We all visit both offline and online grocery stores more than a couple of times every month. We buy a lot of things according to our grocery list, but we often fail to use all the items before they get spoiled. Grocery bills are increasing day by day and it is important to preserve the food we purchase as long as possible. You can also avoid frequent trips to your nearby grocery stores. With some tips and tricks, we can make our groceries last longer. Here are some simple tricks that can help you to preserve your groceries.
A clean refrigerator
We usually keep all the fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs, meat, milk, and beverages inside the refrigerator. Your refrigerator’s cleanliness matters a lot regarding the hygiene of your food. If you haven’t cleared the spoilt food from the refrigerator, it can spoil the rest of the fresh food also. The bacteria and fungi from the aged produce can spread to other food items inside the refrigerator. Also, the fruits will produce a chemical called ethylene, when they are ripe. This chemical has the power to rip other fruits around it also. So, you should not hold on to the aged food for longer. Make sure to clean the refrigerator once every week. There are ethylene gas absorbers available at online shopping sites to absorb the ethylene gas from refrigerators.
Regrow onions, garlic, etc.
You don’t have to keep vegetables like onions, garlic, shallots, green onions, etc. in refrigerators. You can regrow these vegetables in a glass of water. Place the glass container near a window where the plant will get a bit of sunlight. They will grow roots and stay fresh for days. But you cannot keep them in water for a long time. They will lose their flavor eventually if they are not re-rooted to the soil. You can also grow herbs bought from the grocery stores such as basil in the same method.
Store the produce separately
Sometimes keeping all the fresh fruits and vegetables together can spoil them fast. You should separate them as soon as you reach home from the nearby supermarket. Certain vegetables tend to rot when kept near some produce. For example, potatoes and onions cannot be kept together in the same storage place. But it is good to keep the potatoes with apples. Potatoes won’t sprout quickly when they are kept with the apples. You can also wrap the fruits and vegetables in foil paper before storing them in the refrigerator.
Wrap the meat
You should wrap the meat in butcher paper before you store it in the refrigerator. The butcher paper protects the meat from contaminants in the air and other bacteria. Also, make sure to keep meat and other produce in separate compartments. Butcher paper is available at online sites, and you can buy them in bulk.
You can wrap the cheese in wax paper to make it last longer.
Wash the fruits
Before you put the produce in the refrigerator, make sure to wash, clean, and dry it thoroughly to remove the stems and dirt on it. Do not put the produce from the directly into the refrigerator.
If you apply these simple techniques, you can make your Indian groceries last for longer. And you can save the time and fuel of visiting the outlet multiple times a week. We can also reduce the amount of food waste by properly preserving and utilizing the food.
