Chef shares top tips for making fruit and vegetables last longer during lockdown

With the UK currently on lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak, food shopping is proving pretty difficult for many.

With the public asked to only go out for essential items, and a number of people still panic-buying, leaving supermarket shelves empty, you might be relying on what you already have.

So you’re probably wondering how you can make your current supplies last as long as possible.

Jordan Moore, Senior Recipe Developer at recipe box company, Gousto, has shared his top tips with us for making fruit and veg last longer during self-isolation.

This comes after a virus expert claimed we should all be washing our fruit and veg over with soap and water after getting back from the shop.

Here’s a look at what Jordan had to say.

Onions 

To keep whole onions from going soft, make sure you keep them in their skins and store in a cool, dark place like a kitchen cupboard, away from potatoes (they give off a gas that ripens onions).

Potatoes

Potatoes (and sweet potatoes) need to breathe, so it’s best to store them in a cardboard box or paper bag in a cool, dark place. Never in the fridge! And remember that you can still eat them if they’ve started to sprout.

Carrots

Carrot leaves actually draw moisture and nutrients from the root, so the best thing to do when buying whole carrots is chop the leaves off. Then, store in a paper bag in the fridge. You might need to change the bag a couple of times depending on how long you store them for, as it’s important carrots stay dry.

Asparagus

Tie a bunch of trimmed asparagus together with an elastic band, then stand in a jar with an inch or two of water covering the ends. Cover loosely and store in the fridge.

Butternut Squash

Store butternut squash in a cool, dark place, like a kitchen cupboard. It should last two to three months! Once diced, butternut squash can be kept in tupperware in the fridge for four days.

Aubergine

Aubergine lasts much longer at room temperature, out of direct sunlight. The best way to store is in a bowl or just loose in a kitchen cupboard.

Cucumber

This is another one to keep out of the fridge. Cucumbers last much longer when stored at room temperature, and away from tomatoes and bananas which make them ripen much faster.

Spinach, Kale & Salad Leaves

Take a tupperware box, line it with kitchen roll, add your leaves, top with another piece of kitchen roll and lock down the lid. The box needs to be big enough so the leaves have a bit of space and aren’t jammed in. The box protects the delicate leaves whilst the kitchen roll absorbs the excess moisture.

Tomatoes

Do not keep tomatoes in the fridge! It damages the delicate skin, diluting the delicious taste and causing that floury texture. The best way to store tomatoes is in a fruit bowl at room temperature, but you should eat them as soon as possible for the best flavour.

Avocado

To encourage a hard avocado to ripen, store in a paper bag at room temperature, or in a fruit bowl with bananas.

To stop from ripening, keep the avocado in the fridge. To keep half an avocado fresh for longer, make sure you do not remove the stone. Squeeze some lemon juice onto the exposed parts of the fruit, cover and store in the fridge.

Apples

Store apples in a drawer in the fridge, away from other fruits and veg and covered in a damp piece of kitchen roll.

Grapes

Grapes last longest when stored in a drawer in the fridge in their original packaging, which will be perforated to allow for air flow.

Oranges, Lemons & Limes

Citrus fruit, especially lemons and limes, will harden when stored at room temperature. To keep fresh and juicy for longer, store in the fridge.