Every year in Australia, a staggering 298kg of food is wasted per person, totalling a massive $10.1 billion dollars and making us the fourth highest food wasting country globally.
The Rabobank Food Waste report shows that Aussies are wasting 13 per cent of their weekly grocery shop, costing the average Australian household $1,026 a year. Throwing away scraps and food that’s gone off here and there might seem harmless, however it’s hurting your back pocket as well as our planet. it’s easy to feel powerless as a consumer but surprisingly, there are some ways you can help reduce food waste by meal planning, opt for produce that is in-season, using leftovers and composting rather than putting scraps in landfill. There are several ways to combat food wastage in the home and the key is developing good habits. So here is some tips and tricks that can help limit your household food waste not only for financial reasons but for the environment.
HOW TO KEEP YOUR VEGETABLES FRESH
Fresh fruits and vegetables can wilt and rot very quickly, especially if they are organic. Thankfully with just a few easy tricks, you can save your food from ending up in the bin or compost. Follow these expert tips to ensure your that your fruit and vegetables stay fresher for longer.
GROUPING VEGETABLES AND FRUITS
Some fruit and vegetables produce a gas as they ripen. This gas is called ethylene and can prematurely ripen other fruits and vegetables that may be sensitive to it. Fruits and vegetables that produce ethylene include;
· Tomatoes
· Rock melons
· Kiwis
· Avocados
· Mangoes
· Nectarines
· Pears
· Plums.
These fruits should be stored away from things like apples, broccoli, carrots, leafy greens and watermelon as they are ethylene sensitive fruits and vegetables.
KEEP CERTAIN FOODS OUT OF THE FRIDGE
Storing potatoes, onions and tomatoes in a cool dry place. Cold from the fridge does change the taste of these vegetables. Sorting unripe fruits and veggies like pears, peaches, plums, kiwis, mangoes, apricots, avocados, melons and bananas out of the fridge will help them ripen. They can be moved into the fridge and if you use a piece of FreshPaper once they are ripe, it will help them last longer.
CONTAINER STORAGE
Store herbs & salad greens, leafy greens in Sugar Wrap reusable bags add a piece of FreshPaper for Produce. Remember to throw away any rotten or wilted leaves before storing to ensure that it does not encourage wilting in other leaves in the bunch.
Fruits that are prone to rot should go in a low humidity drawer and produce that are prone to wilt should be enclosed in a high humidity drawer. A great way to get the most out of using your crisper drawer is to add a piece of FreshPaper to the drawer. One sheet of FreshPaper in the crisper drawer can help to keep produce naturally fresh 2-4 times longer and reduce your wastage by more than 50%.
AVOID WASHING FOODS UNTIL YOU’RE READY TO EAT THEM
Excess moisture does encourage mould and rotting. Therefore, you should only wash fruits and vegetables when you are ready to eat them. This is especially true for berries as they tend to rot and grow mould very quickly after washing.
FREEZING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
If your fruits and veggies are getting ripe too quickly, cutting them up and freezing them is a great way to preserve them for longer. Cut up bananas into small chunks, wash berries and leafy greens before freezing to use them later in smoothies or other recipes.
PLANNING YOUR MEALS AHEAD
By planning ahead, you can ensure that you don’t over buy when grocery shopping and reduce food wastage. Check out our blog on meal planning it’s a great way to keep a few things in check, like using what is in your fridge or pantry. However, if you do end up with extra produce, a great way of ensuring that they can keep for longer is storing them with FreshPaper. Add a piece of FreshPaper in your crisper drawer or fruit bowl to ensure your groceries stay fresher for longer.
To help you keep your produce fresher for longer check out FreshPaper sheets and our range of Sugar Wrap products of reusable, plant based zipper bags.