Fruit is good for you. Everyone should have a small bowl of apples, bananas, and oranges greeting them on their kitchen counter when they return home. However, fruit is...well...annoying. Why? Because they seem to spoil so easily! Everyone's had that moment when you're looking at a blackened banana thinking "Didn't I JUST buy you?!"
Here are 13 ways to make sure that the fruit you buy lasts longer.
1. Put your ripened bananas in the fridge.
Yes, you heard me. Contrary to popular belief, putting ripened bananas in the fridge significantly stops the process of converting starches into sugars, which virtually stops the ripening process. Don't be alarmed if you see a bunch of blackened bananas when you first open the fridge, though; that's just the outside. Once you peel it open, you see that the bananas are as fresh as ever!
2. Make Apples last longer in the crisper drawer
You can even put a wet paper towel on top to make sure that your apples retain their crunchy texture.
3. Keep your oranges for longer
Although oranges last around a week at room temperature, each orange's lifetime can be bumped up to 2-3 weeks in the crisper drawer in your refrigerator!
4. Make sure your spuds last you into the winter
In order to make potatoes last the longest, it is ideal that they're kept in a dark environment, around 40-50 degrees Fahrenheit. This generally means a basement, or something similar. In these conditions, potatoes can last for ages.5. Keep lemons in a plastic bag in the fridge
On a counter, lemons can last up to one week. When placed in Ziploc bag in the crisper drawer, they can last up to 4 weeks. However, be sure to change the humidity level to the lowest possible setting for best results!
6. Store garlic in a dark, cool place
Similar to potatoes, the life of garlic is extended the most when kept in dark and cool environments.
7. Tomatoes are meant to be out on the counter
Tomatoes, as gas-releasers, are best kept out of the fridge, as they're often sensitive to the cold and can lose texture, moisture and taste.
8. Remember to separate your fruits and vegetables!
Most fruits emit ethylene gas, which ripens the fruits and vegetables around it. Though this can be good for veggies that aren't ripe yet, placing them together can shorten the lifespan of your veggies, so it's best to keep them separate.
9. Keep your mushrooms pristine in the fridge
For most people buying mushrooms, they're bought in Styrofoam packages and plastic wrap. This is actually one of the best ways to preserve mushrooms and so it's important to keep it sealed when it's not being used. If the container is already open, layer another film of plastic wrap and poke some small holes for modest air flow.
10. For maximum life, slice peppers and place in freezer
If you're really looking to maximize the life of your peppers, you can slice them up, put them in a Ziploc bag, and pop them into your freezer.
11. Practice food-timing
It's just plain fact that not all fruits and vegetables have the same lifespan. Thus, every week when you buy your groceries, plan ahead and think about which fruits and veggies you'll need to worry about most and which you can afford to leave on the counter or in the fridge. Broccoli, bananas, strawberries, and mushrooms are among top priority, while oranges, tomatoes and spinach can afford to wait.
12. Berries
All berries are extremely fragile, and thus it is best recommended to keep them spread out, and to avoid stacking them on top of one another, as this they bruise easily, making them more susceptible to spoiling and ruining their taste and quality. Keeping them sealed in a plastic container would be ideal.
13. Wrap things like celery, broccoli and lettuce in foil before storing it in the fridge!
Reprinted from http://diply.com/diy-home/hacks-fruits-veggies-last/99235/1
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