Most of us have tossed food we didn’t get around to eating, which is not just wasteful but also costly. A Guardian report highlighted that Americans discard an astonishing 50% of their fresh produce, amounting to about one-third of all food.
This adds up to 60 million tons of food annually, costing roughly $160 billion. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, food waste is the biggest contributor to US landfills.
These numbers are massive, but what do they mean for your household?
On a personal level, this translates to a typical family of four throwing away $1600 worth of fresh food each year. Imagine the amount of groceries you could buy with that money, or think about how you could use an extra $1600.
It’s alarming to realize how much food the average family wastes without noticing – a limp bunch of celery here, some sad broccoli there, and before you know it, it adds up.
To help you cut down on food waste, save money, and do your part for the planet, here are some simple tips to extend the life of your fresh food.
1. Skip Washing Before Refrigeration
Washing fruits and veggies before refrigerating them can actually shorten their shelf life. The extra moisture causes them to wilt, discolor, and decompose more quickly.
By not washing them first, you prevent this added moisture from speeding up spoilage.
2. Keep Fruits and Veggies Separate
Some fruits, like bananas and apples, emit a gas called ethylene that speeds up ripening. Unfortunately, many other fruits and vegetables are sensitive to ethylene, which makes them spoil faster when stored together.
To keep your produce fresher, separate these ethylene-producing fruits from more sensitive items.
Here’s a list of common ethylene producers you should store away from sensitive fruits and veggies, but it’s okay to store these together:
- Apple
- Apricot
- Avocado
- Banana
- Kiwi
- Mango
- Melon
- Nectarine
- Papaya
- Passion fruit
- Peach
- Pear
- Persimmon
- Plantain
- Plum
- Tomato
3. Pair Apples with Potatoes
In contrast, storing apples with potatoes is actually beneficial. While ethylene usually speeds up ripening, it prevents potatoes from sprouting, keeping them fresh longer.
The ethylene from apples slows down sprout growth, extending the life of your potatoes.
4. Trim Greens from Carrots and Beets
Carrot and beet tops might look fresh and vibrant, but they drain nutrients from the roots. Be sure to cut them off – but don’t toss them! You can repurpose those greens in salads, stir-fries, soups, or even with some fried potatoes and bacon.
Beet leaves are often sold as premium salad greens under fancy labels, so why not use your own? For carrot tops, try adding them to soups, smoothies, pesto, or hummus. If you’re not ready to use them right away, stand them in a glass of water to keep them fresh for a few days.
5. Wrap Bread in Beeswax
Bread stored in plastic bags gets sweaty and spoils quickly, while bread left out dries up fast. Bread needs just the right amount of moisture to stay fresh.
Beeswax wraps are a great solution. They allow airflow without trapping too much moisture, helping your bread stay fresh longer.
6. Use Food Liners
Food liners made from lightweight foam can be very effective. They promote airflow around your produce, drawing away moisture and extending shelf life.
Choose high-quality liners that meet FDA food contact standards, and are free of BPA, phthalates, and PVC. They should also have anti-mold and anti-microbial properties.
Just trim them to fit your refrigerator shelves or drawers, and place your fruits and veggies on top to keep them fresh longer.
7. Store Tomatoes Properly
You’ve probably heard that tomatoes should never go in the fridge, but the truth is more nuanced. While the fridge is too cold, leaving them on a countertop in a warm kitchen can also be problematic.
Cold temperatures can sap tomatoes of flavor and texture, while warmth can cause them to overripen and spoil.
Ideally, pick tomatoes fresh and use them immediately. But since that’s not always possible, here’s a tip: store tomatoes stem-side down. The stem is where tomatoes lose moisture, leading to shriveling and loss of flavor.
Never refrigerate under-ripe tomatoes, as they’re more prone to cold damage. Leave them on the counter to fully ripen. Once ripe, you can refrigerate them, which halts the ripening process and slows down decay.
Ripe tomatoes can last in the fridge for about three days without losing much flavor. After that, while they may not be as tasty, they’re still usable. Bringing them back to room temperature before eating helps restore some of their flavor.
8. Use Paper Towels for Leafy Greens
Leafy greens like salad leaves can quickly spoil when exposed to moisture. An easy fix is to place paper towels (or a super-absorbent fridge liner) under your greens. This absorbs excess moisture and keeps them fresh longer.
9. Keep Mushrooms in Paper Bags
Mushrooms are another tricky item. They don’t like too much moisture or light, but they also need some airflow to stay fresh.
Storing mushrooms in a breathable paper bag allows air to circulate while preventing them from getting too dry or too damp, keeping them fresh longer.
10. Freeze Ginger
Ginger often sits around until it wrinkles and loses flavor. Instead of letting it go to waste, peel and freeze it. This method requires little effort and preserves the ginger’s flavor and nutrients.
Freezing also makes it easier to grate when you need it.
11. Hang Onions in Pantyhose
Here’s a trick every old-school gardener knows: onions need good airflow to stay fresh. Storing them in pantyhose and hanging them in a dry, dark place – like a garage or pantry – does the trick.
Drop an onion into the pantyhose, tie a knot, add another onion, and repeat until full. When you need one, just cut below the next knot. The knots keep the onions separate, and the airflow prevents sprouting and mold.
It may sound odd, but it works!
12. Wrap Cheese in Cheesecloth
If you don’t have cheesecloth, a clean cotton dishcloth, flour sack, or even a pillowcase works just as well. These materials let the cheese breathe, which prevents molding.
Alternatively, beeswax wraps also work well. Harder cheeses like parmesan and cheddar last longer than softer cheeses, but all benefit from proper storage.
Avoid plastic wrap or containers, as they trap moisture, causing cheese to sweat or mold. Instead, wrap cheese in cheesecloth, place it in a paper bag, and store it in the warmest part of the fridge.
13. Freeze Herbs with Olive Oil
Fresh herbs often go to waste when you don’t use them in time. Freezing them is an easy way to preserve their flavor for later use.
Chop the herbs, place them in an ice cube tray, fill each compartment with olive oil, and freeze. This method keeps herbs fresh for months, ready for whenever you need them.
14. Soak Berries Before Storing
Berries spoil quickly, but a simple vinegar soak can extend their freshness. Mix one part vinegar with ten parts water and let the berries soak for a few minutes.
This kills bacteria and spores, helping your berries stay fresh longer. After soaking, rinse the berries well and store them in the fridge, keeping the temperature low to slow down spoilage.
15. Don’t Obsess Over Appearance
We often discard produce that doesn’t look perfect, but ugly fruits and veggies are just as nutritious. Choosing imperfect produce can save you money and reduce food waste.
So next time you shop, pick the slightly blemished, less expensive items – they’re just as good, and you’ll help cut down on waste.
16. Store Asparagus Like Flowers
Asparagus tends to spoil quickly, but you can keep it fresh longer by treating it like a bouquet. Trim the ends, stand the stalks upright in a jar with an inch or two of water, cover the tops with a plastic bag, and store it in the fridge.
This method can keep asparagus fresh for up to a week.
17. Refrigerate Avocados When Ripe
Avocados ripen quickly, but once they’re ripe, storing them in the fridge can slow down the process. This allows you to enjoy them longer, but keep an eye on them, as the fridge only slows ripening – it doesn’t stop it entirely.
