Ah! The woes of limited shelf lives of groceries! It is so hard to manage trips to the grocery store and manage the rigmarole of life, only to know that it is time again to visit the store. The reason? Spoilt produce. Well, everything has a life of its own and spoiling is inevitable, but you can at least try to make things last as long as they possibly can. Here are some tips to manage your groceries better.

1. Organize Your Fridge:

It is important to maintain your refrigerator. Each slot in the refrigerator is made specifically for certain things. Do keep these things in mind while organizing your fridge.

1. Make sure the temperature is lower than 5 degrees centigrade to thwart the growth of bacteria.
2. Check the humidity settings of the drawers to maintain freshness in the food.
3. Store your leftovers neatly in boxes on the second shelf of your fridge. They will surely last for about four days.
4. Make sure you avoid storing fruits, vegetables, and meat together to avoid spoilage.
5. Store your milk on the second shelf of the refrigerator. Storing it on the door could lead to spoilage since every time you open the doors and shut them, the temperature fluctuates.
6. Meat must be wrapped well and stored, preferably on the lower shelves, to avoid dripping, which could lead to contaminating and spoiling the other produce.
7. Make sure there is enough air circulation. Do not overcrowd your refrigerator.
8. Do not slice your food unless you are ready to consume. Chopped fruits, veggies or meat tend to spoil faster.
9. Before you make the next trip to the grocery store, reshuffle and check what you have and what you need.

2. Clean Your Fridge:

Having laid down the maintenance rules for your refrigerator, make sure you clean it well from time to time. Wipe out spills, and throw out old and expired food. Remember you consume the food that sits beside it. Is that motivation enough to clean up?

3. Fridge Balls:

These balls are ethylene gas absorbers. It is a good idea to invest in them. They absorb the ethylene produced by the fruits and veggies, making sure they last at least three times longer.

4. Storing Guidelines:

This list will give you some perspective on what you can store in the refrigerator, and what you cannot. Much needed, wasn’t it?

5. Avoid Mildew In Mushrooms:

To ensure mushrooms last longer, make sure you store them in a paper bag and not in a plastic bag. The plastic bag traps moisture that causes mildew. You can store the mushrooms in the refrigerator or in a cool, dry place.

6. Tomato Trouble:

Make sure you don’t store tomatoes in plastic bags. Plastic traps the ethylene that the tomatoes emit, causing them to ripen faster.

Keep the unripe tomatoes upside down in a paper bag for them to turn red.

If you want the tomatoes to ripen fast, keep them with other fruits. The gases they emit will promote ripening.

Ripe tomatoes should be stored at room temperature, away from sunlight, and in a way that they do not touch each other. Make sure the stem faces upwards.

Overripe tomatoes should be refrigerated but consumed only at room temperature.

7. Of Green Onions:

Make sure you wash, finely chop, completely dry and then freeze green onions in plastic bottles. They are sure to last much longer.

8. Storing Herbs:

Most herbs are delicate, just like flowers, and they must be treated with great care so that they last longer. Herbs like parsley, cilantro, chives and basil should be wrapped in plastic and loosely tied with a rubber band, and then refrigerated.

9. Keeping Oily Herbs:

Thyme, for instance, should be loosely tied and left out in the open. It will last long and stay fresh.

10. Freezing Herbs:

This is a great way to ensure the longevity of the herbs, as well as infuse flavor in the oil. Just chop up some fresh herbs, mix with olive oil, pour in an ice tray and freeze. When you need them, you could just pop a cube in your dish while cooking. This works very well with rosemary, thyme, sage and oregano. Always remember that mint, basil, and dill should always be used fresh.

11. Herb Savors:

If you use lots of herbs, investing in these are a very good idea. The herbs last for up to three weeks in a herb savor.

12. Fragile Asparagus:

Store them like flowers. Cut the stems and place them in water. Cover with a plastic bag and refrigerate. They will stay crisp for up to a week for sure. This will automatically make them last longer.

13. Potatoes And Apples:

They say, if you pinch your nose and eat apples and potatoes, they taste the same. Whether they do or not, storing apples with potatoes will discourage the potatoes from sprouting. Long Live Potatoes!

14. Pantyhose For Onions:

Pop the onions in a pantyhose and tie knots between the onions. Your onions could last up to 8 months this way.

15. Berrylicious:

To make sure you get the best out of your berries, prepare a mixture of one part apple cider vinegar and ten parts water. Give the berries a quick rinse in the mixture and drain the liquid. Then wash in water and refrigerate. You won’t taste the vinegar for sure, and raspberries will last for a week and strawberries for up to two weeks.

16. Rotten Apples:

It is not just a tale – one rotten apple is sure to spoil the rest.

17. Storing The Greens:

To ensure that celery, broccoli and cabbage stay crisp for more than four weeks, just roll them up in tin foil and refrigerate. The results are guaranteed!

18. Onions & Potatoes:

They are both meant to be stored at room temperature. But storing them together is a bad idea. Onions, when stored by themselves in a cool, dry place with good air circulation, can last for about 2-3 months.

19. Fresh Salad:

If you are into salads, you must invest in a salad spinner to drain out all the moisture from the leaves. They won’t wilt and will also ensure your salad lasts longer. Then, there is also the paper towel method. Once your salad is ready but you want to eat it later, toss your salad in a bowl, top it with a paper towel, and wrap the bowl with cling film. Your salad will remain fresh and tasty.

20. Ginger Freeze:

The best way to store ginger is by freezing it. It not only lasts longer and is easier to peel, but also the peel becomes very fine. You can then easily grate the ginger.

21. Keeping Cheese Moist:

Dabbing a little bit of butter to the sides of cut cheese will keep it from drying out.

22. A Cheese Wrap:

The ideal way of storing cheese is to wrap it in cheese paper, or wax paper, and then in a plastic bag, and keeping it in the warmest corner of your refrigerator (the vegetable drawer). Do not wrap cheese in plastic directly.

23. SavingGuacamole:

Drizzling a little olive oil or spraying some cooking spray over guacamole will keep it from changing color.

24. Long Live Bananas:

You have probably heard of this one, and it is true. Wrapping up the crown of bananas with cling film will help them last at least 3 to 4 days longer. Also, keep bananas isolated on a counter top, with lots of air circulation, as bananas emit more ethylene gas than any other fruit.

25. Roast Nuts:

As soon as you buy nuts, make sure you roast them and then freeze them. Roasted nuts have more flavor, last longer and can be used in any recipe that needs nuts. All you need to do is set your oven to 350 degrees, spread out the nuts, and bake them for about fifteen minutes until they are fragrant and golden.

26. Befriend Mason Jars:

They definitely help in keeping the food fresh longer and are a healthier alternative to plastic Tupperware boxes that tend to deteriorate and stain easily.

27. Bottle Caps:

Recycle and reuse is always the mantra, and this hack is really quite brilliant. Cut out the bottleneck from a plastic bottle and use it, as shown, to seal all your plastic bags. You don’t need boxes, and the food is sure to stay good longer. Just make sure the bottle caps are completely dry before you use them.

Freshness Galore!

The post 27 Grocery Hacks That Will Ensure A Longer Shelf Life appeared first on STYLECRAZE.

by Shirin Mehdi via STYLECRAZE