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Say goodbye to droopy parsley and wilted lettuce.

| By Antonia Day | Wellness

Simple Tips to Prolong the Life of Your Fresh Produce

Say goodbye to droopy parsley and wilted lettuce.

A trip to the farmers market can be costly, but nothing beats having a fresh bunch of herbs and an array of fruit and vegetables at the ready. Unfortunately, our fresh produce often has other plans before we are able to use all of it to its full potential. Once you pick fresh produce it inevitably begins to die a slow (or in some cases, not so slow) death.

We’ll be looking at efficient ways of storing your fresh produce to ensure you get the most out of every fruit and veggie shop, so you can save money, reduce waste, and finally use all of that cilantro you bought last week.

Soft Herbs

If you’re not growing softer herbs like cilantro, parsley, dill, and mint, it can be costly having to repeatedly purchase them. To ensure your fresh herbs last as long as possible, rinse off any dirt with cold water and trim a few millimetres off of the ends. Place your freshly washed and cut bunches of herbs in their own jars with roughly 100-200mls of water, loosely place a cloth produce bag over the top, and keep in the fridge. If you can spare the room, put the herb bunches in the shelves of your fridge door. Change the water every 3 days and voila! You’ll have these herb jars for up to 3 weeks.

Woody Herbs

For woody herbs like thyme and rosemary, they’re best kept wrapped up in a damp unbleached paper towel and then placed in a sealed container in the fridge. When storing these aromatic goodies this way they can be kept for up to 2-3 weeks – which will save you time and money on your next grocery shop!

Pantry Veggies

Onions, potatoes, and garlic should always be kept in a cool dark area of your kitchen, so the best place for them is the pantry. It’s important that these vegetables are given enough ventilation without being exposed to natural light. A wire basket is a perfect vessel to hold all of your root veggies. Remember to keep your potatoes stored in a different basket than your onions and garlic. Onions, potatoes and garlic can be stored for up to 2 months when using this method. However, we recommend consuming them within 3 weeks of purchasing.

Leafy Greens

You can prolong the life of your leafy greens by rinsing them, wrapping them up in an unbleached paper towel and refrigerating them in a container or sealed produce bag. This storage method works well for lettuce greens, bok choy, swiss chard, kale and spinach. Low temperatures will reduce the chances of any respiration and slow down the wilting process. If you’ve noticed any of the leaves wilting after taking them home, simply dip them into an ice bath for 10 minutes and that will bring their crunch back.  Make sure to dry your rinsed greens well before storing, we recommend using a salad spinner to drain off any excess moisture. Following this method will keep your leafy greens fresh and crunchy for up to 2-3 weeks.

Carrots & Celery

No one likes a bendy stick of carrot or celery to dip into a fresh tub of hummus. To avoid carrots and celery from losing their crunch, place them in a jar filled with water, then seal it, and put it in the fridge – easy right? We recommend cutting your carrots and celery into sticks before doing this. Remember to change their water every 3-4 days and these guys will be fresh for up to 3 weeks!

Tomatoes

Whether they’re eaten fresh or cooked and added into a meal, tomatoes are a staple in home kitchens, so it’s very important we don’t let them go to waste! If your tomatoes are ripe and you’re planning on eating them soon, they’re more than fine to be left out uncovered on the bench. If you are wanting to hold onto them for a little longer, place them in the crisper drawer of your fridge. Doing this will keep them fresh for up to two weeks and slow down the decaying process.

Bananas

Bananas are notorious for making the fruit and vegetables around them ripen quickly. The best way to counteract this from happening and prolong the life of both your bananas and other fresh produce is to separate your bananas, store them at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, and away from all other fresh produce. If your bunch of bananas is ripening too quickly, get some beeswax wrap and cover the top of each banana – this will slow down the ripening process and keep them fresh for up to 10 days.

Berries

With the price of berries constantly fluctuating, keeping them fresher for longer is an absolute game changer. As convenient as they may be, berries should never be kept in the plastic punnet they came in. Before storing them in the fridge, submerge them in a bowl (or sink) filled with cool water and vinegar, give them a good mix and then leave them for 10 or so minutes. While you’re letting them soak, prep a glass container with an airtight lid by lining it with unbleached paper towel. Drain the berries, dry them off, empty them into the container, and store in the fridge. If they’re prepared and stored this way your berries will stay fresh for 2 weeks… if you haven’t eaten them all by then!

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