Food wastage is a huge issue for many households. The UK on average throws away around 9.5 million tonnes of food waste in a single year. Reducing the amount we throw away is important environmentally and financially. Storing food correctly allows food to last longer meaning you are not throwing money straight into the bin. The high street is ready and waiting for you to buy their latest food storage product such as the avocado cover. Some of these products on the market are very useful but do come with a price. Alternatively using what you already have is more cost-effective and eco-friendly. We all have plastic boxes and Tupperware in cupboards in the kitchen, these are very useful for storing items. Upcycling jars and old materials to make veg bags is also a zero-waste solution.
Bananas produce ethylene gas so should not be stored near any other fruit as it will speed up the ripening, then your fruit will begin to rot. Keeping the bananas out of the fruit bowl. Also, separate your bunch of bananas as it stops the ethylene from traveling down the fruit. Bananas are a very easy fruit to freeze, chop the banana up into desired sizes pieces into containers with some berries that you have prepped smoothies for another day.
Onions also produce ethylene gas so keeping your onions separate from other root vegetables prevents rapid ripening. The best place for onions is in a dark cool place. It was common several decades ago. Keeping onions in cloth string-up bags kept them from any unwanted ripening and onions lasted longer. Another great tip is if you have an excessive amount of onion you can preserve them in a red onion chutney. Alternatively, slice or chop your onion store it in a container, and place it in the freezer this means that you have easy access to the chopped onion.
Potatoes like onions like to be kept in a cool dark place. Cloth bags are great to store potatoes or in a basket that can be stored in a cupboard. Either option is great at keeping potatoes. If you do find that your potatoes are sprouting then use them don't throw them away. Grow your own and place them in a container around a third of the way down, filling the container with a mixture of compost and soil. Give them a good watering and feed preferably organic plant food. Potatoes take around 12 weeks to grow to maturity. Potatoes are a very easy vegetable to grow and a good starting point. Also, it is great fun digging up the potatoes, especially with children it is like finding buried treasure.
Lemon and limes are the one thing that I bought and they would go all horrible and dry after a couple of days. Now I keep my citrus in the fridge in a container that is filled with water. The water keeps the citrus hydrated and lasting so much longer than they did before. Another way to keep lemon and limes longer especially for drinks. Cut all of them in wedges and freeze, so when you have poured yourself a drink you can add your frozen lemon or lime wedge as an ice cube.
Carrots are made up of 80% of water and when they start to ripen they start to go soft. Keeping our carrots crunchy is the goal. Submerging carrots into the water helps to keep them hydrated and crunchy. Keep them in a container filled with water in the fridge and they will last much longer than before. Alternatively cut up your carrot into your preferred shape then put it in a container and then place it in the freezer. Pull out the amount you need lowering your wastage.
Storing food is a great way to minimise food wastage. Finding what works for you and your household helps to make storing food. Reducing your food waste will benefit both your pocket and the environment.