Brilliant Food Storage Tips for Longer-Lasting Groceries
May 29, 2020This post contains affiliate links.
Whether your groceries last a few days or a full week (or more) usually depends on your storage choices. Today I’m sharing some storage tips you can employ to make your food last as long as possible.
1. Squeeze lemon juice on cut avocado.
If you cut an avocado but don’t need the whole thing right away, squeeze some lemon juice on the exposed portion to reduce the oxidation that causes browning. You can also use one of these silicone avocado covers to help reduce oxidation.
2. Be smart with greens.
When you get home from the store, transfer lettuce to a suitable storage container, such as a plastic container. Add a few sheets of paper towels at the bottom to absorb any excess moisture. Also, be sure to keep greens away from ethylene-emitting produce, such as apples, stone fruits, bananas and tomatoes. Something like this is a good choice for storing greens.
3. Make veggie stock.
If some of your veggies have seen better days but are still safe to eat, consider making a veggie stock with them. You can freeze them in a plastic bag and then repurpose into a homemade vegetable stock. The best vegetable choices for a homemade stock include carrots, onions, garlic and celery.
4. Store cookies with bread.
A cookie jar may not be the best place to store your cookies. If you want to keep your chewy cookies nice and soft, keep them in a zippered plastic bag with half of a slice of bread inside. The moisture in the bread will keep the cookies nice and moist; you can even restore the moisture using this technique.
5. Know your herbs.
Fresh herbs will last longer if you store them properly. To keep herbs looking their best for the longest time possible, store cilantro, marjoram, oregano, parsley and sage wrapped up in damp paper towels. Then place these inside a zippered plastic bag.
6. Store milk in the back of your refrigerator.
The fridge has different temperature zones and the back is one of the coolest spots. Keep your milk there to keep it fresh longer. The door is one of the worst, albeit unfortunately somewhat common, spots to store milk in the fridge.
7. Use those crisper drawers.
Veggies will last longer if you store them in the crisper drawers. Produce, such as broccoli, beets, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, eggplant, and zucchini all belong in your crisper drawers.
8. Make those bananas last.
A smart way to store bananas is to wrap some plastic wrap tightly around the stems of bunch of bananas. This should extend the shelf life of the bananas by a few more days. A banana bag could be a smart addition to your kitchen.
9. Rinse berries in apple cider vinegar.
I’ve been doing this for years and it really makes a difference. To make your berries last as long as possible, soak them in some water & apple cider vinegar (or regular vinegar) for a few minutes. Then rinse and pat dry. Store in an airtight container lined with paper towels.
10. Store asparagus upright in water.
Trim the bottoms and store asparagus upright in a cup of water. Keep this jar in the fridge.
11. Store grains in airtight containers.
Whole grains, such as barley, oats, quinoa, wheat and rice, don’t do well with moisture. To keep these grains for a longer period of time, store them in airtight containers, such as these, with tight lids.
12. Keep mushrooms in a paper bag.
Remove mushrooms from the plastic container they come in once you get home. Wash them and dry them. Wrap in paper towels and store in a paper bag in your fridge for best longevity.
13. Keep meat wrapped tightly.
Store meat in the fridge once you get home from the supermarket. Ideally keep it tightly wrapped to reduce spoilage. If you’re not planning to use it within a few days, freeze it for a few months.
