Keep Produce Fresh Longer with These 10 Tricks

I love to stock up on produce whenever I’m at Costco. But I get so mad at myself when I end up throwing half of it away because it goes bad before I have a chance to eat it! So I’ve been trying to figure out different ways to keep produce fresh longer so I’m not wasting so much money and food!

If you want to learn how to make your produce last as long as possible keep reading!

How to Make produce last longer

1 | Use liners in your produce drawers

These drawer liners are made with special anti-mold material that protects the fruits and vegetables from spoiling and they also absorb moisture. They allow air to circulate throughout the drawer to prevent produce from rotting or spoiling. You can buy a pack of 4 on Amazon for pretty cheap!

Related: How to Eat Healthy on a Budget

2 | Avoid washing berries until you’re ready to eat them

Excess moisture can cause premature spoilage. So don’t bother washing your berries until right before your plan to eat them.

3 | Learn which foods should never be stored together

There are some fruits and vegetables that should never be stored together. Certain kinds of produce create high amounts of ethylene gas. Ethylene gas causes fruits and veggies to ripen faster. Foods that produce a high amount of ethylene gas should be stored separately from ethylene sensitive foods. You can click here to learn which fruits and vegetables produce high amounts of ethylene gas.

4 | Reduce Ethylene Gas

You can actually reduce the amount of ethylene gas in your produce drawers by using activated carbon. You can buy the product above on Amazon. It’s a blue plastic apple with activated carbon packets inside. You place these in your produce drawers and it will reduce odors and keep produce fresher longer by slowing down the rate of spoilage by absorbing ethylene gas.

5 | Wrap celery in aluminum foil

I can’t stand soft, floppy celery. Celery is best when it’s crispy and crunchy. When celery loses water it becomes wilted and limp. Wrapping celery in aluminum foil will keep it hydrated. Make sure to wrap the foil tight so moisture can not get out. But don’t crimp the edges shut. That way the ethylene gas can still escape.

6 | Store produce in the freezer

If you want your produce to last a really long time, store it in the freezer. I know not all fruits and veggies keep well in the freezer but many do – broccoli, green beans, brussel sprouts, berries, peaches, etc. If you know for sure you’re not going to be able to eat something before it goes bad, toss it in the freezer. Easy peasy!

7 | Squirt avocado with lemon juice

Cutting an avocado in half and having to throw away the other half because it turned brown is an absolute tragedy. Especially because it can be easily prevented. Just squirt a little bit of lemon juice on the half you intend to save for later and it will prevent it from turning brown.

8 | Use storage containers

These storage containers are awesome. Especially for storing leafy greens! They have a crisp tray at the bottom to elevate produce away from moisture and promote airflow to help prevent spoilage. They also have a built in lid filter that never needs replacing. You can check these containers out on Amazon.

9 | Examine produce carefully before purchasing

Make sure your produce is as fresh as possible when you buy it. Examine it carefully and make sure there are no obvious signs of rotting or spoiling. Especially if it’s an item that is prepackaged like lettuce. Look for browning and always check the dates on the package when available. The fresher the produce is when you buy it, the longer it will last!

10 |Use produce storage bags

I love these storage bags! They actually remove ethylene gas which helps preserve your fruit and veggies. The bags are BPA free and are made from a natural mineral. They claim to keep produce fresh for 30 days. I haven’t tried storing produce in these bags for that length of time so unfortunately I can’t share my experience with that but whenever I do use these I’m always impressed at how fresh the produce stays. It’s crazy. You can buy them on Amazon.

If you have any secrets you would like to share about how you keep your produce from going bad fast please let us know in the comments below!