Fresh vegetables don’t last as long as processed foods in your fridge, and that can often make people give up the healthier lifestyle for more convenient and long-lasting foods. But these simple and easy genius tricks below are here to help the veggies last longer and make the healthy habits much easier! Check them out!
By eating many fruits and vegetables in place of fast food and junk food, people could avoid obesity. -David H. Murdock
Celery + Aluminum Foil
It’s hard to use all the celery before it starts to fade, especially since it basically only comes in big bags now. So instead of throwing away the celery, kale, broccoli, and other vegetables a few days after you buy them, try this neat trick with aluminum foil:
Just wrap the veggie in foil and store in your fridge’s crisper drawer.
Unlike a plastic bag, the foil will let the ripening gas escape, keeping veggies crisp for up to 4 weeks. No more wastage and there’s also no need to rush to eat them the minute you get home anymore!
Keep the Greens Fresh
Avoid letting your salad greens and fresh herbs wilt and keep them bright, crisp, and flavorful for more time by storing them with a little air and sealed tightly.
Here’s how to:
Put the greens in small plastic bags, close the top of each bag lightly with your hands and blow into the bag, filling it with air (carbon dioxide). Seal the bag by twisting the top and closing it firmly with a twist tie or with a knot.
Place the bag in the fridge and that’s it! Your greens will last longer and will still be crispy the next time you make a salad.
The Paper Towel + Covered Container Trick
Another easy way to keep your salad greens fresh and store leftover leaves is to keep them in an airtight container lined with a paper towel.
The paper towel absorbs the moisture, which is what turns the leaves soggy and brown, preventing them from wilting and going bad. Replace the towel when it becomes damp and it will make the greens last up to a week longer than regular storage methods.
Use Glass Instead of Plastic
Especially if you like to wash and cut your veggies all at once, store them in covered glass containers. Many plastics can contain harmful chemicals that can increase spoilage!
Using glassware not only you’ll be able to keep the moisture out and make your veggies last longer, you’ll also be able to easily see them in the fridge, reminding you to eat them.
Oh, and it’s just another reason to have more fun Mason jars!
Avoid Premature Spoiling
Some fruits and veggies can products ripening gas called ethylene, and it can prematurely ripen foods that are sensitive to it. So the trick here is to keep ethylene-producing foods away from ethylene-sensitive foods, to keep one bad food from spoiling the rest.
Store alone, separate from other veggies:
- Apples
- Avocado
- Cabbage
- Eggplant
- Lettuce
- Mushrooms
- Onions
- Pears
- Peaches
- Plums
- Squash
- Tomatoes
These are OK to store together, but should be kept away from other fast-ripening produce:
- Asparagus
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Carrots
- Green beans
- Grapes
- Okra
- Potatoes
- Sweet potatoes
- Watermelon
- Zucchini
You can also get an Ethylene gas absorber for your fridge, which can help keeping fruits and vegetables fresh longer.
Store Carrots with Water
Carrots do best with moisture, so here is the best way to store them:
- First, trim any green tops off the carrots, since they suck up the moisture and nutrients from the carrots, leaving them dry.
- Second, put them in a container filled with water and seal with plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator and that’s it!
The method will prolong their freshness, and you can even change out the water every few days for even longer-term storage.
This trick also works with other hardy vegetables after they are cut, such as celery and potatoes!
Store Potatoes With Apples
Store your potatoes with apples and keep them from sprouting!
Apples are one of the fruits that most produce ethylene gas, and while the gas can make other veggies go bad faster, it can keep your spuds fresh for more than eight weeks. Yep, that’s right!
Keeping Herbs Fresh
Depending on how you store your herbs, they can last longer or they go bad pretty quickly.
You can easily keep them fresh longer by covering with a plastic wrap and securing with a rubber band. Place in the refrigerator and pull them out as you need them.
This trick works great with basil, cilantro, chives, and other herbs!
Frozen Goods
The freezer can also be a good friend to a healthy lifestyle:
- Green onions can easily be stored in the freezer to save space and have some handy whenever you need them. Simply chop them up, store them in a plastic water bottle and then freeze. When you need them, you can just pour out the amount you need and stick the rest back in the freezer!
- Here’s a fun way to store herbs: chop them up, place them in an ice tray, add olive oil and freeze. Then you’ll have oil and herbs for your dishes any time you want!
- You can store roots like ginger or turmeric in the freezer too, and they’ll still grate quite easily (peel and all!)
Keeping The Fridge Optimal For Veggies
- Keep your fridge clean! Leftover residue or mold can find its way to other food, increasing the spoilage of all the food you have in the fridge. Clean your fridge out at least once a week or so and it will ensure that all of your food stays fresher longer.
- Don’t overstock your fridge. It leads to poor air circulation and we want to keep the veggies at optimal temperature!
- Don’t keep meat and produce in the same area of the refrigerator to avoid cross-contamination.
- Store veggies at the bottom of the fridge to help them last longer.
What methods do you use to preserve veggies in your fridge for longer? Let us know at our Facebook page or in the comments below!
