Saving food means saving money: some tips for keeping food fresh

Are rotten fruits and expired milk at home considered dry garbage or wet garbage? With the promotion of garbage sorting across the country, more and more people are aware of the importance of saving food. In fact, reducing food waste does have many benefits, such as saving money. Saving food also means reducing carbon footprint – reducing the stacking of rotten food and reducing unnecessary planting and transportation.

Here are some tips for keeping fruits and vegetables fresh. No matter how long the shelf life is, proper storage and use can keep food fresh for a long time.

• Do not wash food if you do not need to eat or cook it right away. The water can cause bacteria to grow.
• Store food in the refrigerator strategically: place the most perishable foods on the door, meat on the bottom shelf or in a meat drawer, vegetables in the most visible place, and dairy products and drinks at the top.
• It is best not to store fruits and vegetables together. Fruits produce ethylene gas, which causes vegetables to spoil faster. Vegetables also produce gas that speeds up the spoilage of fruits.
• If a fruit is prone to releasing or being affected by ethylene, wrap it in aluminum foil or paper for storage. Avoid using plastic bags or other materials that may restrict air circulation.

You can go online to learn about the shelf life of different foods, preservation tips, and appropriate cooking methods. For example, root vegetables such as carrots and potatoes, as well as zucchini, can be grated and fried into fritters; fruits can be baked into fruit bread, or shredded into smoothies, or simply frozen. In short, the goal is to make the most of all foods.

Wasting food is not only a waste of money, it can also harm the environment, and these losses are completely avoidable. Knowing the shelf life of food, planning carefully before buying, and using appropriate storage methods to extend the shelf life can help you save food better.