might quickly lose your last farmers' market harvest if not properly preserved! Here are 6 tips to keep your fruits and veggies fresh for longer and save you time and money.
Hacks to Keep Fruits and Vegetables Fresh
Keep your refrigerator clean all the time
If you want the food you keep in the refrigerator to survive longer, make sure it's in good working order. Molds and other germs cannot develop in this environment. These are some of the elements that contaminate fresh food and cause it to deteriorate more quickly, even when kept in the refrigerator. Allow air to circulate freely throughout the fridge by leaving open areas. Most of your fresh food is exposed to ethylene gas (emitted by some fruits, such as apples, as they mature), which encourages other produce to ripen faster and begin to rot in a crowded space.
Fruits and vegetables should be stored whole
You can maximize the nutritious content of fruits and vegetables by cutting them just when you're ready to utilize them. When fresh food is exposed to air, it degrades more quickly.
If you chop and preserve fruits or vegetables before utilizing them, find a technique to adequately seal them so that no air gets to their flesh. Dressing them with a coat that keeps moisture and air out is a fantastic idea. For example, while preserving sliced avocado, you may drizzle it with lemon juice to keep it as fresh as new!
Keep Your Perishables Away From Heat
The rate at which fruits and vegetables ripen increases when they are exposed to high temperatures. Keep your fresh produce away from heat-producing gadgets including stoves, gas stove tops, toasters, and other household appliances.
Before storing your produce, wash it!
Mold can be avoided by washing some fruits and vegetables in a vinegar-water solution. Simply combine 1 part white vinegar with 3 parts water, soak your fruits and veggies in it, and then thoroughly wash them. Vinegar not only prevents mold and rotting, but it also aids in the removal of pesticides from conventionally produced produce and fruit, as well as the killing of germs that may be clinging on your veggies. Rinse carefully with clean water after washing and pat dry before storing.
Dip your herbs in water
Herbs, like cut flowers, do not last long if they are not stored in water. Herbs like cilantro and basil may be kept in a jar with their stalks submerged in water. You may buy some mason jars to keep your fresh herbs in water before storing them on the countertops or in the refrigerator.
Learn What To and Not To Keep Together
It's not a good idea to keep all of your fresh vegetables in the same place. Because they generate the ethylene "ripening" gas, certain product causes others to spoil more quickly. Apples and cherries or blueberries, for example, should not be stored together since the berries and cherries will deteriorate faster. When you keep potatoes and onions together, the potatoes are more likely to rot or sprout. When potatoes are combined with apples, on the other hand, the potatoes keep intact and fresh for longer.
The banana is one fruit that should be kept apart from the rest of your farm fresh vegetables. Ethylene gas is abundant in bananas. Not only will the gas cause them to ripen and decay faster, but it will also ruin an otherwise good meal.
