Ways on Prolonging The Freshness of Your Bought Produce

Prolonging the fridge is a strategic game, the act of balancing what you eat now and what you eat later, ideally with different flavors and textures for optimal versatility. This can feel like you’re thinking a lot, especially if you’re trying to use everything at its best.

First, identify the fruits and vegetables that need to be stored in the refrigerator, and then create a grocery list focusing on the ones that will stay there the longest (that is, the refrigerator). Here are some tips to help keep your produce fresh as long as possible:

1. Keep them dry.

A little damp is good for the product, but getting wet is bad news. Some moisture continues to generate energy. Too much humidity can promote mold and sliminess. Make sure you dry everything you wash thoroughly before cleaning it up.

There are some exceptions to this rule. Scallions like to stand upright in room temperature water, rooted and stored. As long as the water is refreshed from time to time, the green onions will continue to grow that way forever. Asparagus is like a bouquet of fresh flowers. Cut off the edges, place in a glass of water and refrigerate until ready for use. If you store the entire carrot in a water container with a lid, the carrots will get stuck. The same is true for halved celery sticks. Change the water every 2-3 days.

2. When doubting, pack it in a bag.

Plastic bags (recycle or use bags with produce) prevent the vegetable’s moisture from evaporating. This means that things that are usually loose after a few days will not evaporate. It can also be used for durable leafy vegetables. Remove the thick stems and place them in a plastic bag or reusable container with a lid. 

3. Wrap your herbs.

Preserving herbs is its meditation about being patient and calm. Start by removing the cable ties or rubber bands from the bunch of herbs. If the herbs are very dirty, wash them first (otherwise, wash them when using them to reduce excess water as much as possible).

To dry, use a salad spinner or roll up among layers of clean, dry dish towels. Gently wrap the now-dry herbs in a dry paper towel. Place the bundled herbs in a resealable plastic bag (you could position more than one bundle of herbs withinside the identical bag) or a plastic container (like a plastic shoebox or maybe only a quart container).

4. Segregate gassy produce.

Some fruits and vegetables, such as apples, ripe bananas, pears, and potatoes, produce a gas called ethylene, which speeds up the aging process for other fruits and vegetables. Therefore, if you want to age something quickly, prepare a hiding place for apples. However, if you are trying to extend your life, keep everyone as far away as possible. This means leaving bananas in your space, not storing potatoes and onions together, but storing apples in a dedicated part of the fridge.

5. Move ripe fruit to the fridge.

There are some fruits that you want to age at room temperatures, such as avocados, pineapples, and mangoes. But when it’s ripe, put it straight in the fridge. There you can essentially  pause  the aging process. This is a short-term fix and will eventually make things worse, but with a fully ripe avocado, it will take an additional 2-3 days.

6. Freeze them.

If you want to press pause, throwing your product into the freezer is the key! Wait for the fruit to reach the desired ripeness, then peel and chop as needed and freeze in layers on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Crush the frozen pieces and store in a resealable plastic bag or freezer in a safe container for up to 3 months. Most vegetables need to be chopped and blanched before freezing (remember that not all freeze well).

7. Ensure the citrus and ginger are kept in the fridge.

Have you recognized how each inventory image of a kitchen has a bowl of lemons out at the counter? Looks nice, right, however, those aren’t gonna last. Citrus can be happy (firm, juicy, now no longer shriveled) for a while longer in case you maintain it withinside the fridge. Same for ginger (and sparkling turmeric root, in case you’ve been given it).

8. The softer the produce, the first it should be eaten.

Create an action plan based on the product with the shortest lifespan. Give priority to lettuce, spinach, and other soft greens, cucumber, pepper, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower. Store potatoes and sweet potatoes, cabbage, carrots, fennel, and even tough vegetables such as kale and collard for the past few days before returning to the grocery store. If the product has leaf tips (such as beets and carrots), remove them from the vegetables and store them separately in case you plan to eat them.

9. Know the coldest part of your refrigerator.

In general, the top few inches of the refrigerator tend to fluctuate in temperature. Place the most delicate items (herbs, salads, etc.) from the top in the middle of the fridge to prevent the arugula from freezing and then melting (really terrible).

10. Give everyone room to breathe.

If you are visiting the grocery store at least once per week, it follows that your refrigerator goes to be quite full. But do your best to have enough space on your crisper drawers. Produce, like people too, needs to have their own space on the fridge. That area permits the refrigerator to work more efficiently—with air circulating across the produce, moisture evaporates and public enemy range one, a.k.a. mold, is held at bay. You’ll additionally be capable of seeing what’s inside and what you still have.