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Best Ways To Store Produce To Keep It Fresh Longer

December 3, 2020 By: Sweet Frugal Lifecomment

Easy ways to stop your produce from going bad quickly.

How many times have you had to throw away produce from your fridge because it has gone moldy??  This happens to me more times than I want to admit and I always feel so sad throwing the food away!  This is food that I spent hard earned money on.  A few years ago I knew something had to change.  So, I started learning a few new tricks all about how to help my produce stay fresh longer, and it has worked!  This has in turn helped me to save money on groceries!  Yay!  I’m sharing the tips today in hopes that it can help you too!

how to prevent produce from going bad quickly - saving money on food

Disclosure:  “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”

1.  Know Where To Store Your Produce

I remember way back when I first moved out on my own and started shopping for myself for the first time.  In my young college mind I thought that all produce needed to be stored in the refrigerator, boy was I wrong!

After I had hundreds of bananas go brown way to quickly on me, I started learning that the fridge is not the best storage place for everything.

As you try to keep your produce fresh longer, be aware of what stores best in the fridge, and what would store better on the counter or in a cabinet.

Produce That Stores Best In The Fridge:

  • Lemons
  • Limes
  • Oranges
  • Mushrooms
  • Zucchini
  • Broccoli
  • Carrots
  • Pease
  • Peppers
  • Spinach
  • Apples
  • Berries

Produce That Stores Best Out Of The Fridge:

  • Tomatoes
  • Plums
  • Peaches
  • Cherries
  • Butternut Squash
  • Bananas
  • Avocados

Produce That Stores Best In a Cool/Dark/Dry Place:

  • Garlic
  • Onion
  • Potatoes

2.  Store Your Veggies Dry

Vegetables, especially leafy greens, needs to be dried thoroughly before storing in the fridge. 

After you wash your vegetables be sure to pat them dry with a paper towel to get rid of all the extra moisture.  You can even wrap a paper towel around the lettuce to be make sure the moisture continues to be absorbed.

  • Related:  How to Eat Healthy For Cheap

3.  Wash Strawberries In A Vinegar Bath

I learned one of my favorite hacks for keeping strawberries fresh from Melyssa Saves on Instagram.  Giving your strawberries a vinegar bath is such an easy trick and makes a huge difference for the life of your strawberries. 

To give your strawberries a vinegar bath just fill your sink with three parts water and one part vinegar.  Pour your strawberries into the vinegar bath and let them soak for a few minutes.

Next, you will dry the strawberries completely on a paper towel before returning them to their container and storing in the fridge.

 

4.  Store Leafy Greens In A Bag

Another trick to keeping your leafy greens fresh it to store them in a bag.  This could be a grocery bag, or the bag they came in from the store.  

The best way to store your leafy greens is to wash them well, pat dry with a paper towel and then place them into a plastic bag.  Keep a little bit of air in the bag and tie it shut to seal.

5.  Use A Paper Towel To Absorb Moisture

One of my favorite tricks for keeping produce from going bad is to store it with a paper towel.  The paper towel will help to absorb any excess moisture.  Berries and grapes will both stay fresh longer if you store them this way.

Simply wash your produce, pat dry, and then place them on a paper towel.  Store them in an open container with the paper towel on bottom.

6.  Separate Your Bananas

If you enjoy buying bananas (like I do!) try separating them from the bunch!  Bananas will stay fresh for longer if they are separated from each other and stored individually.

7.  Keep Fruit and Vegetables Separate

Another way to keep your produce fresh longer is to keep your fruits and vegetables stored separately in the fridge.  Most fruits will emit ethylene which makes vegetable go bad quickly.  Using separate drawers is a great way to keep them apart. 

  • Related:  10 Quick Ways to Save Money on Groceries

8.  Wrap Celery In Tin Foil

I love juicing celery and using it as an after school snack for my kids (just slap some peanut butter on the celery and they will gobble it up!).   Not only is celery a very budget friendly food, it will also stay fresh for a long time.

The trick to keeping celery from going bad quickly is to wrap it in tin foil!  Yes!  That’s it.  This one simple trick will help keep your celery moist, fresh, and tasting delicious!

9.  Store Potatoes With An Apple

This is a fun hack for preventing your potatoes from sprouting.  All you need to do is add an apple to the container you are storing your potatoes in and they won’t sprout as quickly!

***Remember potatoes need to be stored in a cool, dark and dry place!

10. Freeze Produce Before It Goes Bad

If there comes a time when you feel like you can’t use your produce before it goes bad, you can always freeze it to prolong the life and prevent waste.

To freeze fruit try a flash freeze like this method I used to freeze my strawberries.  Most veggies will need a to be blanched before freezing, like how I freeze my peas.

Freezing your produce should extend it’s life for an extra 3-6 months.

 

Products To Keep Produce Fresh

There are many free things you can do to prevent your produce from going bad.  But, I get that sometimes we just want a product to help save us some hassle!  Here are a few highly rated products to help!

Bluapple Produce Saver Balls

These Bluapple Produce Freshness Saver Balls are so easy to use!  Just toss one into your produce drawer and they will absorb the ethylene gas from your fruit, making your produce stay fresh for much longer!

Fresh Works Food Storage Container

I have heard amazing things about the Fresh Works Produce Saver Container.  These containers have everything you need to keep your produce fresh, including a crisping tray and vent to help regulate the flow of oxygen and carbon dioxide.  Plus, they have over 15,000 positive reviews, so you can’t go wrong!

 

Herb Keeper Container

If you enjoy fresh herbs, you might like this Herb Keeper Container.  With this container you can keep your herbs fresh for much longer.  It was designed with vents, a self watering feature, and dividers so you can store multiple herbs together.

 

Debbie Meyer GreenBags

Another popular product for extending the life of your fruits and vegetables is the Debbie Meyer GreenBags.  These bags are so easy to use!  Just wrap your produce gently into the bag and store as normal.  Easy peasy and works like a charm!

 

In Conclusion

There are many different things you can do to help your produce stay fresh.  Try a few (or all) of the ideas on this list to help you stop throwing away your hard earned money.

 

Related Articles:

8 Foods You Should Freeze in an Ice Cube Tray

How To Freeze Fresh Corn

Cheap Foods to Buy For a Well Stocked Pantry

 

Pin For Future Reference:

tips to keep fruits and vegetables fresh - how to stop veggies from going bad so quickly

how to keep produce fresh - how to make produce last longer

I hope this article helps you learn how to store produce to keep it fresh longer.

8 Foods You Should Freeze in an Ice Cube Tray

November 4, 2019 By: Sweet Frugal Life2 Comments

How to prevent waste in the kitchen with an ice cube tray.

Do you want to know one of my very favorite kitchen secrets?  The one secret that I use multiple times each month to help me save money and prevent food waste???  It has everything to do with an ice cube tray!  Instead of tossing excess foods, freeze those foods in an ice cube tray to extend the life and use at a future time.  There are many different foods you can freeze in an ice cube tray, truly the skies the limit!

prevent food waste in the kitchen - what leftovers can you freeze

“We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”

Why Freeze Food in Ice Cube Trays?

Freezing foods in ice cube trays is not only easy, but it will save you a lot of money in the long run!

Many recipes call for half a can of this or a few tablespoons of that Tossing this leftover food aside may not feel like a big deal at the time, but when it is continually done over and over again the amount of waste adds up, which in turn means more money spent.

Instead of throwing the extra leftovers in a can away (which also means throwing money you spent away), freeze them in an ice cube tray. 

An ice cube tray is the perfect spot for freezing leftovers because the small cubes make defrosting easier and faster than when it is frozen in a large chunk.  These frozen ice cube leftovers are perfect for those quick meals!

How to Freeze Food in Ice Cube Trays

Freezing leftovers in an ice cube tray is so easy to do!  I personally use these trays from Amazon.  You can buy a fancier version, but I’m all for cheap and simple!

  1. Simply fill each ice cube tray with the food you want to freeze.
  2. Stick the tray into the freezer for 1-2 hours until each cube is frozen through.
  3. Pop those cubes out of the tray and into a freezer bag (I use these!).
  4. Get as much air out of the bag as possible by slowly pushing it out and then quickly zipping it shut.
  5. You can now pull out the cubes and use as needed in recipes.

These cubes will stay good in the freezer for 3-6 months.

When you use your cubes in a recipe keep in mind that each cube in a standard ice cube tray is about 2 Tablespoons (1 ounce).  This makes 2 cubes equals 1/4 cup.

Freeze these foods in ice cube trays to prevent food waste and to save you time and money #grocerybudget #savingmoney #foodtips #savemoneyonfood #frugaltips #zerowaste

What Foods Freeze Well In Ice Cube Trays?

Here are a few suggestions of leftovers that will freeze great in ice cube trays!

1.  Stock

Do you have some leftover Chicken Stock?  Maybe from a homemade stock or from a box?  Either works!  Simply fill your ice cube tray up with the stock and freeze.  These stock cubes are great to use for soups or in sauces.

2.  Yogurt

Another great food to freeze in ice cube trays is yogurt.  If you find yogurt in your fridge getting close to the expiration date, pour it into ice cube trays and freeze it for later use.  These frozen yogurt cubes are perfect for smoothies or oatmeal for added protein and creaminess!

  • Related:  Stock Piling your Freezer: How to freeze Pancakes for a Quick Frugal Breakfast

3.  Cream

Cream will stay fresh in the fridge for about a month, but if you have cream that is getting close to expiring you could freeze it in an ice cube tray for later use.  The frozen cream is perfect to use when making butter, ice cream, sauces, soups, or whipped cream.

4.  Pumpkin

My Pumpkin Cookie recipe (which you can find in my cook book here) calls for about 3/4 can of pumpkin puree.  Instead of throwing away the extra 1/4 can of pumpkin I have started freezing it in cubes, and loving it! 

These pumpkin cubes are perfect to add to smoothies or protein drinks, but can also be used in all of your pumpkin baking!  If you have a baby at home you can even use it to feed your little one!

5.  Pesto

Another food that will freeze well is pesto!  Freezing pesto in an ice cube tray is a great way to save it for use in pasta recipes, eggs, sauces, or salad dressing.  The cubes are so easy to pop out of the freezer to use in a quick fix!

6.  Tomato Paste

Most of my recipes requiring tomato paste only need 1-2 Tablespoons, making the majority of the can go to waste. 

Instead of throwing it away, I have learned to freeze that excess in ice cube trays to use for later.  These freeze really well and are perfectly proportioned for my stew recipes!  Yay!

7.  Lemon Juice

You can even freeze fresh squeezed lemon juice, or bottled lemon juice!  The ice cube portions are perfect for drizzling over salads, using in baking, lemonade or for making buttermilk substitute.

  • Related:  Freeze Chicken in Bulk and 6 Freezer Chicken Recipes

8.  Herbs in Olive Oil

Don’t let fresh herbs go to waste.  Instead of tossing out fresh herbs, use an ice cube tray to preserve them.  All you have to do is place the herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage, and oregano work best) in an ice cube tray, filling it about 3/4 full, and fill the rest of the cube with olive oil.  Freeze the tray following directions at the top of the article.  You can pull these cubes out of the freezer to use in soups and stews.

In Conclusion

The next time you have a small amount of food leftover and you don’t know what to do with it, consider freezing it in an ice cube tray!  This kitchen hack is so easy and a great way to save some pennies!

Related Articles:

How to Freeze Raspberries

How To Freeze Fresh Corn

Best Ways To Store Produce To Keep It Fresh Longer

 

I hope this helps you learn how to prevent food waste by freezing leftovers in an ice cube tray.

Hello! I’m Melanie!

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