PLACING your fruit and veg in the wrong place could be costing you money.
An astonishing £3.8billion is lost each year because food is thrown away according to experts.
That includes 320,000 tonnes of fresh fruit and 1.3million tonnes of veg, say anti-waste charity WRAP.
Storing your food correctly means you can not only make produce last longer, but stop throwing away cash too.
The experts at food waste app Too Good To Go, which helps save unsold food from going in the bin, have revealed the right way to make your food last for longer.
Co-founder Jamie Crummie explains what you should be doing.
AVOID THE FRIDGE
Certain items actually last longer when you DON’T put them in the fridge.
Avocados, peppers and tomatoes are among the produce that should be placed on the kitchen counter instead.
As well as lasting longer, they’ll taste better too.
BANANA SPLIT
While some prefer them brown, for many of us throwing away a bunch of the over-ripened bananas is an unfortunately common occurrence.
But there’s a surprisingly simple move that will extend their life – splitting them up.
Having them less close to each other means they ripen more slowly.
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”Samsung’s latest fridges can tell if your food is going off – and suggests meals” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”default” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6366968170112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]STAY COOL
While there are fruits and veg that do better on the kitchen counter, on the flip-side others are always best placed in the fridge.
Citrus fruit is one of them. That’s because lemons, limes and oranges contain largely water.
Placing them in the fridge prevents them from shrivelling.
HERB TRICK
If you find that bunches of herbs are quick to wilt there’s a neat trick for keeping them perky.
Place the plants in some water, just like you would with flowers, and they will last much longer.
Another option for extending their life even further is chopping them up and freezing them in ice cube trays.
Whenever you need them, you can grab them straight from the tray and chuck them in to a dish you’re cooking.
The ice will melt and then be cooked off, leaving the flavourful garnish in your dish as if from fresh.
SHELF SWITCH
Picking the right shelf is essential when putting way your shopping in the fridge.
Not only will you avid wasting food as it will last longer, but you’ll reduce the chances of harmful bacteria growing.
Meat, fish and seafood always lives at the bottom. That’s to avoid any juices spilling on to food below. It’s also the coldest part of the fridge, so fresher produce should sit here.
On the top shelf where it’s the least cool (though still cold) should sit less perishable items such as butter, yogurt and cheese.
Fridges are typically designed to with drawers lower down for this reason, which is where you’ll find fruit and veg will last longest.
Leftovers, ready meals and cooked meats can sit in the middle, while less cool door shelves can hold items like eggs, jam, sauces and drinks.
DIVIDING LINE
It’s not just bananas that should be split up. Fruit and veg should be kept apart in separate drawers.
That’s because they prefer different humidities – veg higher and fruit lower.
WRAP IT UP
Meanwhile certain veg can benefit from being wrapped up.
Carrots and greens like cabbage can last up to ten times longer when you wrap them up in a paper towel and place them in an airtight container.
DON’T OVERFILL
A well stocked fridge means you’re not paying to cool fresh air. But on the other hand you want it to work effectively.
That means you should avoid overfilling your fridge so that the air can properly circulate.
IN AND OUT
While some fruit and veg is best stored in the fridge, and others out, theirs one type of fruit where it can benefit from both.
Peaches, nectarines and other stone fruits should be stored in a fruit bowl at first.
But once they are riper they are best stored in the fridge to make them last the optimal amount of time.