Everyone loves shopping. Shoes, bags, clothes, and gadgets- the thrill of having something new is amazing. However, when it comes to grocery shopping, it is an entirely different ballgame. There is no feeling as bad as leaving the grocery store with a bag loaded with healthy, fresh fruits and vegetables, only to find these edibles with molds few days after purchase.

Unlike other edibles, fresh foods neither have an inscribed expiry date nor do they give you a warning signal prior to spoilage. Instead, you are caught unawares. Hence, we have compiled awesome ideas you should try if you wish to sustain your edible’s healthy form.

Here are 5 Great Ideas to Help You in the Quest of Keeping Your Food Fresh

Store your carrots in sand

Yeah . . . take advantage of the sand in your backyard. Are you a little surprised about the idea? You shouldn’t be. Gardeners recommend storing carrots in sand in order to avoid evaporation and hence, reduce rotting.

However, for this method to be effective, you have got to maintain a 0.5-4.5degree Celsius temperature range and a 90%-95% humidity level. Place about two inches of sand in a wooden crate or box, then lay carrots orderly- not too crowded- then add another inch of sand. Repeat the process until the box is full or your carrots get exhausted. You might also want to add some water on the topmost layer of sand so as to maintain moisture in the sand while keeping its humidity levels constant.

Put your onions in a glass of water

Immerse the roots of the onions in a jar filled with at least 2 inches of water. place the jar at the window side of your kitchen. Alternatively, you could cover the jar with a plastic bag and store in your refrigerator. Be sure to change the water every few days.

A newly harvested onion would be the freshest onions you could ever taste. Luckily, when you store your onions in water, you do not just keep it fresh; it keeps growing.

Freeze your milk for weeks ahead

The excitement of a house party is amazing; chilling under your soleus air conditioner with a bottle of chilled milk could even make it better.

To store your milk for future purposes without fear of spoilage, just freeze it! however, just as any other non-volatile liquid, it is likely to expand. So, be sure to leave enough space in the container- otherwise, be ready for some big bang in your freezer. If the milk is approaching its sell-by date, plan your meals to use up the milk.

Never store your unripe tomatoes in your refrigerators

The ideal temperature to store your unripe tomatoes is 55 degrees Celsius. Storing at a temperature lower than that could cost you the breakdown of the tomatoes membranes, and consequently, loss of the tomatoes flavor. That won’t be so good for your meal. Take note that this concept is applicable only to unripe tomatoes.

However, the reverse is the case for ripe tomatoes. Keeping your ripe tomatoes in the refrigerator poses no risk of spoilage.

Keep your apples away from other fruits and vegetables.

If you have noticed that your fruits and vegetables ripen before their time, the cause might be the apples you are storing with them.

Apples naturally accelerate ripening- it has an over-ripening superpower. Although, this power is channeled positively to the ripening of bananas, it might have a negative effect on your fresh produce, which naturally have long shelf lives.

Alternatively, you could keep them in a bag of potatoes- they make potatoes firmer and stronger.

Wrapping up

The goal is to save cash by avoiding early spoilage of your fresh produce. With these steps, the goal is achievable.

By Emila Bell