Tom ‘Tiramisu’ has some tips for helping you better store some of your veggies. Did you know there’s a way to make your carrots last 10 times longer?!
Put most veggies in the fridge.. right?
For most of us, storing veggies is a pretty simple equation: Short life = fridge, long life = pantry. The truth, however, is that it is a tad more complicated than that. While a fridge is a wonderful machine with an incredible ability to preserve our food, not all food reacts the same way to the fridge. In the same way that you shouldn’t put a banana next to an avocado, you probably shouldn’t be just throwing all your veggies into your veggie drawer together.
So what should you be doing when storing veggies? We have some SUPER handy tips below to help you extend the life of your veggies and, hopefully, help you reduce food waste!
Carrots & Parsnips 🥕
Have your carrots been going floppy? Looking a bit wilted? When you get your carrots, wrap them in a damp paper towel and put them in a reusable container. Similarly, if paper towels are lacking, place them in a reusable container with a small amount of water.
Want a fun fact? Doing this can extend your carrots’ fridge life by up to 10 times!
Lettuce 🥬
Lettuce is a super simple one, it can wilt so quickly but is also the easiest to make last. A fridge is a dehydrating environment and leafy veggies, being so thin, are affected much quicker.
The simplest way to help your lettuce last is just keeping it wet. So if it needs to last the week, keep running it under some fresh water or spraying it with water every couple of days. Otherwise, wrapping in a damp towel or tea towels and storing it in a reusable plastic bag will extend your lettuce’s life over 4 times longer.
Salad Greens 🥗
Very similar to lettuce, these leafy delights are affected by the fridge more quickly than other veggie products. In this case if you’ve opened a packet of salad greens or made your own, store them in an air tight container with a sprinkle of water.
Capsicums or Peppers 🍎
These cheeky veggies break the trend above! Unlike a lot of vegetables, you want to be keeping your capsicums dry. Try to wrap them in a reusable bag or towel to keep them dry. Additionally, store capsicums away from other veggies which you’ve covered in water to keep fresh.
Potatoes & Onions 🧅
A bonus tip for storing veggies outside the fridge, did you know you shouldn’t be storing your potatoes and onions next to each other? Each of these releases moisture as they age and that moisture affects the other product, increasing their likelihood to sprout. Keep them in dry, dark places away from each other.
And, everything else?
This is just the surface with a few common veggies. There are some amazing resources on food waste and how to reduce it out there on our blog and beyond.
