9 Useful Tricks To Make Your Food Last Longer

The food we eat, to be healthy, must always be fresh and in good condition. However, it is common that we do not use them immediately and we have to package, store or refrigerate them. Do you want your food to last longer?

Surely the following has happened to you at some time: go for a fruit, a vegetable or a steak, and distrust its appearance. In what way can we extend its useful life, preserving all its properties?

Today in our space we want to explain how to do it for your safety and that of yours. We are sure that you know many of these keys, so do not hesitate to leave us your comments about your own experiences.

The best tricks to make your food last longer

Most packaged foods and food products have an expiration date. According to the European Commission and the OCU (Organization of Consumers and Users), a food should never be consumed after the expiration date.

When it comes to unpackaged food, there are a number of tricks that can be used to help keep it fresh. Discover them!

“Eggs” to absorb the ethylene gas in your fridge

This data is sure to surprise you. The fruit and vegetables that we keep in our fridge give off ethylene gas. It is a type of unwanted compound that is produced when stored in closed spaces. This has a natural origin and is responsible for the ripening of fruits and vegetables.

The higher the ethylene gas, the faster the food spoils. Hence, a practical option to avoid this is to put in the refrigerator itself some small gadgets that they sell with original shapes (such as eggs) whose function is to absorb ethylene and release it as carbon dioxide and water. Very practical!

How to make strawberries last longer

Something that has ever happened to us is to buy strawberries and discover that, the next day, they have already gone bad. Besides not being exactly cheap, it bothers us a lot not to be able to consume them beyond the first day. Hence, this simple tip is worth keeping in mind:

For a kilo of strawberries:

• Put the strawberries in a bowl.
• Mix half a glass of water (100 ml) with a teaspoon of white vinegar (5 ml). 
• Drizzle it over the strawberries. The acidity of vinegar helps prevent the growth of microorganisms in food and is safe for your health. An ideal trick to make your food last longer!

Careful! Never store potatoes next to onions

If there are two staple foods in our kitchen, they are undoubtedly potatoes and onions. The first thing we must do to make them last longer is to remove the dirt from the potatoes with a brush or cloth.

• Do not wash the potatoes before storing them or they will end up rotting quickly. What you should do to make them last longer is to put them in a place with good ventilation and store them with an apple. Thanks to the ethylene that this fruit gives off, we avoid sprouts.
• As for the onions, if you want them to last several weeks, you just have to put them inside a stocking that you no longer use, and tie a knot so that they are separated from each other. Place them in a cool, dry and ventilated place and you will see how they last you in good condition.

What can I do so that the cheese does not dry out?

Another of the foods that tend to alter more easily is cheese. When we go to consume it, we notice that it is drier and, therefore, with a different flavor.

To prevent this from happening, you will only have to spread the cheese with a little butter. In this way it remains hydrated and neither the texture nor the flavor is altered. Don’t hesitate to try it!

Get your bananas to not ripen so fast

This trick is very simple and effective. If you do not want the bananas to spoil, you just have to wrap the top of them with plastic wrap or the typical plastic that is used to make the food last longer.

Preserve asparagus as if they were flowers

If you just came from the market with a bunch of green asparagus, a very effective way to prevent them from spoiling quickly is to place them in a glass of water. Something so simple always brings us good results. That way you can extend the good condition of the asparagus for when you need it.

Keep your avocados from browning

If there is something negative about avocados, it is that they spoil quickly. As soon as we open them a few hours later they end up darkening. What can we do?

• Never remove the central seed from the avocado.
• Cut a lemon in half and pass the surface of the citrus over the avocado pulp. That way it will last you much longer. It is very useful!

Dried fruits, better in a glass jar

If you usually buy this type of healthy food on a regular basis, don’t hesitate: nuts keep much better in a glass jar.

• Nuces, almonds, cashews, pistachios … Put them in a closed glass jar and store them in a cool place where they won’t get sun.
• What’s more, you can even store them in the fridge. The flavor will not change and they will continue to retain all their properties.

Mushrooms, better in a paper or cardboard bag

When we go to the supermarket we always buy the mushrooms or champignons in their respective plastic boxes. It is a way of selling them to the consumer: they look better and the quantities are limited.

Now, when you get home the first thing you should do is remove them from those plastic containers and place them in paper or cardboard bags, since the plastic drowns them. In this way our mushrooms do not spoil.

Still not doing anything to make your food last longer? Then apply all these tricks from now on. As you can see, they are simple measures that do not require too much effort.