EVERY HOME COOK has their own kitchen hacks, cheats and traditions, and we want to know yours.
Each week as part of our Kitchen Secrets series, we ask our readers to share their cooking tips and go-to-dishes. From the secret to quick-and-easy dinners, to the best way to scramble an egg, we set a new question every seven days.
This week, it’s all about storage, and how to get the most out of your groceries…
What’s one thing you do to keep fruit and veg fresh for longer?
As usual, our panel of home cooks had lots to say. If you’d like to join the panel (and be in with the chance to win Lidl prizes), send us your name and a bit about yourself to food@thejournal.ie!
Source a liner for your fridge’s veggie drawer:
People have a tendency to just lump all fruit and veg in the fridge, so it’s important to know what should go where and why. Bananas are definitely best hung up as it stops them bruising, and a lot of fruit bowls have a “banana hook” on them. As for veg, it’s important to keep an eye on the humidity in the veg drawer. You don’t want them too warm or cold. I got a great liner for the vegetable drawer in the fridge that really does prolong the life of the vegetables.
- Olly Keegan
Have a system, and stick to it:
With a large family, food doesn’t last long enough in our house to go off but I do have a system for storing things. Potatoes sit in their paper bag in the cupboard, but the rest of the veg goes in the fridge. Citrus fruits go in the fridge too – those drawers are there for a reason. I need a solution to storing fresh herbs though – I throw away more than I get to use!
- Ross Boxshall
Here’s a handy tip to keep bagged salad leaves at their best:
I keep bags of salad leaves hydrated by adding a sprinkle of water into the bag and then sealing it up again. I’m also a big fan of freezing things: fresh sliced bread, cooked veg, and fruit (frozen fruit is great in smoothies, ice cream, on porridge and in desserts).
- Jennifer Dillon
Wet kitchen paper has magical properties:
My top tool for keeping salads, herbs and prepared veg fresh in the fridge is wet kitchen paper. Once you have your herbs or veg in a container, soak a sheet or two of the paper in cold water, then wrap the herbs or cover the veg with it. Cover and leave in the fridge. The moisture helps to prolong the freshness. Once the paper dries out, simply refresh it with cold water.
- Fiona Staunton
Don’t wash berries until you’re ready to eat them:
Berries and grapes are the only fruit we don’t keep in a bowl. They’re kept in the fridge and not washed until they’re about to be eaten as this keeps the fuzzy mould at bay. Most veg is kept in the fridge too – except for tomatoes as it’s a travesty when they’re cold and flavourless.
- Donna Connolly
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say