11 Simple Hacks For Making Food Last Longer

Posted on: July 13, 2020

With the equivalent of one in five bags of groceries ending up in the bin, Australian households are looking for ways to end the waste. 

fresh produce

Here’s 11 simple hacks to help you get the most out of your grocery shopping!

avocado

Brush leftover avocado with lemon juice

Leave the skin and pit on. This way, less of the green goodness gets exposed to the air. Squeeze some lemon or lime juice on the exposed flesh and pop into an airtight container. When you’re ready to eat, simply scrape away and discard a thin layer of the brown pulp and enjoy the rest. 

Store herbs in a glass jar

Your herbs will last two to four times longer if you store them in a glass jar (lid on) in the fridge than if you put them in your vegetable drawer wrapped in plastic.  Other veggies that go limp, like asparagus, celery and carrots, can also often be revived by placing them in a cup of water. 

Bread

Don’t keep bread in the fridge

Storing your bread in cool location away from the light helps keep it fresh for longer. But if you’re struggling to get to the end of the loaf, storing your bread in the freezer means you’ll always have bread handy for breakfast toast.

Take care how you store your fruit and veg

Some fruits and veggies produce a gas called ethylene as they ripen. Keep ethylene-producing foods such as apples, apricots, avocados, bananas, kiwis, mangoes, nectarines, pears, plums, rockmelon and tomatoes away from ethylene-sensitive foods like berries, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, leafy greens, and watermelon. Understanding the different needs of your fruit and vegies can help keep your fresh produce fresher for longer. 

capsicums

Wash before use, not when you get home

Excess water can make produce spoil quicker. If you do wash them before placing in the fridge you’ll also need to dry them to get a longer life.

Keep spinach and lettuce fresher with a paper towel

If you can keep these items in a container with a paper towel – it’ll help to absorb moisture keeping them fresher for an extra few days.

Remove rotting produce asap

As they say, one bad apple can spoil the bunch! If you notice that a piece or fruit or veg is beginning to rot then get it out of there pronto, or else you’ll notice that others will quickly follow!

Store potatoes and onions separately

These two aren’t natural bedfellows, even if many of us keep them together in the pantry. They’ll stay fresher for much longer if stored separately. Some people recommend storing onions in an old pair of stockings and popping an apple in with the bag of potatoes to keep them fresh even longer.

fruit smoothie

Freeze fruit you aren’t going to use in time

If you think your fruit (or veg) is on the turn and you won’t get the chance to eat it, freeze them. These can then be used to create delicious smoothies. This trick works especially well for berries, stone fruit and bananas.

Keep coffee in an opaque container

The only thing worse than stale, flavourless coffee is rancid coffee! Keep your coffee at its best by limiting the amount of sunlight it gets.

cooking pasta

Cook meals in bigger batches

If you’ve got a surplus of fresh produce that you need to use before it spoils why not cook up a storm. Create extra portions to freeze – these leftovers will make for easy lunches and quick dinners later on and mean you’re not wasting a thing!  Taking care when you buy, store and handle food makes it last longer.

If you have any other food preservation tips that you’d like to share make sure you tag us on Facebook or Instagram or email us.

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