One of the hardest parts of enjoying leftovers is keeping them fresh. If you want to keep food fresh for longer, then you need to take a look at these tips.
Use Paper Towels to Absorb Moisture
Several types of vegetables develop condensation when stored in the fridge for more than a few hours.
That condensation can jumpstart the rotting process. This is especially true for leafy greens like lettuce or spinach. The good news is that there is a simple solution, place a paper towel in the bag with your vegetables. The paper towel works to control the moisture, so your vegetables won’t rot too quickly.
If you find that your vegetables develop a lot of condensation due to your local climate or fridge, you may need to swap out the paper towel occasionally.
Everything Has a Proper Storage Container
Most foods are unique and require storage that is tailored to that food. Learning what food containers work for storing each food will help to keep all of your food fresh longer, whether it is in the fridge, or resting on the counter. Here are a few tips for different foods:
- Mushrooms – Paper Bags (or Original Packaging)
- Celery – Aluminum Foil
- Raisins – Airtight Container
- Cheese – Porous Paper or a Cheese Bag
- Berries – Aerated Container
- Onions – Dark Container or Dark Room (Not Refrigerated)
- Ginger – Plastic Bag With All Of The Air Pushed Out
Don’t Prematurely Cut Your Produce.
Both fruits and veggies can be mixed in with a salad or added to any number of food dishes. Sometimes we tend to want to prepare all of our fruits and vegetables at one time, storing the cut produce that we aren’t going to use right away.
The secret to keeping produce fresh for as long as possible is to wait to cut it until you are ready to eat it. Don’t store cut produce or skinned produce.
If you do cut a fruit or vegetable, learn some tips and tricks to keep them fresh for longer. For example, an avocado can be preserved for longer by gently rubbing some lemon juice on it. Lemon juice (and other acid fruit juices) will also work on slices of fruit.
Herbs Are the Flower of The Kitchen
Herbs should be treated similar to a bouquet of flowers when it comes to storing them. Bundle herbs up and stick them in a jar of water. This will help to keep the flavor that you expect from them through hydration. Putting green onions in water works exceptionally well as they are still capable of growing.
Alternatively, you can dry out your herbs. Hang them in a window that is exposed to the sun and let them dry out. Oily herbs that don’t last long in the fridge are best for drying.
Use the Freezer
So many people put everything in the fridge. Instead, we can use the freezer to extend the life of our food. Many foods can get double their lifespan when frozen, and some can even get longer than that.
When thawing food from the freezer, the best option is to use the stove. Another option is to take the food and set it in the fridge to thaw. Microwaving food takes some of the flavors out of food, but it works in a pinch when you are running late or forgot to set something in the fridge to thaw.
Take each of these food tips to heart and start maximizing the storage of your food.
You will find that you are spending less on food and reducing your waste. It also means fewer trips to the grocery store!
Galin D,
Feel great, Look Great!