Storing Fruits & Vegetables for Optimal Shelf-life (specific)

Have you ever had to throw away fruits and vegetables just because they didn't look edible anymore? Most of us get a little carried away at the store and buy more than we can eat, often getting enticed by “buy 2 get 1 free” type deals that only end up being a wasteful practice, especially when you don’t store them properly. If this is the case with you, there are ways to make your food stay fresh and crisp longer.

Here are 25 unique ways that you can keep your fruits and vegetables fresher for longer;

1. Keep your fridge clean

A simple but essential tip for prolonging fresh produce is to simply keep your fridge clean. Leftover residue or mould spores that may be present within your fridge can make your fruits and vegetables go bad much faster.

Be sure to regularly check the state of the inside of your fridge, cleaning out any remnants of old fruits and vegetables that may be deteriorating at the bottom of your crisper, wipe down the different surface levels to be rid of any stains and residue that may be present.

2. Keep onions in nylon stockings

Storing onions in nylon stockings is an odd but effective way of prolonging their shelf life. Be sure to twist or tie knots in between each onion in order to separate them from each other.

Onions can rot pretty quickly if there's too much moisture. That’s why it’s better to keep them in a cool dark place, additionally, if you hang them in tights, they can last up to 8 months.

3. Store garlic in a dark place with low humidity

It’s best to keep garlic in a dark, dry place like a container or a paper bag. Also, keep in mind that if the whole garlic bulb stays intact it can last up to 2 months. But the storage time of separated cloves is only 3-10 days. Unless you need to separate your garlic into cloves for storage purposes, bulb is best.

4. Place the stems in a container with water at room temperature

Place the stems of Parsley, Coriander (Cilantro), Basil, and Asparagus in a container with water and leave them at room temperature. If you don't want to put them in the fridge to wilt, then you have to treat them the way you treat flowers. Also, don't wash them until you're ready to use them.

5. Put potatoes in a dark and cool place

Plastic bags aren't the best option for storing potatoes. Paper or mesh bags work better. Another great preservation trick is to place them in a box with grids and cover the bottom with newspaper.

Once you have an ideal storage container, keep them at the base of your pantry to maintain a dark and cool environment.

6. Wrap the avocado in a newspaper and put it in a paper bag

To make avocados ripen faster, wrap them in newspaper and put them in a paper bag. It usually takes avocado approximately 7 days to ripen. But if you use this tip it will only take 3-5 days. And if you put a banana inside the paper bag with the avocado, it'll be ready in only 2 days.

7. Don't store tomatoes in the fridge

Tomato storage times can vary from 3 weeks to 2 months. It all depends on how ripe they are when you buy them. To make them last longer, keep them in the pantry or on the counter because low temperatures make them lose their flavour.

8. Keep mushrooms in a paper bag with parsley

Don't ever wash mushrooms until you're ready to cook, because humidity can ruin them. Just leave mushrooms in the fridge in a paper bag and add some branches of parsley. The parsley has antioxidant properties that help prevent the appearance of spots on the mushrooms.

9. Use white vinegar to disinfect strawberries

You should always wait to wash berries right up until before eating them because water makes them soft which is bad for storing. Take 1 part white vinegar and 2 parts water to disinfect them. Make sure there are no berries with mould because they'll ruin the others. After that, you can either eat them or, after removing the stems, put them an airtight bag in the freezer, where they'll last up to 4 months.

10. To keep lettuce, spinach, or collards fresh wrap them

No one likes soggy leafy greens, so to avoid this, wash them in a large amount of cold water and dry them completely before putting them in the fridge. After disinfecting your leafy greens, you can keep them either in a container or in an airtight bag. Just don't forget to wrap them in a paper towel to absorb the remaining water if you want them to stay crisp for up to 2 weeks.

11. Wrap a lemon in tin foil or sprinkle it with salt after cutting it

With most meals that require lemon, they rarely require an entire lemon be used. If you only need half a lemon, don't let the other half go to waste. Wrapping it in aluminium foil or putting salt on the pulp will help it stay fresh for 3 days. Just don't forget to rinse it well before using it again.

12. Sprinkle avocado with lemon juice

If you've cut an avocado in two, save it from turning brown by putting a few drops of lemon juice on the pulp or by brushing the avocado half with a little bit of edible oil. You can also put it in a container with chunks of onion at the bottom. With these tips, the avocado will retain its colour for 1 or 2 days.

13. Leave peeled potatoes in a container with water and white vinegar

To store freshly peeled potatoes up to 4 days, put them in a container full of water, add a few drops of white vinegar, and place it in the fridge. This will help to prevent them from turning grey.

14. Freeze ripe bananas for your smoothies

If you've bought bananas that are already really ripe, but you want to store them for longer, simply remove the peel, cut them in two, and put them in an airtight bag. You can leave them in a freezer for up to 3 months and use them for smoothies or homemade ice cream.

15. Make cooking cubes with coriander (cilantro), parsley, basil, or any other herb or edible plant

This is a great trick that will save not only your food but time as well. Finely chop the herbs or plants you want to use and pack them into ice cube wells. Then add melted butter but don't forget to let it cool before freezing. You can also use extra virgin olive oil. When cooking, melt a few frozen cubes of flavour into your pan and enjoy the nice taste.

16. Keep citrus fruits, such as oranges, on the counter

Citrus fruit should be stored away from direct sunlight, at room temperature, and in an open space. This will greatly reduce mould growth and the rapid spoiling of the fruit.

17. Put capsicum (bell peppers) in a paper bag

If the capsicum isn't cut, keeping it in a paper bag will help to keep it crisp and reduce moisture build-up, which creates an environment for mould growth. If it's cut then wrap it in a paper towel and put it in an airtight container.

18. Put plastic or aluminium foil around the stems of bananas

This yellow fruit is known for producing ethylene gas while it gets ripe. So putting plastic or aluminium foil around its stem won’t let this gas spread to other parts of the fruit, saving the pulp from becoming a brown mushy mess for 4-5 days.

19. Don't store fruits and vegetables near a gas stove

Just like ethylene, natural gas is known to increase the ripening process. When fruits or vegetables are exposed to the heat even from a toaster oven, they’ll get ripe way too soon.

So be sure to have the benchtop fruits be located away from gas stoves or in an area that tends to have heat or smoke.

20. Store potatoes with apples to keep them from sprouting

Apples are allies to potatoes because they can keep sprouting away from potatoes. Whereas onions are not great companions for potatoes since they can make them go bad faster.

21. Wrap your celery stalks in tin foil

If you wish to keep celery both juicy and crisp then not just keeping your celery in the fridge but also wrapping it in tin foil will ensure that it doesn’t become dehydrated but also keeps its crispness. This way of storing celery can extend its freshness up to a whole month.

22. Keep roots like ginger or turmeric in the freezer

While most people tend to keep roots at room temperature, if you find that your usage is over an extended period of time, you can put them in the freezer to no negative side effects.

If you use roots for juicing or cooking you can freeze them and they'll still grate quite easily, but their storage period will be much longer.

23. Use glassware for fridge storage

Many plastics may contain harmful chemicals that can speed up the maturing process and increase spoilage. That's why in some cases it's better to store fruits and vegetables in glass containers or mason jars.

24. Trim the carrots

Any green tops remaining attached to carrots can draw out moisture and cause carrots to go limp pretty quickly. That's why it's better to cut them off and leave unpeeled carrots in a zip-lock bag in the fridge.

If the carrots are peeled, keep them in a tightly covered container filled with water.

25. Wrap cucumbers in the fridge

While many people tend to put cucumbers in their fridge, they do not prefer those conditions. Low temperatures can cause them to spoil faster. The catch here is, so can room temperatures.

The best way around this is to individually wrap cucumbers in a paper towel and have them remain inside of a zip-lock bag within the fridge. This will help combat possible dehydration while also keeping the cucumbers cool.

They are also super sensitive to ethylene gas, so keep them away from bananas, melons, and tomatoes.