Eating fresh is healthier. However, fresh foods can be tough to preserve for an extended period of time. Working to preserve food for longer will allow you to save money that is often wasted by buying fresh each week. Here are some tips for making your fresh foods last as long as possible.
Video Overview
Keep Vegetables Fresh Longer:
- Onions: You can put your onions in panty hose. When doing this they last up to 6 months.
- Recipes rarely call for an entire can of tomato paste. Keep spoonfuls of leftover paste wrapped in wax paper and keep it in a ziploc bag that can be frozen for up to 5 months.
- Rinse lettuce, green onions, and even cilantro in water. Wrap in a towel and put in a tupperware to keep fresh and crisp longer.
- Ginger, celery and beets preserve best when canned with water.
- Herbs keep longer when baked and put into a shaker container. Baking dries the herb and allows for prolonged preservation. They can also undergo preservation for an extended period of time when combined with olive oil and frozen in an ice container. When melted they are easily added to any recipe.
- Garlic saved by storing in a holey paper bag keeps fresh for 6 months.
- Boiled water, sugar, salt and vinegar added to a jar of chopped cauliflower, red onions, bell peppers and cucumber will create pickled varieties that will stay preserved for months or even years.
- Wrap celery, carrots, and cucumbers in foil to keep crunchy for longer.
Keep Fruit Fresh Longer:
- Diced watermelon will stay good in the fridge for up to a week when put in a strainer and drained of all the extra juice and covered with saran wrap.
- Leftover avocado, preserved with a few drops of lemon is saveable for a week in a ziploc bag.
- Keep fresh tomatoes in a tupperware container upside down to keep moisture from entering the fruit for a longer shelf life.
- Store apples and potatoes together in a basket with a towel to keep sprouts from starting. This will keep both items fresh for longer.
- Add salt and water to lemons and store in a canning jar to preserve for up to 6 months.
- Keep banana ends in water to keep fresh for longer.
- Keep strawberries, blueberries and raspberries in mason jars to extend shelf life.
Other Fresh Foods:
- Fresh mozzarella, gorgonzola and feta stay fresh for three months when sealed in tupperware with water and a bit of salt.
To see the full list of preservation techniques, see the following post for further inspiration.
