How to make your soft fruit last longer in the fridge

[Mamta Profile]

I posted this on mamtaskitchen fb page yesterday and thought I will share it here too, though many of you may be doing this already;

This is a chance discovery (at least for me) that if you store your soft fruit in a clean, dry jar, they remain fresh for many days. I have been storing my green chillies this way fora while and they stay fresh for 3-5 weeks, by which time they run out. Make sure they don't have any water on them and keep them in dry, clean jars.
I finished my last weeks strawberries this morning, because my this week’s delivery was coming today and I needed space. They were as fresh as the day I put them in, a week ago. I made an apple and strawberry crumble, see second picture. Look closely, absolutely fresh after one week.
This is today’s delivery in jars, let’s see how long this lasts.
Definitely worth a try.
Don’t throw those empty jars!

[Earthmaiden Profile]

What an interesting idea! If the principle is that air is excluded to a degree then perhaps a plastic container with a sealable lid would do the same? (for me, that would fit in the fridge more easily). I shall try both. Thank you for the tip.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Thank you, Mamta.
Our fruit doesn't last at all long, so I'll be keen to try your tip out.

[Mamta Profile]

This is new to me too, except for storing chillies this way, which my sister in Lucknow too me about quite a while ago. I will be very interested to hear how you get on.
The fruit/vegetable has to be dry, obviously, not washed.
The other thing I have started trying is that when the shopping is delivered, I take off all plastic packaging and wrap vegetable in clothes, before putting them in the fridge. Seems to work better than plastic bags in keeping them fresher, perhaps by reducing/absorbing condensation.
I have always cut out front and backs of old T-shirts, to use as cleaning clothes, so have plenty of them around. They last for ever, even after very regular wash.
Mamta

[herbidacious Profile]

I should have some strawberrier coming on Friday. I don't have many jars left but have a large one only a quarter full of sugar. Will shift that into something else and try it. Thank you!

[jeral Profile]

I've long suspected that moisture is the enemy so I line the veg drawer with kitchen paper, and like you, Mamta, debag things straight away so spread out more than crammed together.

I can't say about soft fruit, although I also add a piece of kitchen paper atop sugar in jars, or washing powder etc to capture moisture. As fridge air is said to be dry, the moisture presumably comes from the fruit (washed or not) so why jars work is beyond me, but being pragmatic, I don't care if it works

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I’m a paper towel user too

I keep a lot of things in the fridge in Tupperware type boxes but not soft fruit, if it’s the airtight seal that does the trick, then a box should presumably be as good?

[Earthmaiden Profile]

I use old tea towels in the fridge drawer. I have never tried the green bags from Lakeland, they are supposed to make fruit/veg last much longer ( old jars and rags are cheaper!).

[Sakkarin Profile]

If that works, it may be a game changer Mamta! It's so frustrating reaching for the chillies and finding they've gone squishy

[Mamta Profile]

Herbidavious, I too am relatively new to this Jars for storage thing too. I hope it works for you.
I just came back from my morning walk. Today, glass waste is being collected for the first time by the council since Coved raised its ugly head. There were so many beautiful jars being thrown away. I bet most people buy jars to store things, rather than using what they get for free. I am of an older generation, where nothing is wasted. My dad used to use tins of things, small or large, to grow his baby plants.

Jeral, I think you are right. Moisture is the problem. I am sure that is why kitchen towels work. I don’t care why they work either, as long as they work!
My American relatives use them to roll their vegetables/herbs like there is no tomorrow, layers of them! However, I am trying to cut down disposable things as much as I can. So, old T-shirts work fine for me ! I have even bought a dozen men’s hankies for my pockets/handbag, to cut down use of paper hankies. I have never had any moisture issue with my washing powder etc. I have saved some washing up containers and now buy only bags, so a little less plastic waste. I also use my old containers to store dals etc.

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Sue, I too still use a few tuppaware boxes, most are now gone! I also recycle any takeaway type of container. They wash well in the dishwasher. I am sure you are right, it is the airtight seal. I just find jars easier to line in the fridge door etc.

Earthmaiden, ditto! My fruit and vegetable drawers also have old tea-towel linning. It gets changed every week.

Sakkarin, it has changed things for me for sure. Chillies from 5 weeks ago are still fresh in the jars. My kindly Pakistani neighbour got them for me that long ago. Give it a try, what have you got yo loose?
Difficult times always teach us new things, we all have to make do, don't we? We learn to manage.

[Pampy Profile]

I use the green Lakeland bags - they really do work and are re-usable. With most things, I wrap them in kitchen towel to absorb any moisture, before putting in the bag.
I think that one of the reasons that lining veg. drawers in the fridge works is that it gives a softer surface for the fruit/veg to sit on, which reduces the chance of bruising, which can then lead to further deterioration. I use a "cushion" from Lakeland https://www.lakeland.co.uk/73207/Lakela ... le-Cushion
I freeze chillies - wash first then open freeze before putting into a container. They can be cut easily straight from the freezer.

[karadekoolaid Profile]

What a wonderful idea, Mamta! I shall have to give that a try when I next buy chiles. At the moment, all the green ones are. frozen.
Coriander leaf, especially, benefits from being wrapped in paper towels. I still buy it; it´s one of those herbs that has steadfastly refused to grow in my garden.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I use the green Lakeland bags - they really do work and are re-usable. With most things, I wrap them in kitchen towel to absorb any moisture, before putting in the bag.

Yes me too, I don’t line the veg drawer with anything because everything that goes into it is individually wrapped

I do use Lakeland stackaboxes as well for things that have been cut

Older cook books recommend putting washed salad etc in the fridge wrapped in a damp tea towel, and that or the bit of paper towel in the bag) makes sense to me as I suspect what you really need is an atmosphere moist enough that produce doesn’t dry out, but no actual drops of water to encourage sliminess

I do know a few people though who are so firmly old school that they will never put tomatoes or soft fruit in the fridge, preferring to have little puddles of compost on their work surface - surely even if you think they aren’t nice raw after refrigeration you’d prefer compôte to compost? : D

[halfateabag Profile]

My lovely neighbour gives me herbs wrapped in slightly damp kitchen towels, they last for ages...

[Lusciouslush Profile]

I use the green bags too - they do make a difference, or I line a tupperware box with kitchen paper top & bottom changing it when it becomes damp. I will give Mamta's tip a go with fresh fruit - it's a pain when it goes soft too soon.

[Mamta Profile]

Isn’t it interesting that we all use many different ways to achieve the same thing, make your produce last longer and avoid waste.
I am sure that freezing green chillies works, but for me they have to be fresh and crunchy. I do however freeze ginger. I buy a decent amount, Perl and put it in a chopper/grater, then freeze cubes in an ice tray. I just put the cubes of ginger in a jar or bag in the freezer, taking out one or to as and when I need them.
I also freeze small packs of wilted Lambsquarter and wild garlic leaves, for use later.
I get the wrapping in a kitchen paper, but not sure how a dam one helps. Can anyone explain please?

[Stokey Sue Profile]

get the wrapping in a kitchen paper, but not sure how a dam one helps. Can anyone explain please?

If you have washed the produce it will be damp soon enough!

Older cook books recommend putting washed salad etc in the fridge wrapped in a damp tea towel, and that or the bit of paper towel in the bag) makes sense to me as I suspect what you really need is an atmosphere moist enough that produce doesn’t dry out, but no actual drops of water to encourage sliminess

So it’s having humidity but not drops of water

I buy a decent amount, Perl and put it in a chopper/grater, then freeze cubes in an ice tray. I just put the cubes of ginger in a jar or bag in the freezer, taking out one or to as and when I need them.

I buy the ready made cubes - Taj brand. Actually cheaper than making your own. They also sell ginger/garlic paste and cubes of chopped green chilli. Very good.

[Mamta Profile]

Just goes to show that you can get the same result, following different methods.

[Sakkarin Profile]

I would go one stage further, and wonder whether manufacturers deliberately add extra moisture to their bagged products to encourage sliminess/excess/premature wastage. Carrots in particular always seem to come with loads of water inside the bag, I'm forever forgetting to take them out and dry them before putting them in the fridge, and find myself wondering why I need to do that when I never did back in the old days.

I remember those green bags being mentioned in the past, never picked up on it.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

To be fair to producers, the carrots are washed and then surface dried before bagging, and they then sweat out the moisture they took up from their bath. If you bag freshly dug carrots yourself, they will also sweat as they breathe