According to research carried out by online fruit basket company GoGo Fruit Basket, one of the UK’s leading manufacturers and distributors of fruit baskets and juice boxes, Britain wastes up to 40 percent of the food the country produces, and 70 percent of this waste is created by households. If families ensured food lasted longer, they would not only help the environment but save a lot of money too.
GoGo Fruit Basket’s experts have shared their top tips on how to make food last as long as possible.
“These smart tricks can not only keep your food fresh for longer but will also save you heaps of money in the long run,” the experts said.
Some groceries become stale quickly, especially if not stored properly. One product that doesn’t often last as long as it should is a bag of salad.
However, GoGo Fruit Basket’s experts shared a handy trick that can keep salad leaves “crisp”.
They said: “You can make bagged salad last longer by transferring the leaves into a storage container and placing a couple of sheets of kitchen paper on top to exclude as much air as possible.
“This will help it to stay crisp and prevent the leaves from wilting in the fridge.”
The experts went on to mention other tips, such as how to make onions and spring onions last longer.
“If you find that your onions and spring onions are going bad before you get the chance to use them, chop them up and freeze them in a plastic bag,” they said.
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“Once they are frozen, simply shake or take out what you need and return the rest to the freezer.
“Some fruit and vegetables will lose their texture when frozen – you can deal with this by freezing them pureed or stewed.”
The temperature of one’s fridge can also hugely impact the longevity of one’s groceries.
“Generally, the top part of the fridge is prone to temperature swings so make sure to keep your delicate produce, such as herbs, away.”
It’s also worth separating certain foods when storing them away as some are more likely to go stale more quickly if they are kept near each other.
The experts said: “Separating foods that produce more ethylene gas from those that don’t is a great way to reduce food spoilage.
“Ethylene promotes ripening in foods and could lead to rotten food. Foods that produce ethylene gas while ripening include bananas, tomatoes, peaches and pears.”
As for citrus fruits and ginger, these should be kept in the fridge for longevity.
Another tip the experts offered was to “move fruit around”.
They said: “Allow stone fruit, such as nectarines and mangos, to ripen in a fruit bowl and then move them to the fridge once they’re soft enough to eat to help preserve them.”
It could also be worth watering vegetables to make them last longer, according to experts.
“Keep the stems of vegetables such as broccoli, celery and asparagus in water to help them stay fresh and crisp for as long as possible by doing this and keeping the water fresh,” the experts recommended. “Your veg could last up to five days.”
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