Keeping fresh produce in the house for meals and
snacking is a great way to stay healthy, but it can be hard to use them before
they lose their freshness. Storing your fruits and vegetables properly can help
to increase their freshness and taste, not to mention help you save money. Here
are a few helpful hints for properly storing your fruits and veggies to get the
most life out of them!
Bananas- Nothing like a
delicious, potassium-rich banana for a healthy, easy snack! Keep your bananas
fresh longer by wrapping the stems in plastic wrap. This prevents the ethylene
gas that is naturally produced from the banana stems in the ripening process
from reaching the fruits and making them prematurely ripe.
Lettuce- Rather than keeping
your lettuce head intact, remove the leaves from the core when you purchase it,
wrap them in paper towels, and store in a plastic container in your crisper
drawer.
Apples- Unlike some fruits and
veggies on this list, apples are one of the fruits that keep best under
refrigeration, yet most people do not store their apples in the fridge. To keep
your apples at the optimal temperature of 30-35 degrees Fahrenheit, place them
under a damp paper towel in the crisper drawer. This will keep them nice and
crunchy for weeks!
Carrots- Keeping your carrots
in a large glass or plastic container full of water in the fridge will secure
their freshness, keeping them deliciously crunchy for much longer. Be sure to
cover the top of the container with plastic wrap or a lid, and change the water
once per day.
Strawberries-
The first step to preserving your strawberries is to throw away any moldy ones
you find in the container right away. Then, store the berries in the fridge in
an airtight container (not the one that they came in at the store) and take
care not to wash them until just before you intend to eat them.
Understanding each fruit and vegetable and
knowing how to best preserve them for maximum freshness will save you a lot of
money and time while keeping your kitchen stocked with healthy, delicious
foods. Enjoy!
Do you have a food preservation tip for your
produce items? Let us know in the comments section.
