Fresh produce gets me going every time. I love the colors, the smell and of course the taste. The only thing I don’t like is when that expensive produce starts going bad before I’ve had a chance to use it. Let’s face it, organic produce is costly enough. The last thing you want to do is toss it out before you’ve had a chance to use it.
As seen on Good Morning Washington, here are some tips and tricks to get your produce to go the extra mile. Trust me, you’ll want to use these tips the next time you go shopping.
Berries Soaked in Vinegar and Water
Berries like strawberries, blueberries and blackberries are often laden with mold spores. A rinse in vinegar and water will do the trick. Make a mixture of 1 part white vinegar to 8 parts water. Rinse the berries for about 30 seconds in the mixture. Drain and do a final rinse in cold water before drying gently and thoroughly with a paper towel before returning to the fridge.
Bananas Wrapped with Cling Wrap
Bananas never last long in my house. But, if you need to delay ripening of bananas, you should try some cling wrap at the crown of the bunch. Just remember, to re-wrap whenever any bananas are removed.
Celery in Foil
Limp celery is so lame. Next time you buy celery, slip off that plastic sleeve and wrap it in foil paper instead. This food hack works because the ethylene gas can escape from the foil which is the culprit of limp celery.
Herb in Glasses
Fresh herbs easily jazz up any dish. The difficult part is getting the herbs to last more than a few days in the refrigerator. Put your fresh herbs in a vase or shot glass in fresh water inside the refrigerator and they will last times three times as long. I’ve had cilantro last three weeks that way and ready for my simply homemade guacamole.
Apples with Potatoes
Don’t you just hate when you finally get around to deciding to use your potatoes, only to discover that they are sprouting? An apple may be just what you need to keep those spuds mash potato worthy. It turns out that storing potatoes near apples are a good idea because it prevents potatoes from sprouting. Continue to keep apples away from other produce though because the ethylene produced by the apples will cause early ripening.
Mushrooms in Brown Bag
Have you ever bought mushrooms but by the time you decided to use them they were a big stinky slimy mess? If not, consider yourself fortunate. Mushrooms are brimming with all types of health benefits, so it’s great to keep them around. To keep mushrooms longer, store them in brown paper bag. The bag will keep moisture and soggy slimy mushrooms at bay.
Lemons Refrigerated in Plastic Bag
This hack requires very little effort on your part. Just pop the lemons into large resealable plastic storage bag, put in the fridge and you’re finished.
Tomatoes Stem Side Down
Store tomatoes on the counter top and stem side down to keep them tasty and fresh.
Comments ( 2 )
mary knight
Please elucidate about how to wrap celery in foil…paper. The entire thing? Foil? Foil paper? You said the foil allows gases to escape?
LisaDLS
Hi Mary. Theoretically the ethylene gas that is trapped inside the plastic bag causes the celery to go limp. And, while wrapped in foil that is not the case. Not sure how accurate the science is but, I know that wrapping my celery in foil made it last at least 3 times as long. The celery actually stayed crispy. I call that a win.