Here are few ways to extend the shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables.
1. Use paper towels in your vegetable drawer.
Excess moisture generated by your vegetables as they chill can make them wilt faster. Line the drawer or container with paper towels to absorb all that extra moisture!
2. Keep your apples away!
Apples produce ethylene gas which can speed up the spoiling process in other produce, so keep them away in a separate bag. However, the opposite is true for potatoes. Keep an apple tucked in with your potatoes and they’ll be less likely to sprout sooner!
3. Let your avocados ripen at room temperature.
Keep your avocados on the kitchen counter until they ripen and then pop them into the fridge to slow down the process. If you don’t want to use the whole fruit, keep the half with the seed and pour a little lemon juice on top to keep it from browning.
4. Limp lettuce just needs a little ice!
Refresh limp lettuce by separating the leaves then soaking them for a few minutes (between 5-30 minutes depending on their state) in a bowl of ice.
5. Don’t throw away herbs ever again.
Herbs like basil, mint, coriander or parsley can be saved if you don’t plan to use them any time soon. Chop the herbs and place them in a clean, empty ice tray and top them with olive oil. Freeze them to have ready-to-use flavor pods that will last for months!
6. Keep celery in aluminum foil.
Celery is usually sold in a plastic bag, which traps the gas and makes it spoil faster. Wrapping celery in aluminum foil allows the gas to escape and therefore extending the shelf life.
7. Your fridge door is the enemy of eggs and dairy.
Milk and eggs should be stored in the fridge door, right? Wrong! Constantly opening and closing the fridge door creates an inconsistent temperature affecting the quality of both milk and eggs. Ideally, store your eggs on a shelf at the back of the fridge and your milk on the middle or bottom shelves to keep them fresher for longer.
8. Move your mushrooms.
Mushrooms do not live long in plastic, so once you’ve brought them home, remove them from the plastic box or bag they came in, wash and dry them thoroughly, then wrap them in paper towels before you store them in a paper bag in the fridge.
