Bored Panda
45 Simple Hacks Everyone Can Do To Make Groceries Last Longer

45 Simple Hacks Everyone Can Do To Make Groceries Last Longer

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There’s a special type of guilt that we feel when we have to throw food out because it’s gone bad. As you dump out your moldy tomatoes, wilted black salad, and rock-solid croissants, you can’t help but think of all the people starving in the world and how you’re hurting them, your wallet, and the environment.
If you’ve ever felt bad about throwing food away because it’s gone off, then this is the list for you. Bored Panda has cooked up a spread of tips, simple tricks, and slices of advice to keep your produce fresh for extra long. Don’t forget to upvote your fave bits of advice. Got any of your own tips for keeping groceries fresh for longer? Share ‘em in the comment section to help your fellow Pandas out in the kitchen!
Bored Panda spoke about keeping groceries fresh with baking expert and pie artist Jessica Clark-Bojin and talented cake designer Darci, founder of Kake by Darci. Read on to hear what they had to say.

#1 How To Regrow Your Scallions

How To Regrow Your Scallions
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57points

#2 Freeze And Preserve Fresh Herbs In Olive Oil

Freeze And Preserve Fresh Herbs In Olive Oil
The herbs will infuse the oil while freezing, and the ice cubes are very handy for cooking: just pop one out and use as the base of a dish. Works best with rosemary, sage, thyme, and oregano. Dill, basil, and mint should always be used fresh
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57points

#3 Onions Stored In Pantyhose Will Last As Long As 8 Months.

Onions Stored In Pantyhose Will Last As Long As 8 Months.
Put onions in pantyhose, and tie knots between onion. Plus it makes a freaky wall art installation!
56points

"One of my favorite tricks is to serve fruits and veggies in cups with a layer of ice in the bottom. It keeps the snacks fresh and prevents them from getting dried out and floppy," Jessica told Bored Panda.

She added that its not only functional but looks great, too! Not to mention there's a hidden benefit that has to do with hygiene (and we all know how important that is during the pandemic).

"They make a pretty little bouquet in the cup, and the individual serving sizes mean no grubby little hands contaminating a communal veggie platter! Which I know is something at the back of all of our minds these days..."

#4 Turning Containers For Sour Cream And Cottage Cheese Upside Down

Turning Containers For Sour Cream And Cottage Cheese Upside Down
This tip may seem unusual but it does work! Turning the tub of sour cream or cottage cheese upside down will create a vacuum effect inside the container. This will slow down the growth of bacteria which causes this foods to spoil.
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56points

#5 Wrap The Crown Of A Bunch Of Bananas With Plastic Wrap

Wrap The Crown Of A Bunch Of Bananas With Plastic Wrap
They'll keep for 3-5 days longer than usual, which is especially helpful if you eat organic bananas. Bananas also produce more ethelyne gas than any other fruit, so keep them isolated on the counter
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48points

#6 Clean Your Fridge

Clean Your Fridge
Once something goes bad in your fridge or cupboards, it leaves behind a nice gang of mold ready to eat up your new food. Disinfect the fridge — it'll make everything last a little longer
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44points

Meanwhile, cake designer Darci told us that products like milk, whipping cream, and fresh fruit spoil the fastest for bakers like her, so they try and make use of each item as quickly as possible.

"If you have left over fruit you can make fillings! Milk you can freeze into cubes and use later on. Whipping cream is an easy caramel recipe," Darci gave us some awesome food tips.

Temperature, moisture, and light have an effect on how quickly our food products deteriorate and start rotting because of microbes growing all over them. There’s a reason why we store groceries in dark and cool places. 

#7 Don’t Store Milk In The Fridge Door

Don’t Store Milk In The Fridge Door
The temperature on the door will fluctuate too frequently and spoil your milk early
39points

#8 Keep Ginger In The Freezer

Keep Ginger In The Freezer
It grates much more easily, and the peel grates up so fine that you don't actually need to peel it. Plus it lasts way longer
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36points

#9 Half An Avocado Left Over?

Half An Avocado Left Over?
Sure, it often happens. But you know that your stored avo is going to turn black really fast. Can you prevent it from happening? Check out these tips:
Leave the pip in. It slows oxidization.
Brush the exposed flesh with lemon juice or olive oil.
Store it in a container with a cut onion.
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As time goes by, fruits and veggies lose their flavor and vitamins, so while it’s great to have handy tricks to keep them fresh for longer, it’s still best to munch your food ASAP.

(On the other hand, if you enjoy waiting before using ingredients and stocking up, pickling might just be the thing that you want to look into. It’s fun. And useful, considering what 2020’s been throwing at us.)

#10 Keep Mushrooms In A Paper Bag, Not A Plastic Bag

Keep Mushrooms In A Paper Bag, Not A Plastic Bag
A plastic bag will trap moisture and cause them to mildew. Put them in a paper bag in the fridge or in a cool, dry place.
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35points

#11 Put The Ice Cream Container In A Plastic Bag

Put The Ice Cream Container In A Plastic Bag
This will keep your ice cream soft and prevent freezer burn
33points

#12 Melt Crystallized Honey To Get Its Texture Back

Melt Crystallized Honey To Get Its Texture Back
For the jars that form crystals, we put the (glass) jar in a pan with a little water and bring it to a simmer. Once the entire jar is a little warmed up, give it a stir and the crystals will melt back into gooey honey.
Honey can last forever because of bacteria-fighting enzymes from the honeybees’ stomachs.
29points

If you want to maintain order in your kitchen, then you’ve got to be brutal. If a product is spoiled or near spoiling, toss it out! Yes, it hurts to throw out food, but that green wedge of cheese in your fridge has already seen three presidential elections come and go. It’s spreading microbes to every other piece of food in your fridge, so it’s got to go.

Meanwhile, your fridge, cupboards, and shelves could do with a good clean to make sure that any food that you store there stays fresh as long as possible. Sometimes, the best tricks are the simplest. In this case—cleanliness.

#13 Never Store Bread In The Fridge

Never Store Bread In The Fridge
Putting your bread in the fridge makes it go stale faster, so the best way to keep bread fresh is to keep it at room temperature on your counter, or better yet, invest in a bread box for optimal bread texture.
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#14 How To Store Tomatoes

How To Store Tomatoes
Don't store tomatoes in plastic bags! The trapped ethylene will make them ripen faster.
Unripe tomatoes should be kept stem side down, in a paper bag or single layer in a cardboard box in a cool area until they turn red in color. To ripen faster, store with fruit. The gases emitted will help ripen the tomatoes.
Perfectly ripe tomatoes should be kept at room temperature, on the counter away from sunlight, in a single layer, not touching one another, stem side up.
Overly ripe tomatoes should be put in the fridge, but let them come to room temperature before eating them
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26points

#15 Freeze Green Onions In A Plastic Bottle

Freeze Green Onions In A Plastic Bottle
Make sure the green onions are completely dry before storing or they'll get freezer burn.
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25points

#16 This Trick Using A Paper Towel Will Keep Your Salad Lettuce Fresh All Week Long

This Trick Using A Paper Towel Will Keep Your Salad Lettuce Fresh All Week Long
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24points

#17 Keep Your Red Spices Fresh And Flavorful By Storing Them Cold Instead Of Just Leaving Them On The Spice Rack

Keep Your Red Spices Fresh And Flavorful By Storing Them Cold Instead Of Just Leaving Them On The Spice Rack
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23points

#18 Store Delicate Herbs Like Flowers, Then Cover With Plastic, Secure With A Rubberband, And Refrigerate

Store Delicate Herbs Like Flowers, Then Cover With Plastic, Secure With A Rubberband, And Refrigerate
This is the best way to keep delicate herbs like parsley, basil, cilantro, and chives fresh the longest.
22points

#19 Use A Vinegar Solution To Make Your Berries Last Longer

Use A Vinegar Solution To Make Your Berries Last Longer
Prepare a mixture of one part vinegar (white or apple cider) and ten parts water. Swirl the berries around in the mixture, drain, rinse, and put them in the fridge. The solution is diluted enough that you won't taste the vinegar. Raspberries will last a week or more, and strawberries go almost two weeks without getting moldy and soft.
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#20 Keep Cucumbers At Room Temperature

Keep Cucumbers At Room Temperature
If placed in the refrigerator a cucumber can be prone to water-soaked areas.
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21points
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