21 Tricks To Keep Your Food Fresh Longer
It happens to everyone. You're feeling inspired at the grocery store and stock up on fruits and vegetables and other fresh ingredients, fully intending to cook a week's worth of healthy, gourmet meals. And then, sapped of energy at the end of each long workday, you just can't be bothered and order delivery. The next thing you know, all those lovely ingredients are lining the bottom of your garbage bin because they've all gone bad.
Well, it doesn't have to be that way. These 21 handy tricks will help you keep those key ingredients around for longer. So now, when you have the time and the inspiration, everything you need to whip up a healthy, homemade meal will be right at hand!
1. Onions
Tie a knot between every onion with a pair of nylon stockings. The onions will last for months because they're in fresh air and not squashed against each other.
Make your onions last for a month or two by storing them in pantyhose. http://t.co/ZEL841RH9Q pic.twitter.com/6FDWaewY8U
— IPPINKA (@IPPINKA) May 19, 2014
2. Potatoes & Apples
Store potatoes with a few apples to keep the potatoes from sprouting.
3. Berries
When you buy fresh berries, soak them in a bowl with water and vinegar (ratio 9:1) and then drain them in a sieve and let dry. This kills off any microorganisms and makes the berries last longer.
Summertime snacks Soaking berries in 9 parts water, 1 part white vinegar for 15 minutes when you bring them home … pic.twitter.com/iOJOARTKpI
— Merritt Wellness (@MerrittWellness) August 5, 2015
4. Honey
A tightly sealed glass jar stored in a cool area will provide honey with a long shelf life. Actually, the sweet nectar is considered one of the longest lasting foods in the world.
Did you know a jar of #honey can last 3,000 years & still be #edible? Amazing! #FoodFact pic.twitter.com/2Br8SK5cLS
— Young Chefs Academy (@YoungChefsIntl) August 28, 2015
5. Milk
Milk can be frozen and then defrosted before use. This helps it last up to three months.
6. Eggs
Eggs can also be frozen. Simply crack them into an ice cube tray with a little salt or sugar (this prevents them from becoming grainy) and use as needed.
do eggs even freeze?? pic.twitter.com/ajhBO71Wex
— cOlin (@datruckk) August 30, 2015
7. Sauce
Leftover sauce is another good candidate for freezing. Place in a storage bag in the freezer. After an hour, the sauce should be solid enough (but not too solid) so that you can use the back of a knife to separate it into individual portions.
New way to store & freeze "wasted" tomato paste :) Thanks @iowagirleats pic.twitter.com/uAYiTSbb
— ashley (@ashley_dejong) March 20, 2012
8. Herbs
Keep freshly picked herbs at hand by freezing them in a little olive oil. Then they last for ages!
Fresh Herb Ice Cubes #recipetesting See the full recipe http://t.co/a6JBrhjkru pic.twitter.com/JZpF6beJn1
— Cabezas Host (@Cabezas998) July 25, 2015
9. Bananas
Wrap banana stems in cling wrap and they'll brown much more slowly.
Wrap banana stems in plastic wrap to keep them fresh longer! pic.twitter.com/fOCJDPshlr
— Peter Creative (@Peter__Nagy) August 19, 2015
10. Celery & Broccoli
These vegetables last much longer and remain crunchy if stored in the fridge wrapped in aluminium foil.
Kitchen Hacks: Wrap celery in tin foil. It’ll keep for up to a month this way. Works for broccoli too. pic.twitter.com/vuIO2DfSmp
— Rabba Fine Foods (@RabbaFineFoods) January 22, 2015
11. Vegetables
If you're not going to get around to using your veggies while they're still fresh, blanching them before freezing will ensure that they remain crisp.
Preserving #food with freezing methods: http://t.co/AAl55yH7KG #NoFoodWasted #JustEatIt pic.twitter.com/9EhI9ltWRf
— Dragonlily Gardens (@dragonlilygdns) July 4, 2015
12. Lettuce
Lettuce lasts longer when wrapped in a paper towel because the extra moisture won't cause it to wilt — instead it's soaked up by the paper towel.
#FreshFood Tip: Store lettuce with paper towels to keep it crisp longer! #FreshIsBest pic.twitter.com/fGqdZJHOm3
— Windy City Pizza (@windycity_pizza) July 22, 2015
13. Apples
Apples generally last for a longer time than other fruits. But did you know that in the fridge, they can last up to six months? Just be sure to leave a bit of space between apples.
14. Carrots
Carrots will last forever if stored in the dark in sand.
15. Ground Beef
With the same method as used for sauce, you can freeze and portion left over ground beef. Or just freeze in sandwich bag size portions and roll flat. The meat will thaw out much more quickly when you're suddenly in the mood for a juicy burger!
16. Cottage Cheese
Cottage cheese lasts twice as long when it's stored upside down!
17. Instead of Tupperware
Instead of plastic containers, store your food in glass jars. It lasts much longer.
You've seen the Pinterest posts about storing #lettuce in a jar to keep it fresh Does it work? http://t.co/PFyeg2q7CY pic.twitter.com/090lWk6IdM
— Best Food Facts (@BestFoodFacts) July 22, 2014
18. Cheese
Store your cheese in special, grease-proof paper. It lasts longer and won't sweat.
19. Pineapple
Remove the crown and stand the pineapple on its head. It'll make the pineapple enjoyable for longer.
Want #pineapples to ripe faster? #Cut the #crown of the #fruit and #store it upside- down! #KitchenTips #TMKOC pic.twitter.com/R9PxaDyuKH
— Madhavi (@Madhavi_TMKOC) May 2, 2015
20. Spring Onions
Leave spring onions to grow by placing them in water. When you need them, they'll be fresh and crisp. You can even grow completely new onions from the bulbs.
21. Cake
Cake will last much longer when protected by pieces of white bread. This removes the moisture from the surrounding air and at the same time prevents the cake from drying out where it's been cut. Just use some toothpicks to hold the bread in place.
Now that you know how, you can make your food last so much longer. So there's no excuse. Fresh ingredients at the ready, let's get cooking!