Letting food go to waste is a crying shame. So much time, effort, and resources have gone into producing the food that we eat, so failing to plan and letting it go to waste is far from ideal. So many of us are notoriously bad at letting fruits and vegetables go to waste, which is the focus of this article. This is often due to poor management on our part, as the fruits and veggies that we buy don’t have an unlimited shelf-life by any means. So, to help you reduce your food waste, here are some of our top tips on how to be much more mindful with the storage and preservation of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Let’s start with bananas
Bananas are super popular and are a delicious addition to your healthful morning smoothie. However, they can go bad quickly if you don’t know how to store them correctly. First and foremost, you shouldn’t keep bananas in the fridge, and you should store them in isolation. This is because other fruits like pears and apples release ethylene gas, which causes your bananas to ripen faster than they should. In turn, once the ethylene has ripened your bananas, they then ripen other fruits, causing a knock-on effect that essentially causes your fruits and veggies within close proximity to go bad. If you’ve bought bananas that are too ripe, peel them right away and bag them up. You can then add them to smoothies for a delicious creamy texture that is hard to beat!
What about avocados?
Avocados are highly sought after, but they’re also super expensive. The last thing you want to happen is for your avocados to spoil as soon as you’ve brought them home from the supermarket. To prevent this from happening, you need to take the right steps to preserve your precious avos straight away. You should begin by storing your avos at room temperature until they are ripe. Once they have ripened, place them in the fridge. If you want to ripen your avocados quickly, place them in a paper bag with a banana or apple. As mentioned above, certain fruits release ethylene gas, which causes other fruits and veggies to ripen more quickly. But what happens if you’ve already cut your prized avocados?
Well, as soon as you’ve pierced the skin of an avocado, leave the stone in and wrap the remaining avo tightly in coin film. You should then pop them in an airtight container, which you can keep in the fridge until you’re ready to enjoy them in the near future. Alternatively, freezing avocados is an effective way of preventing them from spoiling. To prepare your avocados for the freezer, mash them and add a little bit of lemon juice before placing them in a freezer-safe bag or airtight container. You can then add avocado to a delicious smoothie for a creamy and delicious addition.
Keeping celery fresh
Rich in minerals and vitamins and boasting a low glycemic index, celery is a great veggie to keep in your fridge. When you bring it home from the supermarket, wrap the root end of the celery in a paper towel and place the entire bunch in a ziplock bag. It’s best to squeeze out as much air as possible from the bag before sealing it. Once chopped, you should place your celery in an airtight container and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to enjoy it. You can also freeze chopped celery if you don’t plan on using it all in one go, which is an effective way of preventing it from spoiling.
Ultimately, taking steps to prevent fresh fruits and vegetables from spoiling is important if we’re to effectively reduce food waste. The great news is that bananas, avocados, and celery are all ideal additions to a range of delicious smoothies, meaning you can take them out of the fridge or freezer before adding them to the recipe of your choice.
