Thrifty Thursday - Keeping Produce Fresh

I can't tell you how many times we've thrown away spoiled fruits and vegetables, but I know it's quite a few. Just the other day we threw away an entire stalk of celery because it wilted before we could use it.

I read a post from The V Spot about how to keep produce fresh, and hopefully now I'll be able to keep the food wasting to a minimum.

Here are a few things I didn't know.

First, I didn't know that some fruits and veggies produce ethylene gas that can spoil other foods near it.

• Apples produce lots of ethylene and shouldn't be stored near anything else. Also, to keep them fresh, store them in a plastic bag in the fridge and don't wash them until right before eating.
• Berries shouldn't be washed until ready to eat. Washing them removes their natural preservatives and can make them begin to break down faster.
• I wish I would've known this about celery. Wash it when you get home from the store, wrap in a paper towel, then wrap it tightly in foil and store in the crisper. Apparently it'll stay fresh for weeks!
• A whole head of garlic will store at room temperature for over a month. Once separated, it'll only last about 10 days.
• Onions store for months in a cool, dry place, but don't keep them next to potatoes -- they'll spoil faster (I ALWAYS keep them together ... maybe that's why my potatoes seem to shrivel so fast).
• Potatoes can also store for months in a cool, dry place. But, keep them away from the onions!

For many more fresh-veggie tips, view the whole post from The V Spot  here.

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