Fresh Foods You Should Not Store Together

• Cucumbers are better off stored openly in the counter than in the crisper.
• Vinegar can make berries last longer.
• Take the tomatoes out of the refrigerator.

Eating healthy is something that each of us should aspire to do. This means buying fresh produce on a regular basis. The tricky thing here is to make the fresh food last longer in order avoid wasting it.

According to a research published in Plus One, people in the United States waste around a pound of food per person each day. Given how hard it is to earn money these days and how farmers work hard to produce fresh food for us, we should try to maximize what we buy.

Aside from buying exactly what you will need for a certain time period (daily, weekly, even monthly), we can keep our food fresher by storing them the proper way.

Keep cucumbers away from the refrigerator

A lot of us store cucumbers in the crisper drawer, along with other fruits such as melons, bananas, and tomatoes. Now these fruits produce ethylene gas, a ripening agent that makes spoilage faster.

Cucumbers are sensitive to ethylene gas, so it’s best to store them separately. They are actually better off stored openly in the counter than in the crisper.

If you want to serve cold cucumbers, you can put them on the refrigerator for a short while, but keep them away from the fruits.

Don’t store apples and pears with squash and pumpkins

Apples, pears, and other ripening fruits have short shelf lives compared to squash and pumpkins, which can last up to six months. If you store these together, it can cause the squash and pumpkins to yellow and go bad, according to Oregon State University Extension Service.

Larger pumpkins and squash usually last longer than the smaller ones, which can last up to three months.

Rinse your berries with vinegar

Mold is the main enemy of berries. They are ruined easily if not stored properly. The little nooks and crannies of berries are prone to having tiny mold spores. Avoid washing these berries until you’re ready to eat them. Keeping berries dry will ward off molds that thrive in moisture.

You can also extend the life of your berries by rinsing them in vinegar solution. Mix one cup of vinegar with three cups of water and place the berries in the liquid. Just let them soak for a few minutes then rinse them gently in a colander.

Break up bananas before storing them

It’s frustrating when bananas rot before you can eat them all. Unless you can finish off a bunch of bananas in a day or two, you will end up having the remaining ones too ripe for your liking.

To avoid this problem, break off the bunch of bananas and store separately. Keep some in the fruit bowl and the others in the refrigerator to delay the ripening.

Take the tomatoes out of the refrigerator

Tomatoes easily gets mushy and lose its flavor when stored in the fridge. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends storing them at room temperature instead.

Don’t store potatoes and onions together

Onions will cause the potatoes to go bad. Potatoes should be stored in the open, just like squash. An open-air wicker basket in a cool and dark area should be the best place for your potatoes.

If you want to store them in a container, it has to be one where condensation and moisture won’t build up. Also, garlic CAN be stored with potatoes, as long as it is in a well-ventilated space.