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You may already be aware of the basics of fridge optimization \u2013 keeping a 2 - 4\u00b0C temperature, using your crisper drawers properly, and putting items that need to be used first up front (to name a few). In this blog, we\u2019re going to focus on salad, fruit and vegetables, the trickiest foods to keep fresh.<\/p>
To start, here are a few general principles:<\/p>
Use your fridge: Fruits and vegetables still \u201cbreathe\u201d even after they\u2019ve been harvested. Warmth speeds up this respiration and cold slows it down, so putting them into the fridge can make them last longer.<\/p>
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Let produce breathe: Airtight wrappings can trap gasses that make fruits decay faster, so (if you use plastic produce bags) take your items out before putting them away.<\/p>
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Keep salad, fruit and vegetables dry: Moisture often encourages decomposition and mould growth, so make sure your produce is dry when it goes into the fridge. Ideally, avoid washing your fruits and veggies until you\u2019re ready to eat them and use a bit of vinegar to help kill any existing bacteria.<\/p>
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Store the right produce in the right location. Some fruit and veggies store best at room temperature. Whereas some need room temperature to ripen, but then need to be stored in the fridge once ripened.<\/p>
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Keeping salad, fruit and veggies in their prime can help you avoid throwing away food, but there are quite a few other things you can do to avoid food waste. Here are a few tips other tips to look into:<\/p>
Food product dates can be misleading. Learn more about what they mean and when you can ignore them.<\/p>
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Growing your own veggies and herbs is a great way to keep them alive until the moment you need them.<\/p>
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Find creative ways to use typical \u201cscrap\u201d food items and use your leftovers in novel ways.<\/p>
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And if you do need to throw away food, make sure to compost!<\/p><\/li><\/ul>
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You\u2019ve probably heard the stat before -- if food waste were a country it would be the third largest contributor to global warming (after the U.S. and China). According to sustainability charity WRAP<\/a>, household food waste makes up 70% of the UK\u2019s total loss, and most of that is fresh produce like fruit and vegetables. But it\u2019s not all doom and gloom because the amount of food we throw away is<\/em> going down. There was a reduction of almost 6% between 2015 and 2018<\/a> and figures are now almost 18% lower than they were in 2007.<\/p> Financial (one-time):<\/strong> None.<\/p> None of these tips have any appreciable costs.<\/p> Financial (ongoing):<\/strong> Negative (You SAVE money!!)<\/p> The more food you save from going bad, the more money you save too!<\/p> Time Commitment: <\/strong>Periodic.<\/p> Once you get in the habit of storing produce properly, you\u2019ll get things into place in a snap!<\/p>![\"cvotaguijweuf7nkd2lhkg8kxpt4bwdw5lvien52ctlldllc.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/cvotaguijweuf7nkd2lhkg8kxpt4bwdw5lvien52ctlldllc.jpg\")
Buy a Love Veg T-Shirt here<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>Your impact<\/h3>
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