Fresh Food Storage Tips & Tricks
Photo: rd.com
Hey friends! I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe, happy, and healthy. I know we are all trying to stay home as much as we can, but struggling to eat fresh foods without running to the grocery store every three or four days. Here are some tips and tricks I’ve learned over the years to preserve fresh food with the help of my friends, family, and of course the internet! Haha
Eggs
Store your eggs in the original cartoon they came in inside the fridge, but not on the door! This part of the fridge is most susceptible to temperature changes from opening and closing the doors causing your eggs to quickly spoil. Wondering if your eggs are still good? You can use this quick hack my grandmother taught me.
Fill a bowl with cold water:
If your eggs float, they’ve gone bad.
If they sink on their side, they are very fresh.
If they sink standing upwards, they’re still good to eat just not as fresh!
The reasoning behind this test, is that egg shells are porous. So fresh eggs will have less air, while older eggs will have more air causing them to float. The eggs that sink standing upwards are the best for hard boiling eggs because the extra air makes them easier to peel.
Bread
I love fresh bread and growing up we would have it at every dinner with homemade dipping oil. Mmm… I’m hungry just thinking about it! Until now, I never had to worry about bread going bad. I found that sticking bread in the fridge or even the freezer allows it to keep it fresh longer. If there is mold on a couple of pieces of bread, the whole bag might be contaminated so toss it out immediately!
Avocados
Oh man, it’s a ton of trial and error with these bad boys. Test your avocado by pressing softly to see if it gives a little. Also, if the stem falls off easily, this is another sign that your avocado is ripe. Stick it in the fridge drawer to prevent it from going brown too quickly. If it is still hard, leave it on your countertop or in a brown bag to speed up the ripening.
So you only want to use half your avocado? Cut the avocado down the center and make sure to save the half with the pit. Take some lemon juice and squeeze it on the fleshy part of the avocado and press plastic wrap to the flesh and place in the fridge.
Leafy Greens
Store leafy greens in a plastic bag with a paper towel inside to absorb any excess moisture. You can also add your own paper towel to the plastic containers. Replace paper towel once you see it no longer has absorption capabilities. For hardy leafy greens such as kale, you can place in a mason jar with a few inches of water and keep stored in the fridge.
Fresh Herbs
Remove the rubber bands immediately, rinse, thoroughly dry, and place in a jar with a few inches of water. Then place in the fridge until ready to use. This will keep your herbs fresh and crisp for a week or two. You can also cut them up and place in an ice cube tray with extra virgin olive oil. I love doing this for when you want to saute your vegetables in fresh herbs and EVOO. If you’re not loving the olive oil idea, you can also just harvest the leaves and place in a tightly sealed plastic bag in the freezer.
Ginger
Ginger can be stored in the fridge for up to a week. You can also finely grate it and store it in the freezer for up to a month. I love making ginger detox tea by boiling water, fresh ginger, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and a little honey. It’s great for the digestion and immune system.
Garlic & Onions
These two can be stored in a cool, dark place (I place them in the corner on my countertop) for up to a month. Garlic can also be diced and placed in olive oil and then stored in the fridge for quick and easy use. Have too many onions to use right now? Onions can be thinly sliced and pickled with a little distilled vinegar, granulated sugar, water, and a pinch of salt. FYI: red pickled onions really elevate your tacos 🙂
Apples
Apples can be stored on the countertop if eaten within 3 to 4 days, but last much longer in the fridge fruit drawer. If you’d like to slice apples, place in water with some lemon juice. Pat slices dry and place in an airtight container. Lemons contain citric acid, which slows down oxidation preventing your sliced apples from going brown.
Remember to always store fruits and vegetables separately because some fruits give off a gas called ethylene glycol which quickens ripening and may cause spoilage in some vegetables.
Bananas
Everyone probably knows this one, but storing bananas off the counter in a fruit bowl or hanging them from a hook allows the fruit to ripen more evenly and reduces brown mushy spots where your bananas are touching the counter top. I like to wait until mine are a little bit ripe, then slice them and toss ‘em in the freezer for when I’m making smoothies! You can also make banana bread! Here’s one of my favorite recipes.
Carrots
Remove any plastic or rubber bands then rinse and pat dry. Remove all the leafy greens, as this part will most likely spoil quicker than the carrots. You can also peel and cut carrots, then place in a jar with cold water stored on a shelf in the fridge. This ensures the carrots will stay crispy and prevent them from drying out.
Potatoes & Sweet Potatoes
Potatoes last a pretty long time if stored in a cool, dry, and dark location. You can place them in a bin and stick them in your pantry or in a dark spot on your counter top. Sweet potatoes can be skinned and cubed for meal prep and then stashed in an airtight container filled with water. This ensures the potatoes won’t dry out before you use them while meal prepping for easy use!
There are plenty more fresh food hacks, but I figured I’d share the ones I’ve been using the most lately. If you have any of your own fresh food storage tips & tricks leave them in the comments for everyone to see.
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