How to Keep Your Produce Fresh Longer

I don’t know about you, but I absolutely hate when my fresh produce, especially berries get moldy before we can eat them! A few years ago I started using this quick and simple washing method to keep my produce fresh longer, and I’m sure it has saved me tons of money on wasted produce. Use this simple cold water and vinegar solution to keep all your produce, especially berries from molding.

In my experience, it’s best to do this right when you get home from the grocery store. If my produce gets put right in the fridge my family will just eat it right out of the container without washing (ew gross). So take 2 minutes to wash your produce and it will be ready for your hungry family!

What You Need To Wash Fresh Produce

• 10 Cups Cold water
• 1 Cup Distilled White Vinegar
• Large Bowl
• Strainer or  

  I use a 1:10 ratio and since I usually buy a lot of produce, I will use one batch to wash it all at the same time.

  Place your product in the water/vinegar mix and soak for 3-5 minutes. This is when having a Salad Spinner comes in really handy, but if you don’t have one just use your colander. Otherwise when the produce is done soaking just lift the strainer out of the water and rinse well with cold water.

  

  Once you’ve rinsed your produce the important step is to lay your produce out on a clean towel to dry completely. Depending on what you are washing this can sometimes take a while, but the worst thing you can do is put your produce away wet.

  

  Once the produce is completely dry you can store it in a Tupperware lined with a paper towel or wash and dry the ventilated container your produce came in and line it with a paper towel before placing your produce back inside.

  

  

  If you notice the paper towel is damp, be sure to replace it with a fresh one. Don’t worry about your produce tasting like vinegar, I don’t ever have any issue with my produce tasting like vinegar.

  I don’t just use this method for my berries but for all my fresh produce I bring home. Some produce requires a good scrub so I keep an inexpensive produce brush handy as well. I hope this quick and simple tip will keep you from throwing so much good food away!