Keep Your Fruits and Vegetables Fresh Longer!

Keep Your Fruits and Vegetables Fresh Longer! Wouldn’t it be nice to visit farmer’s markets daily so nothing would ever go bad just sitting in your house?! Well unfortunately that isn’t practical so most of us buy in bulk as much as we can. And while soggy fruits and veggies make great ingredients in different recipes and smoothies, I try my hardest to keep my fruits and veggies as fresh as I can for as long as I can which can be a task for cities where the weather is hotter for the majority of the year. Read below for my favorite tips on keeping fruits and veggies fresher longer!

Bananas

There are so many theories on how to keep these tasty yellow treats fresh but most of them fail at one point or another but here is what works for me. When you bring them home, separate the bananas in to groups of two and separate place them on my counter sitting a foot a part and keep your kitchen’s temperature cool. Also make sure to not place them near any cooking devices, place them on a counter that is as far away from heat as much as possible. After 2-3 days I then place the bananas in the refrigerator. Beware that this will turn the peel completely black and brown but once you peel it off you will find a perfectly ripe banana! This has proven for me to keep my bananas a couple days longer than before.

Tomatoes

Who doesn’t eat tomatoes all year round? Tomatoes go in and on too many things to just buy a few at the store. I immediately wash and dry my tomatoes when I bring them home. I also place my tomatoes on the counter in a long and wide rectangular Tupperware or glass dish. I line the dish with a couple paper towels and sit the tomatoes upright and make sure none of them are sitting on top of each other. The less they get bruised the longer they seem to last. My biggest tip for tomatoes is to not refrigerate them, I noticed if I do that right away it cuts their life in half. My tomatoes last a little over a week usually.

Morning Berries

I called this section morning berries because my family likes to have berries in or on the side of their breakfast or drink them in smoothies. So When I bring home blueberries, raspberries, bananas, strawberries, etc. I take half of the amount and wash and dry them and place them in an airtight bag and freeze them. They last as long as I want them too! And when I am cooking breakfast in the morning (depending on what fruit it is) I place them on the counter to defrost while breakfast cooks or I place them in a bowl of warm water, drain, and serve!

Bathe Your Berries

For the other half of the berries that I don’t freeze I soak and wash them immediately in hot water right when I get home from the store. Let them soak for a good minute and then wash and dry and store in the refrigerator. I also immerse any fruits and vegetables that I plan to freeze. It will kill some of the bacteria present before freezing!

Leafy Greens

Leafy greens have always drove me crazy because of how quickly they sour but now I have a better handle on keeping them edible longer. Greens are best to eat, nutrient wise within two days but to keep enjoying them just make sure you don’t wash them…yes I know but the less water and moisture that is living in the bunch the better. Place napkins or paper towels in between some of the leaves and wrap the whole vegetable bunch in a paper towel before placing in an air tight bag in the refrigerator. Obviously wash before you eat! Each time you take out your greens to eat, make sure you remove any leaves that may be starting to spoil. After about 3-4 days I cut the leaves off at the stem, wash them and completely, dry, and place in a new air tight bag in the refrigerator. My leafy veggies will last a little over a week.

Like I said in the begining it is really hit and miss and a big factor is the tempature of your home and your refrigerator. As you can see, a trip to the store is an all day event. Nevermind the few hours of shopping but then unloading and organizing things into your kitchen, but also cleaning and caring for your super foods! But it’s all worth it to keep yourself and your family healthy!