Cost of living: Farmer discusses price increase of food
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Finding ways to make food last longer is beneficial as it both saves you money and reduces food waste. Nick Drewe, savings expert at WeThrift, revealed that 4.5 million tonnes of fruit and vegetables are wasted every year in the UK alone, according to a recent study.
Although nobody wants to eat stale food, there are ways to make your fruit and veg last past their best before date.
Nick shared his top tips, starting with how to wrap your food to help it stay fresh.
To help herbs last longer, the savings expert recommended removing any rubber bands or plastic ties holding the herbs together, then cleansing them in a salad spinner or under the cold tap.
Next, place them in a clean tea towel to dry.
Once they are dry, wrap them up in a damp paper towel, then place the herbs safely inside a reusable plastic bag or an airtight plastic box.
This should make the herbs stay fresh and tasty for longer.
To keep berries fresher for longer, one can wash them in vinegar, according to a viral video from Tik Tok user @westwing.
Simply wash your berries in vinegar that has been diluted with water, extending their life to up to two weeks.
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As for vegetables, it is worth cleansing them, drying them, and then placing them in air-tight containers with a little water.
This allows vegetables such as celery to last up to a month.
One of the hardest herbs to care for is basil, according to Nick.
His top tip is to put basil in a vase of water, like flowers, and ensure that you water them once a week to avoid letting the soil dry out.
To keep apples and other fruit fresh, it is worth creating your own fruit spray to give them a little boost when they most need it.
All you need to do is combine 230ml of vinegar, 230ml of water, and five drops of lemon juice to create the perfect concoction.
Fruit and vegetables are not the only food products in need of some careful storage, or TLC, to make them last longer.
Interestingly, storing a slice of bread in your biscuit jar can help keep the biscuits fresh and soft at the centre.
The biscuits will draw moisture from the bread, allowing them to maintain their delicious texture.
Many people put their food in the fridge to make it last longer, but some foods taste so much better when left in the cupboard – not the fridge.
This is the case with tomato ketchup, which is full of preservatives to ensure it stays fresh so the aid of a refrigerator is not needed. When kept outside the fridge, the tomato sauce will taste much better.
Even tomatoes should be kept out of the fridge, tasting so much better when at room temperature.
The same is to be said for potatoes, which are best left in the cupboard and not the fridge.
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