Want to keep your fruit and veggies fresh for an ENTIRE week? Here's a tip!
- Replies 5
It's something that has happened to all of us at some point or another: we buy fresh fruit and vegetables, put them in the refrigerator, and a few weeks later discover that they have shrivelled up and gone bad.
Maintaining the freshness of perishable foods at home can be quite challenging. Thank goodness that we are not the only ones dealing with this problem (because it means there are likely solutions).
In a popular Facebook group dedicated to Aussies who like to prep their meals, one mum has shared her simple method of keeping fruit and veggies fresh for longer.
'With school starting back up, I thought I’d share my favourite way to prep fresh fruits and veggies to make life a little easier in the morning when packing lunches,' she wrote in her post.
The food stays fresh all week, and she saves time and money by doing it this way. Credit: Facebook.
The mum revealed that when it comes to meal prepping her newly bought fresh produce from the supermarket, all she really needs is a common item that everyone probably has in their pantries – and that is white vinegar!
'Prepping my fruits and veggies like this definitely makes them last through the week,' she said. 'We eat it within the week, so I only shop for fresh produce a week at a time.'
The mum admitted she had to get clever due to the ever-increasing cost of groceries, and that this meal-prepping approach has helped her save both time and money.
Here's how to do it:
First, soak your fresh produce in a mixture of mostly cold water and a splash of white vinegar. Do this for about 20 minutes, gently stirring the water every few minutes or so.
After soaking, make sure that they are completely dry by patting them down with a kitchen towel after they have been drained. 'The key is to make sure the fruit is completely dry,' said the mum.
Now, you can proceed to store them in your fridge!
Before putting the fresh food away, the mum cleans it in a solution of water and white vinegar. Credit: Facebook.
We'll admit that sometimes it's much easier to leave fresh produce in the plastic bag or container they came in at the grocery store.
However, these packages frequently allow air and germs to enter, which might speed up the spoiling process of our fruit and vegetables.
When it comes to storing fresh produce in her fridge, the mum recommends using airtight containers.
'I put the fruit in containers that have a small shelf at the bottom to keep them from sitting in their juice and seal them in,' she said.
For other veggies, such as baby carrots and sliced cucumbers, she uses mason jars filled with filtered water. 'This will keep them from getting all slimy or even drying out,' she claimed.
Her post got a lot of attention in the Facebook group, where tens of thousands of people read it, and hundreds of people left comments with their own tips and tricks for meal prepping perishables.
'This is how I meal prep too!' wrote one woman in the comments section. 'It was life-changing to find out white vinegar gets rid of pesticides and bugs.'
A second person added, 'I recently bought reusable ziplock bags as well - it takes a long time to get everything ready, but it makes my days so much easier.'
'You can put strawberries in a mason jar if you don’t wash them first and put them straight in,' said a third.
Make sure you also read some of our older articles because we've included a number of helpful other suggestions for storing fresh produce – you won't want to miss them!
Best of luck with your fresh food, folks; we hope these tips will be helpful for you and your loved ones!
Maintaining the freshness of perishable foods at home can be quite challenging. Thank goodness that we are not the only ones dealing with this problem (because it means there are likely solutions).
In a popular Facebook group dedicated to Aussies who like to prep their meals, one mum has shared her simple method of keeping fruit and veggies fresh for longer.
'With school starting back up, I thought I’d share my favourite way to prep fresh fruits and veggies to make life a little easier in the morning when packing lunches,' she wrote in her post.
The food stays fresh all week, and she saves time and money by doing it this way. Credit: Facebook.
The mum revealed that when it comes to meal prepping her newly bought fresh produce from the supermarket, all she really needs is a common item that everyone probably has in their pantries – and that is white vinegar!
'Prepping my fruits and veggies like this definitely makes them last through the week,' she said. 'We eat it within the week, so I only shop for fresh produce a week at a time.'
The mum admitted she had to get clever due to the ever-increasing cost of groceries, and that this meal-prepping approach has helped her save both time and money.
Here's how to do it:
First, soak your fresh produce in a mixture of mostly cold water and a splash of white vinegar. Do this for about 20 minutes, gently stirring the water every few minutes or so.
After soaking, make sure that they are completely dry by patting them down with a kitchen towel after they have been drained. 'The key is to make sure the fruit is completely dry,' said the mum.
Now, you can proceed to store them in your fridge!
Before putting the fresh food away, the mum cleans it in a solution of water and white vinegar. Credit: Facebook.
We'll admit that sometimes it's much easier to leave fresh produce in the plastic bag or container they came in at the grocery store.
However, these packages frequently allow air and germs to enter, which might speed up the spoiling process of our fruit and vegetables.
When it comes to storing fresh produce in her fridge, the mum recommends using airtight containers.
'I put the fruit in containers that have a small shelf at the bottom to keep them from sitting in their juice and seal them in,' she said.
For other veggies, such as baby carrots and sliced cucumbers, she uses mason jars filled with filtered water. 'This will keep them from getting all slimy or even drying out,' she claimed.
Her post got a lot of attention in the Facebook group, where tens of thousands of people read it, and hundreds of people left comments with their own tips and tricks for meal prepping perishables.
'This is how I meal prep too!' wrote one woman in the comments section. 'It was life-changing to find out white vinegar gets rid of pesticides and bugs.'
A second person added, 'I recently bought reusable ziplock bags as well - it takes a long time to get everything ready, but it makes my days so much easier.'
'You can put strawberries in a mason jar if you don’t wash them first and put them straight in,' said a third.
Make sure you also read some of our older articles because we've included a number of helpful other suggestions for storing fresh produce – you won't want to miss them!
Meal prep pro shares some storage tips for fresh produce: 'Keep them fresh for longer!'
Hate wasting veggies? Aussie mum shares three MUST-TRY storage tips to make them last longer
Keep your fruits fresh in the fridge for LONGER with this storage trick!
Hate wasting veggies? Aussie mum shares three MUST-TRY storage tips to make them last longer
Keep your fruits fresh in the fridge for LONGER with this storage trick!
Best of luck with your fresh food, folks; we hope these tips will be helpful for you and your loved ones!
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Just buy lesser quantities more often, then they won’t go off in the fridge.
