Food Storage Tips To Help Reduce Food Waste

Today for zero Waste Week we are going to think about how better food storage can help reduce food waste. The challenge today is to share your food storage tips on social media using the hashtag #ZeroWasteWeek or comment below!

In a recent post, I talked about the staggering amount of food waste in the UK; the average household throws away 22% of their weekly food shop! The stats suggest that 20 million slices of bread get thrown away each day and that the food and drink waste produced are enough to fill 38 million wheelie bins (based on the standard 240l size).

That is simply shocking!

However, when usage varies week-to-week you can’t always resolve the issue just by buying less. So, what else can you do to reduce food waste? Well, one approach is to look at how we store our food. I’ve already written about how useful an Eat Me First shelf can be, but here are some more awesome food storage tips you could consider to keep things going longer…

Cucumbers and Tomatoes

So, a fact that lots of people don’t realise is that despite common storage habits; cucumbers and tomatoes fare much better when stored at room temperature. Therefore a cupboard or worktop storage solution will actually keep these items lasting much longer than the fridge (unless cut up, of course). One thing to be aware of though, is that bananas and tomatoes leak ethylene gas as they ripen; so store separately from cucumber.

Food Storage Tips For Leafy Greens

Line the bottom of the crisper drawer (if you have one) with kitchen roll to absorb moisture and store leafy greens there to maximise tastiness and longevity. The drawers work best when near full but try to avoid overbuying if you can.

Tip For Preserving Berries For Longer

Berries get a lot of love in my home but unfortunately, they don’t last long. One trick that has gained some traction in recent years is adding some white vinegar to the mix:

• Take the berries and wash them in a bowl with three cups water and one cup white vinegar.

• Leave to drain.

• Rinse under running water (important to make sure there is no vinegar taste).

• Dry thoroughly (some people like to use salad spinners for this, it isn’t required).

• Store in a container with kitchen paper and the lid slightly open to allow moisture to escape.

Whilst a little more work, the delicious little delights will last longer and you’ll have longer to manage that mould.

Food Storage Tips For Bread

The worst place to store bread is the fridge; this is because it goes stale faster. Store bread either on the countertop or separate it, wrap it up and freeze it to get the most life out of it.

You might also like to read about more ways to reduce food waste here.