How To Keep Your Fruits and Veggies Fresh

Sometimes, produce goes bad WAY quicker than expected. And with the cost of groceries, I can’t stand seeing spoiled fruits and veggies in my fridge a couple of days after I go to the store.

Believe me, I tried everything. Airtight containers, separating one item from another, shifting my produce around my fridge… but in the past, nothing seemed to extend the life of my leafy greens and berries.

That’s until I found a neat hack that keeps my produce fresh way longer than before.

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Hack for Longer Lasting Produce

Want in on my secret? I wash my fruits and vegetables before storing them in my fridge! But that’s not all. I actually have a recipe for a “bath” where I do the rinsing.

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 cup distilled white vinegar
3 cups of water
large bowl or container

The 1:3 white vinegar to water ratio seems to be the sweet spot for this “recipe.” Unlike rinsing under plain tap water, this mixture rids your fresh produce of any mold spores or bacteria that can speed up the rotting of food.

Simply place your items in the bath and wash them like you would with water. Next, rinse the food in fresh, cold water after the bath and pat dry before storing it in the refrigerator.

Related: 5 Weeknight Meals with 5 Ingredients or Less

Easy enough, right?

You can also keep a spray bottle filled with the solution and use it on your apples this fall season! Another tip: If you’re rinsing lettuce, it’s probably best to separate the leaves first to make sure the solution gets every part of the surface.