As easy and convenient as pantry items and frozen dinners are, it’s also important to have fresh groceries in the house. But fresh fruits and vegetables can take another level of attention. Here are some tips to help you buy and store properly so you can keep groceries fresher for longer.
If you want your groceries to last as long as possible in your fridge:
- Make sure you’re buying them fresh in the first place.
- Pay attention to the “best before” dates at the grocery store.
- Make sure the fruits and vegetables are not overly ripe when you purchase them unless you want to use them right away.
- Avoid green veggies that are already starting to wilt, buy slightly greener bananas, and watch out for wrinkly bell peppers.
1. Certain fruits and vegetables go bad quickly when they absorb moisture that collects in the fridge.
Line your veggie drawer with a few paper towels to absorb any excess moisture and keep your food from spoiling. Leafy greens, berries, and other fruits and vegetables with high water content are especially sensitive to moisture. Make sure you don’t pre-wash these foods. Even though it might cut down on meal prep time, it will shorten their life span.
Mushrooms are usually purchased in a sealed container, but moisture can collect and make them slimy and brown. Store them in a paper bag or put them in a container lined with paper towels instead.
2. Keep the apples and bananas away from other fruits and veggies.
These fruits release ethylene gas, which is a compound that makes other ethylene-sensitive produce ripen more quickly. So, although your fruit bowls look good with all the fruit together, they’re not keeping your fruits fresh.
If you’re storing apples in the fridge, put them in a sealed plastic bag. Avocados, tomatoes, and pears also produce higher levels of ethylene gas and should be stored separately.
3. Put your fresh herbs in a jar of water outside of the fridge, like a bouquet.
This is a great way to store herbs. Also, green onions last much longer this way and will even grow new tops! This will expand the lifespan of your herbs by weeks.
4. Keep your bananas together in a bunch— separating them will make them ripen much faster.
It helps to wrap the stem in plastic wrap to keep them from accidentally separating. Sometimes bananas come in a plastic bag from the grocery store. If this is the case, throw it away when you get home. Bananas need good air circulation to last long. If your bananas become overly ripe, peel them and store them in the freezer.
5. Store potatoes and onions in a cool and dark place.
Think the basement or cellar, but don’t put them together. Onions also release ethylene gas that will make your potatoes rot quickly. Onions and potatoes can last for weeks in a cool and dark room, but they don’t do very well in cold refrigerators or warm temperatures.
Let’s recap the ways to keep groceries fresher longer:
- Line your veggie drawers with paper towels for the produce that doesn’t respond well to moisture
- Keep apples and bananas away from other fruits.
- Put your fresh herbs in a jar of water outside the fridge.
- Keep your banana bunch together.
- Stores potatoes and onions in a cool, dark place.
Want to use all those groceries you’re storing properly in a done-for-you weekly meal plan? Reset your meal planning with this guide that includes lunches, dinners, and snacks planned for you!
