17 Ways to Save Money on Fruit And Vegetables

Want to know how to save money keep fruit and veg fresher longer, so you don’t waste money?

Read on and find out what I discovered to save you money. I recently went on a vegan and plant-based eating plan, mainly for health reasons.

So, this meant I was buying more fruit and vegetables than usual. All well and good, but I found I just couldn’t eat all the fruit and veg before it started to go off.

This wasn’t just a waste of money, but also a waste of good food (even though I did recycle it in my food caddy). 🙂

This got me thinking, there must be a way to keep fruit and veg fresher longer.  So, I set about doing some research and I’ll share some great tips with you here.

I discovered that the main reason products go bad is a natural and necessary process called Ethylene gas. This is produced naturally by fruits and vegetables in the ripening process.

If you’d like to find out more about Ethylene gas and the ripening process then you can check out this report from the Washington State University Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center.

Ethylene gas in excess leads to fruit and vegetables ripening quicker and this will obviously mean we throw away over-ripe food too often.

Let’s face it, with so many starving people in the world we should all be making an effort NOT to waste good food, right?

So, what can you and I, do to reduce wastage by reducing the amount of Ethylene gas? Well, here are a few tips that we can all start to do today.

17 Tips To Save Money Keep Fruit And Veg Fresher

1. Don’t store near a gas stove

This first tip to keep fruit and veg fresher longer may surprise you. You’re advised NOT to store your fresh produce near a gas stove.

This is because natural gas acts just like ethylene gas to speed up the ripening process. Good to know, as many of us keep a fruit bowl in the kitchen near the stove.

2. Use reusable produce bags

Store your fruit and vegetables in reusable special produce bags or get an Ethylene gas absorber for your fridge.

3. Keep fruit and veg whole

To keep fruit and veg fresher longer make sure you keep them whole as long as possible. Cutting them before you are going to eat them will speed up the ripening process.

4. Store potatoes with apples

Keep potatoes from sprouting by storing them with apples. But, keep them away from onions as these make potatoes go off faster.

5. Separate tomatoes and salads

Keep tomatoes away from your stored salad greens. The moisture in tomatoes will rot your greens a lot quicker.

6. Keep your fridge clean

Keep your fridge clean! I know it’s a pain, I just cleaned mine the other day. I’ve found fridge coasters like these that keep moisture to a minimum help a lot.

Leftover food, germs and mold can all speed up the spoilage process of all your food in the fridge.

7. Don’t use plastic containers

Don’t use plastic containers to store your fruit and veg, as they contain harmful chemicals. You are surely aware of the terrible effect plastic has on the planet, yes?

If you’re still not aware (where have you been?) then you need to watch this video from the BBC’s Blue Planet from Sir David Attenborough and get educated right now!).

8. Use good old-fashioned Mason jars

Now that you’re aware of the terrible effects plastic has on our beautiful planet, why not use good-fashioned Mason jars instead! You can find them in most bargain stores.

9. Spray a little lemon

You can keep fruits like apples, avocados, or guacamole, from turning brown by spraying a little lemon juice over them. Then keep them fresh by covering them with foil.

10. DIY cleaner

This tip is great to clean berries, fruits and greens. Mix 10 x parts water and 1 x part white vinegar together. This mixture not only cleans your fruit and vegetables, but it also helps remove pesticides and prevents mold from setting in.

11. Don’t overstock

Don’t overstock the fridge (I’m a bit guilty of this one). This can lead to poor air circulation, which means the fruit and veg will ripen quicker as the fridge temperature rises.

12. Keep bananas separate

Keep bananas away from your other fruit and veg, as they produce some of the highest amounts of Ethylene gas.

13. One rotten apple

It’s true what they say, one rotten apple can spoil the whole bunch, so move them out immediately.

14. Sunlight tip

Keep tomatoes away from the sunlight, they should be stored at room temperature, not in the fridge.

15. Use foil packets

You can store lettuce, celery, broccoli and kale in foil to keep them fresher longer.

16. Avoid cross-contamination tip

Here’s another important tip to keep fruit and veg fresher longer. Avoid cross-contamination don’t store meat and produce in the same area of your fridge. Keep them separate.

17. Buy little and often

The last tip on how to keep fruit and veg fresher longer is to ONLY buy what you need. I’ve learned a BIG LESSON by having to throw away a lot of produce.

Now, I only buy what I think I’ll need for a couple of days. I’ve saved myself a whole lot of money!

I hope these tips on how to keep fruit and veg fresher longer will help you to also save money on your weekly shop!