Americans wastea lotof food.
In fact,31% of retail and consumer food goes uneaten, according to the USDA.
Thats almost a third.
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Its easy to understand why.
Weve all been there you go grocery shopping with great intentions.
Then you come home, only to be seduced by the convenience of pizza delivery or takeout Chinese.
Most of what youre throwing away is probably fresh produce.
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Shelved items usually have a pretty decent, well, shelf life.
And most of us know how to quickly freeze up the meat from the grocery.
But produce is a fickle mistress.
Different items need to be treated in surprisingly different ways for the best results.
So heres how to store your fruits and veggies.
Theyll do best in the crisping drawer.
verify your fridge isnt cold enough to freeze them!
All of their cells will rupture, leaving you with mealy apples yuck.
Also, because apples produce a gas called ethylene as they ripen, never store them with potatoes.
The gas is harmless, but it can make your potatoes go soft and sprouty well before their time.
(Your potatoes shouldnt be in the fridge anyway!
But well get to that.)
Avocados
This is a fun one, because you have so much control over the ripening process!
If your avocados are still hard and green, leave them at room temperature on the counter to ripen.
Why does this work?
it’s possible for you to also peel your bananas and freeze em.
I love using frozen bananas as a healthy base for my morning smoothie!
Raw broccoli requires airflow and moisture to stay fresh.
Your head of broccoli might last up to a week this way!
Itll keep this way for up to four days.
Then store them on paper towels to help soak up moisture.
And if you rinse them well, they wont taste a hint like vinegar, promisesAllrecipes Vanessa Greaves.
One caveat: This treatment might be a bit much for raspberries, which are quite delicate.
Just rinse before you eat them and do so quickly.
Carrots
Slice off the green tops, which draw moisture from the carrots, making them wither more quickly.
Just be sure to change the water frequently.
Citrus Fruit
Today in stuff this Florida girl shouldve known:Citrus fruit should be refrigerated!
Apparently, the vegetable drawer is the best spot anddontenclose oranges in airtight bags or containers.
Cucumbers
These guys shouldnt be in the fridge, which is definitely news to this salad-eater!
Theyll go soft days in advance if theyre stored below 50 degrees.
Theyre sensitive to ethylene, so keep them away from other countertop dwellers like bananas and tomatoes.
Fresh Herbs
Fresh herbs can be one of the biggest problem items when it comes to throwing groceries away.
Recipes always call for so little, and theyre sold in such big bunches!
Fortunately, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt over atSerious Eatsis.
The long version?Click throughfor the full details.
Leafy Greens
If youre trying to get more of these nutrient powerhouses into your diet, good for you!
But they can be a little intimidating to clean, prepare and store.
Keep the bunches whole, unless you plan on using them soon.
Then place the paper towel roll into a perforated, unsealed plastic bag.
Onions
First things first: Dont store onions in direct sunlight.
Keep your onions in a cool, dark, well-ventilated and dry place.
Some people store them intied-off pantyhoseand hang them on the back of a pantry door.
It allows them to breathe, while evaporating any moisture they come in contact with quickly.
Properly stored onions can stay fresh up to six months!
Potatoes
Potatoes do best in a cool, dark, dry place but not too cool.
Potatoes exposed to too much light may sprout.
Theyre still safe to eat, but you should cut the sprouts off first.
If you store them together,theyll both go bad more quickly.
Tomatoes
Youve probably heard thatputting tomatoes in the fridgeruins their flavor.
Just bring them back to room temperature before you consume them.
Jamie Cattanach (@jamiecattanach) is a contributor to The Penny Hoarder.
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