Keep fruit and vegetables fresh for longer

It takes very little time and energy to keep your fruits and vegetables fresh. That said, there are little tips and tricks to make them last longer than you might have known they can. Here are nine tips on making your fruits and veggies last.

Draw the moisture away from the vegetables by lining your crisper drawer with newspaper covered with a layer of paper towel.

• When you get your celery, romaine lettuce, or radishes home, take them out of the plastic bag they came in.
• Line a re-sealable bag with paper towel, put in the produce, and then squeeze out as much air as you can before sealing the bags. The produce will last up to two weeks.

• Don't store potatoes next to apples — or apricots, bananas, avocados, blueberries, cantaloupes, or peaches.
• All these fruits emit ethylene gas, a natural ripening agent that causes potatoes to sprout sooner. Don't refrigerate potatoes — they last longer in a place that's dark and cool, not cold.

• If your raisins are all dried out and clumped together: The next time you make oatmeal, throw in a handful a few minutes before the cereal is finished cooking and they'll plump right up.
• To use dried-out raisins in other recipes, just soak them in warm water for a few minutes first.

• Strawberries do not ripen once they are picked, so be sure to select the brightest and most firm berries. Berry size should not affect flavour, but berries should be intact, not squashed. Look for baskets without stains, and check the bottom of the baskets for bruised, squashed, or mildewed berries.
• Refrigerate to preserve berries for up to three days. Space provided, lay them out in a single layer to prevent the delicate berries from bumping against one another. Wash right before eating because washing hastens mould growth.
• When strawberries are abundant in early spring, clean, pat dry, and pulse a batch of the berries in your food processor or blender. Freeze the pulp to use later for smoothie drinks or baked goods.

Snip the bottoms of asparagus stalks and wrap them in wet paper towels to prolong freshness.

Mushrooms last longer if you take them out of the package as soon as you get home and store them in a brown paper bag in the produce bin of your refrigerator.

• The key to making winter squashes and pumpkins last well into winter is to cure them in a warm, dry place for a few days before putting them into cool storage.
• You're looking for a curing temperature of about 24° to 29°C (75° to 84°F) — a warm sunny porch or even the attic would do the trick.
• The key is to let any cuts or abrasions from harvesting heal up. Then store them in a cool, dry place — about 10°C (50°F) is optimal.

• Before you get rid of wilted vegetables, try this: Soak the produce in five millilitres (one teaspoon) of lemon juice added to two litres (eight cups) of water.
• If the vegetable has a stalk — like celery, asparagus, or broccoli — cut the bottom off before soaking. Slice or chop other veggies, such as peppers or radishes, so the lemon water can soak in.
• The veggies should perk up in about half an hour.

--------------------

Discover the smarter way to save time and money

Ready to start saving more on your groceries and pharmacy purchases? Download the FREE YP Grocery app today! It lets you create shareable shopping lists, automatically finds all the best deals and coupons, then delivers them right to you. No more manually scrolling through hundreds of flyers to find what you’re looking for!

Download the YP Grocery app now!