10 ways to keep your fruits & vegetables last longer

I mean… Totally relatable! A perfectly ripe avocado is so fleeting that you really can't afford to miss out on that. The window to enjoy it is so small that it's worth cancelling ALL plans to make the perfect guacamole or simple avocado on toast. We have definitely been guilty of that. But what if sometimes you don't want to cancel on a friend's birthday party or a family reunion dinner? (Okay we admit, we are being a little dramatic here, but it's all in the name of love for our food). Or better yet, you simply just don’t want to see your food go to waste?

Storing your food properly has many advantages that extend beyond being kinder to our planet. It's also highly economical because you end up wasting less and therefore having to buy less. It also allows you to buy more in bulk which is usually cheaper than buying single items at the grocery stores or markets. Therefore, storing your fresh produce appropriately and smartly will save you time, money and waste.

Learning how to store food and when to consume it can feel a little overwhelming. It's a balancing act between eating your perishables as soon as possible, understanding where in the fridge they belong to and making the perfect, creative meal of the day.

Here at CHOMP, we are all about saving food one bite at a time. And what better topic to discuss than reducing food waste from your own home? Here are 10 ways to keep your fruits and vegetables last longer!

Wait, just one more thing before we dive straight in! This point is fundamental as it is a prerequisite to the 10 tips we will be providing. First, familiarise yourself with what fruits and vegetables should and shouldn't be refrigerated. Then try to base your grocery list/weekly menu.

Keep ‘em dry (or wet depending on the produce)

Moisture is good for your produce, but too much of it can become bad. Whilst a little humidity can keep your fruits and vegetables perky, excessive humidity will unfortunately lead to mould. One way to avoid this is by ensuring you dry your produce properly before storing it away. However, here are some of the exceptions:

• Spring onions: you should keep the vegetable upright with its roots submerged. This way, they will keep growing (you’ll never have to buy them again!) and all you need to do is change the water regularly. 

• Carrots: you can keep your whole carrots in a closed container with water to ensure their firmness, changing the water every 2 to 3 days.

• Celery: similar to carrots, you can halve the stalks and keep them in a closed water container, changing the water also every 2 to 3 days. 

• Asparagus: after trimming the ends, set in a glass of water with the flower part exposed and keep it refrigerated until consumption.

Contain it

By reusing the same bag your produce came in or a reusable bag/container to store your fruits or vegetables, this will significantly help prolong their shelf life by preventing evaporation of moisture. This is especially useful for your hardy greens (broccoli, Brussels sprout, arugula, etc.).

Wrap your herbs

After giving your herbs a good wash, dry them thoroughly using a salad spinner or between two layers of clean, dry dish towels. Then, wrap them up using a dry paper towel and place the bundled herbs in a container or resealable bag. 

No one likes too much gas!

Ethylene is a gas that some fruits and vegetables release naturally (such as apples, potatoes, pears and ripe bananas). When other fruits and veggies are stored near this gas, their ripening rate will accelerate. Therefore, if you are wanting to ripen a produce quickly, then place it next to your apples. However, if you want them to ripen slowly and at their own pace, make sure to separate them as much as possible. 

Once ripen, place them into the fridge

Whilst it’s good to keep some fruits out at room temperature so they can ripen slowly (mangos, avocados, pineapples), make sure to upgrade them to the fridge once they have matured so you can press pause on their ripening process. This will give you an extra 2 or 3 days, just don’t forget them in there!

Freeze ‘em

If you are looking to really pause your ripened produce from, well, ripening further, freezing them is a great solution. Wait until your produce reaches the level of maturity that you enjoy them at, then prep them as you would before eating (peel and cut), and finally place them in a freezer-safe bag/container. This way, all you will need to do is thaw them accordingly before consumption. Top tip: chop and blanch your vegetables before freezing. 

Store your citrus and ginger in the fridge

To ensure your lemons or oranges stay juicy and happy for a much longer period of time, you want to keep them in the fridge. This is the same for your gingers and turmeric roots. 

If it’s soft, consume it now

This goes back to our introduction when we spoke about planning your meals according to the produce with shorter shelf-life. Think about prioritising your soft greens like lettuces and spinach, as well as cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes. On the other hand, vegetables like potatoes, cabbage, carrots and hard greens can last longer. 

Know your fridge

Your door fridge is usually the place that gets the most temperature fluctuations, try to keep foods there with longer shelf-lives (like condiments or butter). But in terms of delicate produce like herbs and lettuces, the middle of the fridge is their best, safe environment from temperature swings. If you have a more modern fridge with drawers, it is also recommended to store your produce in them. Remember to keep the "gassy" fruits and veggies away though!

Even fruits and vegetables have personal space!

Just like you and I, we all need a bit of breathing room. So avoid cramming your produce together and jam-packing your fridge. The space between your fruits and vegetables allows for the fridge's air to circulate better and ameliorates moisture evaporation - goodbye mould! Not only that, you will also get to see better what you have, therefore preventing foods that you might have forgotten.