And we’ve written in the past about ways you can do your bit to cut down food waste – buying marked down items, freezing food and the like.
But one of the simplest ways to cut down food waste is to store your food correctly. No, this is not going to be a social media argument over whether you should keep ketchup or chocolate in the cupboard or the fridge, but it will be some helpful tips to keep your fresh food fresher for longer, and stop it going in the bin prematurely.
Keep your fruit-iful beautiful
- Separate your bananas and wrap each stem in cling film, then ripen at room temperature. This will contain the ethylene gas which helps the banana to ripen. This can also prevent other fruit never your bananas from ripening too quickly as well.
- Store your apples in the fridge. This will keep them fresher and crisper for longer. Apples also release ethylene so keep them away from other fruit too!
- Store fruit with a stone – mangoes, plums, peaches, nectarines, avocados, etc – at room temperature until they ripen, then move them to the fridge.
- Keep the pit in an avocado after you cut it in half. You can also store the pit with mashed avocado or guacamole to help keep it looking green.
- Keep berries, cherries, and grapes in a plastic bag with small vents to help keep them fresher longer.
Extend your veg’s salad days
- Carrots will stay fresher for longer if you store them in a jar of water in the fridge.
- Wash and dry your lettuce, then store it on kitchen towel in a container, but don’t forget to replace the towel as it collects moisture!
- Herbs and spring onions will stay fresh if you pop their stalks in a few inches of water - like you might with a bouquet of flowers – and keep them on your countertop rather than in your fridge.
- Store your green veggies – spinach, broccoli, etc – on paper towels to keep them moist.
- Store potatoes with an apple to stop them from sprouting. They apple can help your spuds stay fresh for twice as long!
- Keep your mushrooms in a paper bag in the fridge to help maintain the right amount of moisture and air circulation.