It's getting to be that time of year when produce gets so cheap. I usually go overboard buying way more than we need. Then, it gets pushed to the back of the fridge and I find it a couple of weeks later. Like last summer when I bought 10 containers of raspberries because they were only $.88 each. Then, life got really busy and before I knew it a third of them had gone bad. I was so mad at myself. As we all know, it's not saving money if you end up throwing the food out.
As much as I love to stock up and save it can sometimes be so challenging with fruits and vegetables. It's hard to find the right balance of buying enough, without buying too much and have it spoil. So how do you stock up and save on produce without it going bad? It's not always easy, but there are a couple of tips to make your produce last longer.
Store Fruits & Veggies Separately
Fruits can produce a gas that will quickly ripen most vegetables. Because of this, you will want to store the fruits and vegetables separately. I just keep one drawer in the fridge for fruits and one drawer for vegetables. You will also want to make sure they aren't sitting next to each other on the counter.
Don't Wash Them
Water can increase any bacteria growth on fruits and veggies, so you don't want to wash them until you are ready to use them. This will make them last almost twice as long.
Make Sure They Can Breathe
Don't store your fruits and veggies in an airtight Ziploc or Tupperware. If you are going to store them in a bag make sure you poke some holes in the bag to let them breathe. You can also get special storage containers for fruits and veggies that let the air in.
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Remove Rubber Bands
For the most part, I grow my own green onions, but every once in a while I buy them at the store. They always come bundled together with a rubber band. I have noticed that they last longer if I take them out of the rubber band. If your vegetables come with a rubber band or tie wrap, remove it when you get them home from the store.
Store Them Properly
Not everything should be stored in the fridge. Potatoes, onions, and avocados do better stored at room temperature. Bananas do better if you break them apart and don't leave them in a bunch. Make sure you store each fruit or veggie the way it should be stored. It will help them last so much longer.
Freeze Them
If you see some of your fruits and vegetables are going bad then freeze them. That's what I ended up doing with most of my raspberries. My son ended up enjoying them straight from the freezer. Most fruits and vegetables freeze well. Even if they get a little mushy they are still good in a smoothie.
Stop tossing out food and start saving money with simple tips. What tips do you have to help produce last longer?