On a summer day, there is nothing better than strolling through the market and loading your bags full of fresh fruits and vegetables to eat from for the rest of the week. But how do you keep all this produce fresh for as long as possible? There are a few clever tricks for that.
You really don't have to go to the grocery store every day.
Put a piece of kitchen roll in the vegetable drawer
By "lining" the bottom of the vegetable drawer in the refrigerator with kitchen roll, the condensation that the vegetables release during cooling is absorbed. And that's exactly what you want: in fact, excess moisture ripens your fruits and vegetables much faster. Additional benefit: you keep your refrigerator cleaner.
Keep apples separate
It is best not to put apples on the fruit bowl with the other fruit, but to keep them in a sealed bag in the refrigerator. Do you find them too cold to eat? Then take some out the night before, and put the on the counter, ready to put in your bag the next day.
Wash berries in vinegar
Not only are (blue) berries one of the most expensive fruits, they also decay the fastest. You can extend their life by washing them in a mixture of vinegar and water (1 part vinegar to 3 parts water). Then let them dry, and then store them in the refrigerator.
Don't put tomatoes in the refrigerator
Storing tomatoes in the refrigerator not only causes them to lose flavor. It also makes them less juicy. You keep them best by simply storing them on a bowl in the cupboard or countertop.
Wrap celery in foil
Celery is usually wrapped in plastic by stores. If you leave the celery in this after you get home, this vegetable will last about a week. If you wrap the celery in aluminum foil, you greatly prolong this and can enjoy this low-calorie vegetable for a very long time.
Make a bouquet of your herbs
Use what you need from the herbs you bought, and put the rest of the herbs like a bouquet in a glass of water on the windowsill. That way they will last the longest, and it doesn't look unsociable either.
Keep mushrooms in a paper bag
Mushrooms such as mushrooms also usually come in a plastic container when you buy them at the supermarket. Make sure you transfer them to a paper bag at home; it keeps them clean and dry longer.
Put lettuce in ice water
Everyone knows the sad-looking leaves of lettuce if you don't consume the head right after you buy it. But you can do something to breathe some life back into that limp morsel. Remove the leaves from the head and place them in a container with water and ice cubes. Leave them for 5 to 30 minutes (depending on how sad they looked) and they can go right back into the salad. This article was written by Emma. Emma (32) is a hobby cook and knows a lot about healthy and tasty food. From her kitchen in Haarlem she makes the tastiest recipes for herself and her toddler, of course matching the NewFysic method. Every week she inspires with a new recipe or fun tip that makes the road to a healthy lifestyle fun and easier. Photo: Dmitry Dreyer via Unsplash
