Food storage experts have shared a hack that will keep your salad leaves fresher for longer.
According to new research from budget supermarket Aldi, over half (52%) of Brits admit they are ashamed about how much fruit and veg they bin, tossing out nearly 500 pieces and wasting up to £520 a year.
The study further found that, on average, 53% of Brits throw out food which hasn’t even been touched, with 56% admitting that they completely forget about food they’ve bought.
In addition, almost one quarter (24%) only get through half a bag of salad before having to throw it away.
Speaking on behalf of Aldi, home food waste expert and author Kate Halls has shared some tips on keeping your salad leaves fresh, the first of which is to check the humidity of the of your fridge drawers.
She explained: “Thin-skinned, high-moisture foods like salad leaves should be stored in high-humidity drawers, while thicker-skinned produce like apples should be stored in low-humidity drawers.”
Her second tip is to store salad leaves alongside a paper towel. Kate said: “Help your bagged salad leaves last a few days longer by placing a sheet of kitchen paper into the container they are stored in to absorb any excess moisture.”
To keep fruit and vegetables fresh for as long as possible, she also recommends keeping your fridge cold – If it is warmer than 5°C, your food won’t last as long as it could.
Meanwhile, certain fruits and vegetables such as bananas, apples and tomatoes emit high levels of ethylene gas (a natural gas that’s produced as fruit ripens).
This can cause your other ethylene-sensitive produce, such as berries, cherries and grapes, to ripen and ruin faster – so keep them separate.
Kate concluded: “Food waste is a major issue for many households across the UK, wasting both our time and money. However, there are many small changes we can make that can have a big positive impact.
“By storing our produce differently or adopting a few simple habits, we can significantly reduce food waste, save money, and make sure we actually eat the food we’ve worked hard to pay for.”
And with so much food going to waste, these tips will at least prevent you from chucking out your salad leaves before getting to enjoy them.
The average household still ends up throwing away each year:
- 114 bananas
- 99 potatoes
- 94 carrots
- 88 oranges
- 88 bags of salad
- 83 onions
- 73 boxes of strawberries
- 73 cauliflowers
