Top tips to keep produce and grocery staples fresher for longer!
- Replies 9
We’re all been there. We store our fruits and vegetables in the fridge with high hopes for the week ahead, only for them to start wilting and rotting a couple of days later. Then you end up having to throw them away.
What a waste of money! (and all the nutrients that went into growing them).
Luckily, a mum-of-two who is known for sharing clever tips on how to keep your home in tip-top shape is back to share tips on how to extend the shelf life of fresh fruits and veggies — and trust us when we say that you’ll want to keep an eye out for this one.
Chantel Mila has gained a massive following thanks to her ‘tip videos’ on TikTok, where she shows off ways to better organise and clean. She does also have a few videos on food tips, though – and among them, tips for storing fresh fruits and veggies. Lucky us!
Ready for the first tip? Alright, let’s jump in.
In her video, the Melbourne mum starts by recommending freezing leftover tomato puree in ice cube trays whenever you make a batch. This also works for store bought jars and cans of tomato paste.
Tomato puree can apparently be kept in the freezer for around 6 months. Plus, to thaw out a frozen cube anytime you need it, you can just reheat it in a pan! Perfect for some good ol’ tomato soup!
Next, she demonstrates the method of ‘storing potatoes with apples’ whenever you have a bunch of them so that the potatoes don’t grow sprouts. Huh, who knew?
This one is a bit iffy though as there seems to be evidence that storing fruits and vegetables might be conducive to ethylene gas production. In plants, ethylene gas acts as a sort of ripening agent, which speeds up the maturation of things like apples and potatoes. Still, it couldn’t hurt to try, right?
The next one surprised us.
Mama Mila recommends keeping tomatoes upside down in the fridge.
Even though there’s no scientific reason for this hack to work, it’s understandable that turning any produce upside down would slow down the process of the stem releasing moisture. This leaves the tomato plump and juicy – the exact way we like it!
Then, she suggests storing some greens with a paper towel on top in a cup or a bowl to absorb any moisture that may have been released during storage.
The perfect example is lettuce and spinach – since it can get soggy pretty easily. If you have greens stored in an airtight container or a bag, this paper towel trick will keep them fresher for longer.
Speaking of greens, Mama Mila also placed some celery and various herbs in water, since it helps keep them crisp for longer.
But that’s not all – check out this unexpected hack for this baking staple. She demonstrates the ‘marshmallow in brown sugar’ trick, where she puts a solitary marshmallow in with a cup of brown sugar. Because marshmallows contain a lot of water, it keeps brown sugar from hardening. As a substitute, you can also use small bits of bread. (Just try not to scoop them into your morning coffee.)
Next up: nut butter! It can be such a disappointment when you reach the bottom of the jar and end up finding ‘nut concrete’ instead.
Fret not, Mama Mila recommends storing any form of nut butter upside down to prevent any separation that may occur through contact with exposed air. Worth a shot, right?
And finally, she ends with the ‘lemon and avocado’ trick. Throw an avocado half with a slice of lemon in the fridge and you’re guaranteed to never have an avocado browning in your house ever again!
If you don’t have a lemon slice within reach, don’t worry as other things that pair well with this trick include white vinegar or lime juice.
If you enjoyed Mama Mila’s tips, make sure to check these from TikTok user Lady Lolas which are sure to make your produce oh-so-fresh!
You can also enjoy 15 more of these hacks that can help slash your monthly grocery bill. Neat!
These tips sure do make our lives a lot easier! What are your go-to tricks for keeping fruits and vegetables fresh for longer?
Share them with us in the comments below!
What a waste of money! (and all the nutrients that went into growing them).
Luckily, a mum-of-two who is known for sharing clever tips on how to keep your home in tip-top shape is back to share tips on how to extend the shelf life of fresh fruits and veggies — and trust us when we say that you’ll want to keep an eye out for this one.
Chantel Mila has gained a massive following thanks to her ‘tip videos’ on TikTok, where she shows off ways to better organise and clean. She does also have a few videos on food tips, though – and among them, tips for storing fresh fruits and veggies. Lucky us!
Ready for the first tip? Alright, let’s jump in.
In her video, the Melbourne mum starts by recommending freezing leftover tomato puree in ice cube trays whenever you make a batch. This also works for store bought jars and cans of tomato paste.
Tomato puree can apparently be kept in the freezer for around 6 months. Plus, to thaw out a frozen cube anytime you need it, you can just reheat it in a pan! Perfect for some good ol’ tomato soup!
Next, she demonstrates the method of ‘storing potatoes with apples’ whenever you have a bunch of them so that the potatoes don’t grow sprouts. Huh, who knew?
This one is a bit iffy though as there seems to be evidence that storing fruits and vegetables might be conducive to ethylene gas production. In plants, ethylene gas acts as a sort of ripening agent, which speeds up the maturation of things like apples and potatoes. Still, it couldn’t hurt to try, right?
The next one surprised us.
Mama Mila recommends keeping tomatoes upside down in the fridge.
Even though there’s no scientific reason for this hack to work, it’s understandable that turning any produce upside down would slow down the process of the stem releasing moisture. This leaves the tomato plump and juicy – the exact way we like it!
Then, she suggests storing some greens with a paper towel on top in a cup or a bowl to absorb any moisture that may have been released during storage.
The perfect example is lettuce and spinach – since it can get soggy pretty easily. If you have greens stored in an airtight container or a bag, this paper towel trick will keep them fresher for longer.
Speaking of greens, Mama Mila also placed some celery and various herbs in water, since it helps keep them crisp for longer.
But that’s not all – check out this unexpected hack for this baking staple. She demonstrates the ‘marshmallow in brown sugar’ trick, where she puts a solitary marshmallow in with a cup of brown sugar. Because marshmallows contain a lot of water, it keeps brown sugar from hardening. As a substitute, you can also use small bits of bread. (Just try not to scoop them into your morning coffee.)
Next up: nut butter! It can be such a disappointment when you reach the bottom of the jar and end up finding ‘nut concrete’ instead.
Fret not, Mama Mila recommends storing any form of nut butter upside down to prevent any separation that may occur through contact with exposed air. Worth a shot, right?
And finally, she ends with the ‘lemon and avocado’ trick. Throw an avocado half with a slice of lemon in the fridge and you’re guaranteed to never have an avocado browning in your house ever again!
If you don’t have a lemon slice within reach, don’t worry as other things that pair well with this trick include white vinegar or lime juice.
If you enjoyed Mama Mila’s tips, make sure to check these from TikTok user Lady Lolas which are sure to make your produce oh-so-fresh!
You can also enjoy 15 more of these hacks that can help slash your monthly grocery bill. Neat!
These tips sure do make our lives a lot easier! What are your go-to tricks for keeping fruits and vegetables fresh for longer?
Share them with us in the comments below!
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