Are you wasting precious food because you can’t eat it immediately than it rots? We should only buy enough for all our meals in an ideal life, but that seldom happens. Fruit and vegetables decaying beyond usage. So, how can you avoid it? Fruit & vegetable wastage is very common, and no matter how much we would like, sometimes just throwing everything in the refrigerator simply doesn’t work. Thankfully, with a few tips and storage ideas, you can breathe new life into your fruits & vegetables, hopefully just enough so that they don’t end up in the bin.

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Keep The Refrigerator Clean

This might sound obvious, but more often than not, our refrigerator can be a breeding ground for mold and bacteria. And it goes without saying that any fresh produce would rot pretty fast if the conditions are not ideal.

Sliced Fruits and Vegetables

Sliced fruits always feel tastier than biting them as a whole; the reason can be more psychological than anything. However, storing them can be tricky if you don’t know what you are doing. Always store them in airtight storage units and always refrigerate them. There are many options available here. Always eat them whole as they become brown quickly if sliced and not consumed the same day.

Keeping Salads Fresh

Your salad can last longer by keeping it in a storage container or a bowl, placing kitchen paper on it, and tightly wrapping the whole thing with cling wrap. Place it in the refrigerator, and this will keep the salad from turning into a soggy, mushy mess.

Exposure To Heat

Many times, we store some items on the shelf closer to our cooktop so we can reach them easily. This puts them in the range of items that emit heat. Exposure to higher temperatures is not desirable in most cases as it could lead to a faster rate of ripening. Ensure you keep your fresh produce away from the heat!

Wash Produce Thoroughly

We always wash vegetables and fruits before consuming them. But there’s more to it than just giving them a water wash. It is highly recommended that you wash them with a mixture of vinegar and water before storing them in the fridge. You will need 3 parts water and 1 part vinegar. Dip your fruits & vegetables in it and after that wash them thoroughly. Let it dry, and then store it in the refrigerator. The produce that we get in modern markets can have a pesticide layer. The vinegar wash helps in removing that layer. Along with that, it also prevents mold build-up and rotting.

Separating Fresh Produce

You should always try to create a home storage solution where you can separate your produce while storing it. Not all fruits and vegetables can be stored together. Some products can accelerate rotting in others more quickly. Ethylene gas, a natural gas that is released by some fruits, can aid in the process of ripening. If you are storing delicate leafy vegetables next to apples, which are high ethylene gas emitters, you should consume them quickly or be ready to see them rot faster than expected. Other fruits like stone fruits, pears, bananas, pears, and tomatoes also emit higher volumes of ethylene gas. 

Storing Herbs

There are two types of commonly used herbs. Keep soft herbs such as cilantro, parsley, dill and basil in jars of water, just like you would keep fresh flowers. Change water every two days to ensure a longer life and keep them fresh. Herbs that come with a hard stem-like mint, thyme, rosemary, etc., can be stored in the refrigerator. It would help if you bagged and rolled them in a slightly damp paper towel. This keeps their moisture levels high and prolongs their life. Just remember this doesn’t give them infinite life; store them till the leaves start turning yellow. 

Storing Mushrooms

Keeping mushrooms dry is always a hard job. A home storage solution that works best and keeps mushrooms from getting slimy is simply storing them in a brown paper bag in the refrigerator. A paper bag will allow the moisture to escape and give the mushrooms room to breathe. Always stay away from airtight glass or plastic kitchen storage solutions, as they are designed to keep the moisture intact, which is not the best for mushrooms. 

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Storage Solutions 

Don’t come customized to our needs, especially when it comes to perishable fruits and vegetables. That is why it is important to have DIY tips like those listed above handy and ready to use. By implementing the right tricks, you can ramp up your storage game and keep your fruits and vegetables fresh for a long time! For more home tips, advice and ideas visit our website Home Guidelines.