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Put an end to throwing out sad, spoiled produce with produce saving hacks, tips on how to keep guacamole from going brown, where to store food, and more!
BuzzFeed Staff
BuzzFeed Staff
These little pods absorb the ethylene emitted by fruits and vegetables to keep them fresh up to three times longer. Here’s a handy list of ethylene-producing and ethylene-sensitive foods from Real Simple.
Get a set of two from Walmart for $10.92.
Trim the ends and then place them in a glass jar, like a bouquet of flowers. For basil and cilantro, store them at room temperature.
Get a set of 12 pint-sized mason jars from Walmart for $8.69 or a set of 12 quart sized jars from Jet for $10.26.
Because bananas produce a lot of ethylene, a fruit-ripening gas, it's best to keep them away from other produce, unless you want to speed up their ripening. If you want to ripen an avocado more quickly, place it in a bag with a ripe banana.
Get a bamboo banana hammock from Jet for $10.62.
Because they're fairly delicate, placing them upside down thwarts air from entering through its stem, which accelerates ripening. If they're stored in the fridge, they'll lose flavor and develop a mealy texture.
According to the Kitchn, they'll get "chilling injuries" in the fridge, which include wateriness, pitting, and faster decay.
There are a number of ways to keep avocado green, and oil is one of them. You should also keep the pit in the guacamole.
Get a can of olive oil cooking spray from Walmart for $3.85.
Apparently, if you keep carrots fresh for an extremely long time, they'll re-grow their leafy tops. Immersed in water, carrots will stay fresh for weeks.
Make sure the green onions are completely dry before storing or they’ll get freezer burn.
It grates much more easily, and the peel grates up so fine that you don’t actually need to peel it. Plus it lasts way longer.
A plastic bag will trap moisture and cause them to mildew. Put them in a paper bag in the fridge or in a cool, dry place.
This will prevent them from getting moldy quickly. Compared to spoiling after a few days, they'll last for up to 1-2 weeks.
The ethylene produced by the apples stops the potatoes from sprouting. Who knew food science was this cool?
For maximum preservation, wrap the cheese in wax paper and then store it in a reusable bag in the fridge.
If you do end up chopping too much that you won't use in time, freeze it!
And try not to store corn in the fridge for too long. They'll taste sweeter the sooner you eat them but if you have to store them, keep them in their husks.
By keeping the roots attached, they'll continue to grow (if they're stored in a sunny spot and the temperature's warm) and you'll have a long-lasting supply of green onions.
But if you want to expedite ripening, then place them in direct sunlight (works great for avocados).
You can pretty much freeze anything! Some key things to remember are that vegetables freeze better after they're blanched, which retains their texture and nutrients, and some foods like avocados will freeze better after being treated with a citric wash. Here's a helpful, comprehensive guide to freezing all types of fruits and vegetables.
Get started with some freezer bags ($3.99), airtight containers (salsas and jams) ($15.95), and freezer tape ($1.83) - all at Walmart.