How to keep produce fresh for longer

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, many are preferring to stay indoors as much as possible, only venturing out to stores when it becomes absolutely necessary. That means you may start to run a little low on fresh produce. 

Here are 10 ways to keep your fresh products fresh for longer.

1. Extra lettuce left over? 

Put the dried lettuce leaves in a container together with kitchen paper towel to absorb the moisture and ensure that the leaves don’t wilt and smudge.

2. Only used half of the avocado? 

Keep the pip in the other half, or sprinkle with lemon juice (or olive oil!) to protect against oxidation and prevent the avocado turning brown.

3. Keeping extra tomatoes and cucumbers? 

They’re better stored at room temperature – cucumbers become watery in cold temperatures and tomatoes lose their taste.

4. Buying celery? 

Remember to replace the plastic packaging with foil around the stalks. This helps to prevent release of the gas from the celery stalks that spoils it. That means your celery will stay crisp.

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5. Fresh carrots and beetroot? 

Remove the green stalks and leaves if you won’t be eating it. By removing it, the carrots and beets stay fresher for longer, as the green leaves extract the nutrients from the root vegetables.

6. Bunches of fresh herbs? 

Remove all plastic packaging and treat it like a bunch of flowers. Place it in a glass of water on your windowsill and replace the water regularly.

7. Bought a bag of potatoes?

To prevent potatoes from sprouting, add an apple. Apples produce ethylene gas, which keeps potatoes fresh and firm for longer.

8. Extra lemons?

Lemons can look decorative in a bowl on your kitchen table, but to prevent them from getting mouldy or drying out, it’s best to store them in a sealed plastic bag in your fridge.

9. Green or extra bananas? 

Wrap the tops with cling wrap and only remove when it once they’re ripe. This can extend the shelf life of bananas by three to five days.

10. Too many apples and bananas?

Store apples and bananas separate from other fruit in your fruit bowl. Fruits such as apples and bananas excrete ethylene gas, which ripens other fruit faster. Rather store each fruit type separately to ensure a longer shelf life. 

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