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What causes food to ripen (and therefore go bad)? Ethylene gas is a natural product produced by ripening fruits and vegetables. It is this gas that ultimately results in natural food ripening…and overripening. So, finding ways to manage this gas will help us keep our fresh food fresh. We can go out and purchase fancy bags and storage containers, and we definitely have a few in our kitchen. But there are ways to keep money in our pocketbooks by using products we already have in our kitchen, like plastic wrap, paper and plastic bags, and aluminum foil.

Freshness and food go hand in hand, but sometimes those items we buy at the store go bad before we’re able to get to them. Bananas, strawberries, fresh herbs, and leafy greens are always quick to go sour if they’re not properly handled early on. Things like lettuce, fruits, and other veggies always go into the fridge looking fresh and crisp, but seem to wilt and brown sooner than we’ve realized. And while bananas are fairly easy to repurpose into something like banana bread or muffins, it’s hard to find something to do with brown lettuce and wilted herbs. Meal planning is one way to account for getting through fresh products fast, but we’ve also found a few tricks to lengthen the life of our favorite fresh produce. Rather than throwing away rotten fruit and veggies, try these tips for preserving perishable produce items.

Check out our video tutorial for ways we’ve found to keep our fresh food fresh!

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