How To Store Your Fruit & Veg To Reduce Food Waste
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8 months ago
Simple ways to reduce food waste in your fridge
We’ve all been there: you do a big shop on Sunday and jam pack the fridge with fruit and veg, only to discover half of it unused and wilted the following week. Clearly, overbuying will lead to wastage – and, indeed, it’s estimated that 70 percent of food waste happens in our homes. Yet by storing fruit and vegetables properly, we can ensure we make the most out of it – and enjoy fresher, tastier ingredients. Here are some top tips from eco-minded grocer Abel & Cole, to tie in with Food Waste Action Week.
How Can We Extend The Life Of Fruit & Veg?
Squash
Mashed potato, spaghetti, butternut, red onion
Where: Fridge/ kitchen counter
Top tips: Keep thick-skinned squashes out on the kitchen counter. Delicate squashes like butternut and pattipan can be kept in the fridge.
Root Veg
Potatoes, carrots, beetroot, parsnips
Where: Fridge
Top tips: Put heavier veggies in the salad crisper at the bottom of the fridge. Remove from their paper bags to stop them from drying out as quickly.
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Mushrooms
Where: Fridge
Top tips: Store mushrooms in their card punnets in your fridge. If left unused, they can dry out but will still be good to cook with.
Tomatoes
Where: Cool, shaded spot
Top tips: Tomatoes don’t belong in the fridge. Enjoy red, slightly soft tomatoes as soon as possible. If they’re firm, pop them somewhere cool to ripen.
Citrus
Oranges, lemons, limes, clementines, grapefruit
Where: Fridge
Top tips: Green skins don’t affect the taste of your citrus. They’re just a sign of the season. Bring your fruit to room temperature before enjoying.
Legumes
Broad, runner and French beans, garden peas
Where: Fridge
Top tips: Remove from paper and put in a plastic bag. If you’re short on space, pod them into an airtight container.
Berries
Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries
Where: Fridge
Top tips: Enjoy your berries straight out of the punnet. If you put them in the fridge, make sure they’re front and centre, so they don’t get missed.
Greens
Lettuce, rocket, salad, spinach
Where: Fridge
Top tips: Tear leaves off whole lettuces and store in a container with a lid. Your leaves will last longer, ready to use when you need. Keep heavy items from squashing your salad. Enjoy as soon as possible.
Bananas
Where: Fruit bowl
Top tips: Bananas belong in your fruit bowl at room temperature. If they’re still green, they’ll ripen faster in a paper bag where it’s warm.
Soft herbs
Basil, dill, parsley, chervil, coriander
Where: Top of fridge door
Top tips: Soft herbs can be cold sensitive, especially basil. Keep in the warmest part of your fridge – the top of the door.
Mediterranean vegetables
Aubergines, peppers, courgettes
Where: Fridge
Top tips: Enjoy Med veg sooner rather than later. Don’t let them go forgotten at the back of your fridge.
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Tender fruits
Pears, melons, peaches, nectarines, avocados, cherries, mangoes
Where: Fridge/ fruit bowl
Top tips: Test ripeness with a gentle squeeze. If they give a little, eat straight away or store in the fridge. If firm, pop them into your fruit bowl to soften up. Place next to bananas, to help ripen faster.
Miscellaneous
Apples, grapes, cucumber, celery, broccoli, carrot
Where: Fridge
Top tips: Keep these from wilting and wrinkling by storing in the fridge. Give broccoli florets a good wash before use.
Storing fruit and vegetable tips from Abel & Cole, buy fruit and vegetables at abelandcole.co.uk
