Genius hacks to make food and drink last longer

Preserve your produce

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It's always frustrating when ingredients start to go past their best before you’ve had a chance to cook with them. Luckily, we've got some simple hacks to prolong the shelf life of your favourite food and drinks and make them last longer.

Don’t keep onions and potatoes together

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If you want potatoes to keep for longer, start by storing them in a separate place to your onions. Both potatoes and onions produce a gas called ethylene that causes the other to spoil faster. Keeping them in two different brown paper bags in a cool, dark cupboard is a good option.

Keep garlic out of the fridge

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The worst way to store garlic is in a sealed container in the fridge, which can cause the bulb to sprout and develop mould. Instead, place garlic somewhere dry and dark, and keep the bulb together for as long as possible. Once you've separated and peeled the cloves, they won't last longer than a week.

Ripen bananas slowly with a banana hanger

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Invest in a banana hanger to stop fruit from getting bruised and going bad too quickly. As long as it's located somewhere that allows for free movement of air around the bananas, this handy contraption will slow down the ripening process. Keep your bunch away from other fruit too – bananas give off ethylene gas which will cause other produce to spoil.

Don’t put bread in the fridge

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You might think storing bread in the fridge will help prevent it from drying out, but it’ll actually go stale quicker than at room temperature. Cold temperatures cause the starch in bread to recrystallise more quickly than it would in a warmer environment (leading to staleness). So, dust off that bread bin and keep your loaf out of the cold.

Store cheese in waxed paper

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Most cheese, especially fine cheese, needs to breathe so cling film and plastic boxes should be avoided. Instead, wrap in waxed or greaseproof paper. Store it in the lower part of the fridge and keep away from strong-smelling produce – like butter, cheese can absorb aromas.

Store fresh mozzarella in water

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Balls of fresh mozzarella can quickly become dry or turn sour once sliced. Extend their life in the fridge by saving the liquid they come in and storing the leftover cheese in it, in the fridge. If you ensure all the cheese is covered, it should last for around three days.

Freeze your fruits

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If you’ve got fresh fruit you're not going to eat, bag up small portions and freeze it instead. You can use fruit straight from the freezer in smoothies or cook it in crumbles, pies and jams. It'll work with everything from bananas and apples to blackcurrants and mangoes.

Store asparagus like a bunch of flowers

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After a while, asparagus can start to look a little limp. To keep it fresher for longer, trim the spears then place in water (not too much). Loosely put a plastic bag on top before refrigerating. This will keep them crisper for longer.

Store fresh herbs in water

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Just like asparagus, fresh herbs such as basil and parsley fare best when treated like a bunch of flowers. Cut back the stems and place them in a jar of fresh water. Ensure they get enough light and are kept away from extreme temperatures.

Freeze leftover wine for sauces

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While wine will last for a long time unopened, it will quickly turn once uncorked. There's no real way of keeping open wine fresh for long – but you can save it for cooking. Fill up an ice cube tray with any leftovers, freeze and defrost as needed to use in sauces or stews.

Find more genius ice cube tray hacks here

Don’t let a rotten apple sit with the rest

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We’ve all heard the phrase 'one bad apple spoils the barrel', and it’s true. As they ripen, apples, much like other fruits, produce ethylene. When you store fruits together, the ethylene from each fruit causes the others to ripen too. So if you see an apple looking a little worse for wear, remove it straight away.

Buy an ethylene gas absorber

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If your fridge and cupboards are constantly full of fruit and veg, it's worth investing in an ethylene absorber. The absorber sits next to the produce and soaks up all of the troublesome gas, extending the life of your fresh produce.

Freeze pesto as ice cubes

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Pesto is a great partner for pasta but can start to spoil incredibly quickly. To keep it fresh, spoon the remaining pesto into an ice tray and freeze it, so you’ve always got some on hand when you need it.

Get our easy homemade pesto recipe here

Freeze veg to make smoothies

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It's not just frozen fruit that works well in a smoothie. Leafy vegetables such as kale and spinach can be frozen and blended into a juice. In fact, this hack might just transform your mornings.

Find more top breakfast hacks here

Put a paper towel on top of salad

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Lettuce is great on the first day but after you’ve opened a bag of salad, you’ll see a quick decline. Placing a paper towel on top of the leaves will soak up excess moisture and prevent them from wilting as quickly.

Dry herbs in the microwave

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If you’re struggling to use fresh herbs before they turn, you could dry them out and save them for a later date. To do this, place between two paper towels and zap in the microwave for one minute, followed by 20-second bursts until they’re completely dry.

Freeze fresh herbs or chilli in oil

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Another way to preserve fresh herbs and chilli is to chop them up and pop into ice cube trays with olive oil or melted butter. The last step helps retain flavour and prevent freezer burn (damage caused by air reaching the food). Then they can be thrown into sauces, soups and stews when you need them.

Freeze fresh pasta for quick meals

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Bought fresh pasta but struggling to use it before the best before date? Or had a go at making your own and didn't cook it all? Properly wrapped, it freezes well and can last for up to two months, defrosting quickly on nights you need a speedy dinner.

Freeze milk

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Freezing fresh milk is a great hack if don't manage to use the whole carton before its use by date. Skimmed or semi-skimmed milk can last for up to a month in the freezer. However, fat requires an extremely low temperature to freeze (lower than the average freezer), so this won't work as well with whole milk.

Make yogurt ice lollies

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Yogurt won't last forever but it can be saved from going in the bin by making ice lollies. Mix in fresh berries and honey, transfer contents into moulds, pop in sticks and freeze. Voilà – a refreshing and healthy snack.

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Transfer sugar into airtight containers

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Fed up of your sugar turning clumpy and hard? It usually happens to brown sugar when it's been exposed to the air too much and has dried out. For white sugar, it happens when there's too much moisture. It's best to store any sugar in an airtight container.

Transfer flour to an airtight container

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Leave flour in the bag it came in and you’re shortening its lifespan considerably. You’re better off moving it to an airtight glass or plastic container, where it will retain its natural moisture.

Keep beer bottles upright

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Don't be tempted to store bottles of beer on their side. When laid flat, more of the beer's surface area is exposed to air (rather than just the part at the slim neck of the bottle). The more the beer becomes oxidised, the less time it will last, so make sure you stand bottles up straight.

Rinse berries in a vinegar solution

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Berries are delicious fresh but they don't last for long. To help preserve them, wash them in a mixture of one part vinegar and three parts water, then drain, rinse thoroughly and pop them in the fridge. Don’t worry, it won't make the fruit taste vinegary, it will just kill any germs and keep mould away longer.

Transfer coffee to an opaque container

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Whether your coffee is whole or ground, light is its ultimate enemy. It impairs the colour and taste, and causes it to spoil faster. So, while it might be tempting to display coffee beans in a glass jar, it's best to keep them in an opaque, airtight container in a dark, cool cupboard.

Read these top tips for making the perfect coffee at home

Don’t wash fresh produce before putting it in the fridge

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Washing fruit and vegetables before refrigerating them will produce excess moisture, causing them to spoil faster. If you need to give your food a rinse, do it just before cooking or serving instead.

Squeeze lime juice over guacamole

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Everyone loves guacamole but any leftovers always go brown if you store it in the fridge. Prevent this happening by squeezing over lime juice – the acidity combats the enzyme in avocado which makes it turn brown. When you get it out of the fridge, pour off any excess citrus liquid and give it a good stir.

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