These genius food storage hacks to make food last longer will have you smacking your head and saying “why didn’t I think of that”!  You’ll never believe how simple it is to implement these food storage hacks to make food last longer!

Genius Food Storage Hacks to Make Food Last Longer

Are you sick of throwing away spoiled food that has gone bad way too soon because you were storing it wrong?  Every week I wind up throwing out food because it’s sprouted something gross, gotten moldy, or just doesn’t smell right.  So, I’ve compiled a list of the most genius food storage hacks to make food last longer….now you can be a genius too!!

Food Storage Hacks to Keep Food Fresh Longer

1. Store Onions in Pantyhose
   • Nope, I’m not kidding!  Grab a pair of pantyhose and drop your onions down through the leg– tie a knot between each onion and you can just snip the one from the bottom to easily release an onion.  Now, don’t hang them in the window– onions do best in a cool, dry place…like the basement or the back of the pantry.
2. Store Apples and Potatoes Together
   • Most people store their potatoes and onions together– but the fumes that each release actually make them go bad faster….check out my post about storing potatoes to last longer…it’s full of great tips to make potatoes last all winter.  But, if you store potatoes with apples then they’ll last longer.  Potatoes do best in a cool dry place like the bottom of the pantry.
3. Store Milk in the back of the fridge
   • Many people store their milk in the door for easy access but the fluctuating temperatures will make your milk go sour faster.  The back of the fridge is the coldest spot and the temperature is less likely to fluctuate back there.
4. Wash berries in a vinegar bath
   • Once you get home with that batch of fresh berries from the grocery store you’ll want to clean them in a vinegar bath before placing them in the fridge.  In a large bowl combine 10 cups of water with 1 cup of distilled white vinegar and lightly wash your berries then lay flat to dry.  Once dry place your berries in a container that allows air flow…these reusable ceramic berry baskets are my favorite.  The vinegar will kill off any bacteria on the skin of your berries and they’ll stay fresh longer.
5. Wrap ends of bananas in plastic wrap.
   • Bananas will ripen slower if you wrap the end where they connect in plastic wrap…I heard it tricks them into thinking they’re still on the tree.
6. Add a paper towel to carrots
   • The more moisture that carrots are exposed too the faster they will deteriorate….but, the less moisture that carrots are exposed to the faster they will dry out.  You have to find a happy medium of moisture for carrots.  By adding a single paper towel to the bag and keep the bag closed tightly you’ll create an environment that will naturally adjust the moisture the carrots receive making them last longer.
7. Store fresh herbs so they last longer
   • Do you like having fresh herbs but hate that they dry out so quickly?  There’s a few choices you have for making fresh herbs last longer.
     • Store herbs in glass Mason jars with about 2″ of water and top with a Ziploc bag.  This keeps the right amount of moisture circulating for the herbs.
     • Grow fresh herbs easily on the counter with the Click and Grow Smart Herb Garden – then just snip whatever you need whenever you need it!
   • Freeze fresh herbs in olive oil to use later.  I like using these handy single serving cubes from Ball.
8. Store Mushrooms in a Paper Bag
   • To keep mushrooms from growing fungus and other bacteria- store them in a cool, dry place….like a paper bag in the refrigerator.
9. Wrap Broccoli in Aluminum Foil
   • To keep broccoli fresh longer- wrap it tightly in aluminum foil and store in the fridge.  This will keep it colder than just placing it in the fridge but not frozen like if you put it in the freezer.  If you want to freeze broccoli then you’ll need to blanch it first and let it dry before placing in a freezer bag.
10. Keep Ginger Fresh By Storing in the Freezer
    • Not only does storing ginger in the freezer make it last significantly longer but it also makes it easier to grate when using in cooking.
11. Store lettuce in a towel to make it last for weeks!
    • There’s many ways to store lettuce to make it last longer.  You can chop it up, place it in a bowl, add a paper towel to the top of the bowl and tightly wrap the bowl in plastic wrap.  You can store lettuce in Mason jars with a paper towel on top.  Or you can use the towel method….which I have found works the best.
      • Thoroughly wash your lettuce to remove any bacteria and dry it well.  Then wrap in a plain white cotton dish towel.  Place in a gallon ziploc bag and place in your vegetable crisper.  You must use a cotton dish towel for this to work because cotton absorbs moisture better than any other type of material.
12. Wrap Celery in Aluminum Foil to Make it Last 3-4 Weeks
    • Just like the broccoli above- wash, dry, and tightly wrap celery in aluminum foil to keep it fresh for weeks!
13. Keep Lemon and Limes Fresh and Juicy
    • Store lemons and limes uncut in a large Mason Jar filled with water and the lid attached tightly.  This keeps them from drying out and being exposed to the elements.  Store in the back of the fridge so you’ll have fresh lemons and limes to make your water more refreshing.
14. Store Spinach in a Salad Spinner
    • Spinach needs plenty of air circulation to keep it from wilting.  Store spinach and other leafy greens like kale, collards, etc in a salad spinner so the air can easily flow around the leaves.
    • This OXO Stainless Steel Salad Spinner is my favorite because it keeps my greens extra cold making them last even longer.  There’s a fine line between where your greens will wilt from not being cold enough and where they will wilt if they become frozen.  By using a stainless steel bowl the greens have a more consistent temperature and are kept a few degrees colder than items that are kept in plastic.
15. Store Cut Avocados with Cut Onions
    • Don’t you hate it when you cut up an avocado for a sandwich but have some left over.  You know that if you put it in the fridge it will just turn brown and you’ll never eat it….right?  Well, place your avocado in a leftover container with a cut up onion.  The onion releases a gas that keeps oxygen from getting to your avocado and keeps it green….for a couple of days anyway.
16. Place a bay leaf in flour and cornmeal to keep critters away.
    • There’s nothing worse than going into your pantry to grab a bag a flour only to realize that it has an infestation…..GROSS!  Keep bugs away by storing your grains in glass containers and placing a bay leaf in each container.

What genius food storage hacks for making food last longer do you have?  Share in the comments below!!