Is your garden currently producing more vegetables than you can get through before they start to perish? In this article eco warrior Hayley Crawford (aka Trash Talking Mama) has come to the rescue once again by sharing some helpful tips for storing your fruit and vegetables to keep them fresh for longer.
With the vegetables planted at the beginning of summer now coming in abundantly, I think about the ways I can make my fruit and vegetables last longer. Food waste is one of our largest contributors to climate change and there are many ways to conserve our produce, especially in the way we store them. I have collated some tips for you, not all of which I have tried yet, but I am hoping you will try them along with me.
Contrary to popular belief, whole cucumbers and tomatoes should be kept at room temperature (storing cucumbers at cold temperatures can make them prone to developing water soaked areas as well as accelerating the decaying process, while refrigerating your tomatoes stops the enzyme activity responsible for producing flavour. Also make sure your tomatoes and cucumbers are stored away from each other as tomatoes will speed up the ripening process of the cucumbers causing them to spoil sooner).
Leftover carrot and celery sticks last much longer when stored submerged in water and you can even revive limp carrots by placing them in water in the fridge overnight.
Lemons should also be kept in water and never in a plastic bag. Excess lemons can be juiced and frozen in ice cube trays.
Roasted garlic can also be frozen and will keep for 10 – 12 months.
Avocados should be stored on the counter until ripe and then put in the fridge for up to 4 days. They can be frozen for up to 4 months but in my experience, once defrosted they are only suitable for smoothies and baking. When halved, store avocados flesh side down in a container near full with water. This keeps them from turning brown for 1 – 2 days as does putting lemon juice on them or keeping them in a container with an onion in the bottom.
Apparently, onions keep well when stored in old tights! Once cut in half, leave them face down in a bowl and always keep onions away from potatoes. An apple, however, can be kept with potatoes to prevent sprouting. Usually fruit and vegetables should be stored separately and apples are best kept in a crisper drawer.
Unless you have bean there and done that, peas avo try of these hacks and there will be more tips and cheesy puns to come next month!
For more inspiration on reducing food waste check out other posts on our blog including Love Food Hate Waste and the Food Storage Guide, both of which have handy tips for putting your excess produce to good use.
About The Author: Katie Brooks
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