12 Tips For Making Your Fruit and Veg Last Longer

Having to throw fruit and vegetables away before you get a chance to use them because they’ve gone bad? Then your grocery shop is costing you even more than it should. Here are 12 easy ways to keep your fruit and veg fresh for longer.

1. Avoid storing food in certain areas of the fridge

In most fridges, some areas are colder than others, and you may even find ice inside if the temperature is too low. Vegetables such as salad leaves will turn bad extremely quickly in cold conditions as they will freeze, and you run the risk of ending up the with the dreaded bag of soggy salad. Cut the chances of this by checking your fridge is the right temperature, and keeping your veg away from any especially cold areas.

2. Separate certain fruit and vegetables to prevent them from spoiling

When certain foods ripen, they give off the gas ethylene, which can cause other types of fruit and veg to over ripen, turning it soft. To prevent this, just separate the ones that give off ethylene from those that are ethylene sensitive.

Some common ethylene producing fruit and veg:

Kiwis, Tomatoes, Bananas, Avocados, Pears, Nectarines

Ethylene sensitive fruit and veg:

Apples, Broccoli, Carrots, Cucumbers, Lettuce, Potatoes

3. Wrap the tops of bananas in clingfilm to prolong their life

Bananas are one of the few fruits that are available cheaply in supermarkets, but can go brown very quickly. To keep them yellow for longer, wrap the top of the bunch (or, if they are separated, the top of each banana) in cling film. This can give you up to 5 days extra to enjoy your bananas!