Keeping your Food Fresher for Longer

There aren’t many things more frustrating than planning your evening meal on your way home from work and arriving to find everything you had purchased just a few days before has gone off.

As humans we are exceptionally good at buying too much food (“hmm, your eyes were bigger than your tummy…”). However, there are some occasions when perfectly good food does go off really quickly and it can all be prevented.

At Curtain World we have come up with our top ten food preservation tips to help keep what’s in your fridge fresher for longer.

Bananas

Bananas are the perfect fruit; they are delicious, require little to no preparation and can be eaten anywhere – but even when you buy them green on a Monday, by Friday they can be brown, soft and unappetising. To keep your bananas fresher for longer wrap the “stem” in foil or cling film – bananas produce a chemical that ripens everything around them. Covering the stems should stop the chemical reaching the rest of the banana. To keep the rest of your fruit fresher it is recommended to keep them away from bananas for the same reason.

Vegetables

Chef and writer Tamar Adler recommends cooking vegetables as soon as you buy them, refrigerating them and reheating them for warm salads, frittatas and vegetable curries throughout the week.

To keep your fresh veggies fresh, use these specifically designed bags that are proven to make your fruit and veg last significantly longer.

Potatoes

Store your potatoes with an apple to prevent them from sprouting. Adding an apple to a bag of russet potatoes can keep them sprout free for up to eight weeks due to the apple omitting low levels of ethylene gas which suppresses the potatoes cells from elongation, keeping your veggies fresher from longer.

Greens

When your salad is looking a little limp it doesn’t mean it’s time for the compost heap. If you place your greens in an ice and water bath, osmosis will occur and the fresh, cold water will revive dry areas of the leafy vegetables.

Berries

Keep your berries fresh and delicious by washing them in a bath of one part vinegar and three parts water to make them last longer. Vinegar will naturally kill mould and disinfect the fruit making them last up to a week longer – ensure you dry the fruit properly before storing in your fridge.

Lemons

Lemon juice is one of the best seasonings in the world and popular in the staple dishes of many countries. However it always feels like a waste when you cut open an entire lemon for just a couple of drops of juice – especially when the other half dries up in the fridge and has to be thrown out. When you only need a little juice, instead of halving the lemon, simply make a small hole with a fork so squeeze out what you need – leaving the rest of the lemon fresh and juicy.

Tomatoes

You might have noticed after storing your tomatoes in the fridge that they have become dried out or flavourless. A quick fix is to store your tomatoes stem side down on the kitchen counter as the moisture cannot leave through the minute holes.

Flour

The horrors of what can be found in your flour could put even the most passionate cook off baking for a couple of days. To keep your flour fresh and kill any weevils that may be lurking in the powder, simply wrap it well and store in the freezer – this will kill all the bugs and bacteria.

Leftovers

Store your left overs in canning jars NOT ziplock bags. They are airtight, leak proof, microwave safe (when you remove the lid) and look great in your fridge. Whilst ziplock bags do the job, canning jars will keep your leftovers in the best condition for longer.

Curtain World are dedicated to helping the people of Perth make the most of their homes with helpful and informative articles each month. We are leaders in Window Treatments in and around the Perth area- drop into one of our showrooms today or give us a call so we can come to you!