Finding out the food you purchased only yesterday has already gone off in the fridge can be incredibly annoying.
But one woman has shared a savvy hack online that she says can keep fruit and vegetables fresh for longer.
TikTok user @skylar_toth said her tip involves soaking fresh food in a solution of water, vinegar and salt solution for 30 minutes.
Narrating her video, she said: “I’m going to show you the best way to store your veggies and fruit so that they stay as fresh as possible throughout the week.”
Skylar can be seen filling up a large sink with the ingredients before letting her lettuce, herbs, peppers, and strawberries bathe.
“Then for lettuce, I roll it up in wet paper towels,” she said, while laying out her lettuce onto the damp napkins.
“I do the same thing for my herbs and then I stick them in a Ziploc bag. But for parsley and cilantro, make sure to snip the ends before you do this.”
As for strawberries, she said they “thrive in a mason jar” and said “you need to store them this way”.
Her final tip was to store carrots and celery in a mason jar filled with water so they stay crispy and fresh.
“If you don’t do this, you’ll probably notice they get soggy within a couple days,” she said.
In the comments section, one person said you should change the water in the jars every couple of days, otherwise the food could get slimy.
While some people found these tips useful, others said there are less wasteful ways to keep your food fresh.
Would you try this food trick to keep your fruit and veg fresh? Let us know in the comments below.
One user said: “You can use reusable towels instead of paper and just left over pasta jars instead of brand name mason or thrift store.”
Another person hinted that prepping your produce in this way would take too much time to do.
They said: “‘Do you do any of these?’ Sometimes I put the whole grocery bag on one shelf in my fridge and just rummage through it.”
And a third person recommended simply soaking your food in icy water to make them crisp again.
Another added: “Buy fresh. Wash before use. Don't buy fruits and veggies in bulk. Shop local when possible.”
How to save money in the supermarket
Throwing out food is not only bad for the planet - it's bad for your wallet too.
Here are some other ways to save cash in the supermarkets:
- Look for discounts and voucher codes online and get on mailing lists of brands and retailers you use.
- Pick up free supermarket magazines - they'll often have vouchers inside.
- Try the Downshift challenge; this is where you swap branded goods for supermarket-own labels.
- Meal prep to reduce impulse buys and spending on what you've already got in the cupboard.
- Freeze any leftovers that can be eaten at a later date to avoid food waste.
