Eating fresh fruit and vegetables on a daily basis is one of the most effective ways to stay healthy. However, keeping your food fresh can be a challenge. We’ve put together a few tips to make sure that your food lasts as long as possible, and that money isn’t wasted on groceries that pass their prime.
Here are a few hacks to help you keep your food fresh for longer.
Maintain your fridge
Many fruits and vegetables are kept in the fridge to prevent bacteria from growing on them, such as citrus fruit, grapes, and celery. It’s important to keep your fridge working in good condition and ensure that the temperature is correct. In the UK, the best fridge temperature is between 1°C and 5°C.
Separate certain fruit and veg
It’s worth doing a little bit of research on food items that you buy on a regular basis and learning the best storage habits. Some fruit and vegetables are known for giving off certain gases that can speed up the rotting process for other produce. For example, apples produce ethylene gas and should be kept away from other fruit.
Keep a cooler in your car or bike
Depending on how far your home is from the grocery store, you may put your fresh produce at risk of withering on the commute. Keep a cooler in your car or bike to keep the food fresh for longer.
Freeze some vegetables
Plan your meals in advance and freeze them until they are needed. The best vegetables to freeze include corn, peas, broccoli, carrots, and more. You can also freeze cooked vegetables, and defrost them on a day when you don’t feel like cooking. Just make sure that you don’t freeze, thaw and then freeze again.
Protect certain fruit and vegetables
Highly acidic foods should not be stored in tin foil as aluminium can affect the taste of the food. For example, tomatoes, rhubarb, cabbage and soft fruit are best stored in containers rather than kitchen foil.
Keep fresh food away from chemicals
Depending on the size of your home, the kitchen pantry and cleaning cabinet may be close together. Make sure that you keep food away from household chemicals and cleaning products. If necessary, use containers to keep the items separated.
While we can’t take charge of your kitchen storage habits, we can provide a safe and secure space to keep the rest of your household belongings. Find out more about Pink Hippo Self Storage personal storage solutions in Reading and Leatherhead.