Fruit & Veggie Hacks You’re Going To Love

Anything that cuts prep time in the kitchen, prolongs the life of fruits and veggies or helps the home cook look like a culinary pro is a bonus in my book! That’s why I’ve scanned the web and consulted our produce experts to come up with this listing of 10 Fresh Food Hacks you’re going to love!

Dilemma 10: Sprouting Potatoes
While potatoes aren’t harmful to eat after sprouts have been cut away, sprouting potatoes aren’t exactly what you want to find in your cupboard. To reduce sprouting, store in a dry, dark, cool location with an apple or two.

Dilemma 9: Browning Sliced Apples
Do you forgo packing sliced apples for lunch because they’ll become brown before you eat them? Squeeze a bit of lemon juice on the slices before packing and they’ll look like they’ve just been cut when it’s time to enjoy.

Dilemma 8: Drab-Looking Steamed Broccoli
If your steamed broccoli mirrors a shade of green from the 70’s, it’s time to give blanching a try. After steaming, quickly dunk your florets in icy water. This halts the cooking process so you end up with vibrant green veggies.

Dilemma 7: Mushy Leftover Avocado
Left with half of an avocado? Extend its original quality by placing it cut-side down in a container. Fill the container with water, cover and then store in the fridge. Your avocado will be perfect for another day or two.

Dilemma 6: Drooping Celery
Most of us use a stalk or two of celery at a time, so keeping it crisp longer would sure come in handy! Instead of storing in its original packaging, wrap celery in aluminum foil and store in the crisper drawer in the fridge.

Dilemma 5: Wilting Lettuce
The secret to keeping salad greens from wilting? Paper towels! They can be placed on top of a serving bowl, put inside a plastic storage bag or used to wrap large leaf lettuce before storing to absorb excess moisture.

Dilemma 4: Seedy Juiced Lemon
If you need to juice a lemon without a juicer handy, try this quick fix. Simply roll the lemon with your palm then use a metal skewer to poke through one end of the lemon. Give the lemon a squeeze and juice as needed!

Dilemma 3: Pitting Fresh Cherries
No fancy cherry pitter needed here. After removing the cherry stem, place the cherry on the mouth of an empty water bottle. Use the small end of a chopstick to push into the stem hole and the pit will fall right into the bottle.

Dilemma 2: Ripening Bananas
Keeping bananas bunched together is one way to slow the ripening process, but did you know you can also wrap the stems with plastic wrap to keep them fresh longer? Be sure to store at room temperature as well.

Dilemma 1: Peeling Garlic
Still peeling garlic by hand? Place cloves in a metal bowl and cover with a second metal bowl to create a dome. Hold together and shake! On top of having ready-to-use garlic cloves, you’ll get a great arm workout!