Written By Go Vita
Sick of your avocados turning brown too soon? We’ve created the ultimate list to eco-friendly, plastic-free ways to store your fruit and veggies so that they taste their best for longer. Cut food waste in your home by following these handy food storage hacks:
How to store fruit & veggies: the natural way
Bananas (and other ethylene producing foods)
Ever noticed that when you put bananas in the fruit bowl everything goes off before you get the chance to eat it? Bananas and a handful of other fruit such as tomatoes, all stone fruit, rock melon, honeydew melon, mangoes and paw paw release a natural plant hormone called ethylene which is known to speed up the ripening process of many ethylene-sensitive produce. For longer lasting fruit be sure to keep your bananas away from apples, watermelon, carrots, lettuce, potatoes, eggplant, cucumbers and asparagus – or use this strategically to move things along when needed!
Tomatoes
Tomatoes have the most extraordinary fresh taste when stored at room temperature, so pull them from your fridge. They will last up to two weeks on the counter top, or if needed you can speed up the ripeness by placing them in a paper bag with an apple.
Strawberries
Strawberries don’t like to get wet so to keep them at their happiest, place them in a paper bag in the fridge and check for moisture every other day.
Apples
Apples love to stay crisp and fresh in the produce drawer of your fridge, but to preserve apple slices and help them last till lunch time be sure to squeeze a little lemon juice onto the flesh.
Avocados
Goodbye temperamental avocados and devastated smashed avos brekkys – to get the perfect smooth avocado you can speed up the ripening process by keeping your avos on the counter, and slow it down by placing them in the fridge.
The best storage hack we have found for keeping your open avocado perfect a few days longer is to cover the exposed avocado in olive oil and store in an airtight container in the fridge. They also keep really well in a medium sized Honeybee Beeswax Wrap!
Onions & Potatoes
We all keep onions and potatoes at the bottom of the cupboard, right? We did too, but little did we know we were making them go off faster. Store your potatoes in a paper bag then store both potatoes and onions separately in a cool (not cold), dark place. If you are storing your potatoes in the fridge you will be changing the taste by speeding up the process of starches turning into sugars, this gives them a sweet gritty flavour.
Basil
Storing basil in the fridge will make it wilt faster than other herbs, instead you can keep basil fresh for up to two weeks outside of the fridge. Trim the bottom of the herbs and place them in a jar or glass with a few inches of water, keep them out of direct sunlight and replace the water daily to keep them fresh.
Green Herbs
Store the remainder of your green herbs in fridge, keep them up the front where it’s not too cold, wrapped in a Honeybees Beeswax wraps folded up like a bouquet.
Mangoes
For perfect sun kissed mangoes, you can ripen your mangoes faster on the counter or out in the sun for a few days and slow them down in the fridge. They need air so don’t place them in a plastic bag or container, leave them to breathe. Remember that your mangoes shouldn’t be refrigerated until they are ripe, for the best flavour possible.
Asparagus
Steer clear of the fridge with happy and fresh tasting Asparagus spears, instead place them loose and upright in a glass or bowl of room temperature water. They will last up to a week.
Products we love
Keep your fruit and veg happy and reduce waste in your home by opting for plastic free produce when shopping, we find this easiest to do when shopping in local fresh markets and bulk food stores. Visit Berwick Bulk Foods to find all kinds of plastic free, eco and reusable grocery goods that you can opt for when doing your shopping such as produce bags, stainless steel containers, beeswax wraps and reusable bottles and straws.
We can hardly remember what life was like before Honeybee Beeswax Wraps, available in different sizes and colours, simple to use and made with the purest ingredients – no nasties in sight. Beeswax and jojoba oil have amazing antibacterial properties that aid in keeping your food fresh for longer
Simply mould the honeybee wrap to the top of the dish by using the warmth and pressure of your hands to create a seal. Use the same method for wrapping vegetables, cheeses, sandwiches and snacks on the go. It is not recommended for meat.
After use simply wash your honeybee wrap in cool water with a mild dish soap rinse, air dry and store in your kitchen drawer. Avoid microwaves, ovens and dishwasher.
