Food: Keep Green Fresher For Longer

"We all know that fruit and vegetables play a vital role in a balanced diet but how much of the weekly shop usually ends up making its way to your plate and how much unfortunately ends up being thrown in the bin?"

Most of this food wastage could actually be prevented with a greater knowledge on how to store fruit and vegetables properly, which is where we come in! To help you save money on your groceries, cut back on food waste and make sure that you always have nutritious produce on hand for a healthy meal we have come up with some helpful hacks which we can all implement in our homes to keep our fruit and vegetables fresher for longer.

Put a couple of paper towels/kitchen roll on top of your salad leaves and tightly cover with cling film when storing in the fridge. This prevents moisture from settling on the leaves, helping them to stay crisp and prevent wilting.

Store garlic and onions in a bamboo steamer, giving them a cool, well ventilated home that protects them from the light. This will prevent sprouting, which means they’ll be edible for much longer.

Chop spring onions up and freeze them in an empty water bottle. When you need them for a stir fry, stew or anything else, shake out what you need and return the rest to the freezer.

Wrap damp paper towels around the bases of your asparagus or put them upright in a glass with about an inch of water, to keep them hydrated and slow down wilting.

Store an apple or two in a ventilated bag with your potatoes and keep them in a cool, dry place. This will keep them from sprouting, due to gases emitted from the apple.

Store fresh, raw, peeled carrots in a plastic bag (with as much oxygen squeezed out as possible) or aluminum foil in the fridge. Stored like this, they will last up to two weeks.

Avoid washing your berries until right before you’re ready to eat them, as moisture encourages mould growth. Using berries for juice or smoothies? Freeze them to keep them fresh for a later date.

Cut the leafy tops off your pineapple and store it upside down. This helps redistribute the sugars that sink to the bottom during shipping and keeps it fresh for longer.

Freeze leftover herbs in ice cube trays to retain their freshness. Just place the chopped herbs in an ice cube tray, fill with water and place them in the freezer. When you’re ready to use, just pop as many cubes as you need into your cooking and the water will evaporate, leaving you with fresh herbs every time.

Hopefully these hacks will help you to make the most of your fruit and vegetables and prevent wasting food which could in fact be saved from the dreaded bin!

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