By <\/b>Tessa Clarke, co-founder of sharing app OLIO.<\/em><\/p>\n

With the cost of living rising at its fastest rate in 30 years, and the climate crisis feeling more real than ever, there\u2019s never been a better time to learn more about food storage hacks.<\/p>\n

This could make a real difference given the average UK family throws away \u00a3730 of food that could\u2019ve been eaten each year; and collectively we in our homes throw away 4.4 million potatoes, 2.7 million carrots and 1.2 million tomatoes every single day.<\/p>\n

Check out the top tips below to save money and the planet through storing food more efficiently.<\/p>\n

TOMATOES<\/strong> \u2014 Should be stored in a bowl on the counter top rather than in the fridge as they tend to go \u2018mealy\u2019 in the fridge<\/p>\n

POTATOES<\/strong> \u2014Prefer to be kept in a cool, dark, dry place (avoid plastic) and unwashed until you use them. They should never be stored with onions, as onions accelerate their sprouting. Stored properly potatoes can last for several months<\/p>\n

APPLES<\/strong> \u2014 Work well in a fruit bowl, but any bruised apples should be quickly removed as they give off more ethylene \u2014 it really is true that \u201cone bad apple spoils the bunch\u201d<\/p>\n

BANANAS<\/strong> \u2014 Also give off ethylene which accelerates their ripening. To slow this down, simply pop a beeswax wrap or tin foil hat on the top of a bunch to give them a couple of extra days<\/p>\n

BREAD<\/strong> \u2014 To make your bread last longer, buy whole loaves rather than sliced, and wrap them in reusable cotton bags or plastic and store in an airtight container on the countertop. Perhaps the most effective way to store bread though is in the freezer, so you can just pull out a slice or two whenever you need it<\/p>\n

CAKE<\/strong> \u2014 Keep your cakes moist by storing them with a slice of bread on top of them; the bread will dry out (and can be used for breadcrumbs) but the cake will stay lovely and moist<\/p>\n

WINE<\/strong> \u2014 Freeze the ends of a bottle of wine in jam jars then pull one out whenever you\u2019re cooking a risotto, or making a stew or gravy<\/p>\n

AVOCADO<\/strong> \u2014 Pop a slice of onion in a Tupperware with an opened avocado and it will prevent the avocado from going brown. Or alternatively rub the open side with lemon juice. For your guacamole, simply spray it with a light layer of lukewarm water to prevent the air making contact and so keeping it fresh longer<\/p>\n

HERBS<\/strong> \u2014 Should be stored like flowers, so in a jar of water on your countertop. Another option is to store them in Tupperware with a damp cloth\/piece of kitchen towel in the fridge. Or if you want them to last even longer you can chop and freeze them in an ice-cube tray in oil or water (depending upon whether you want to use them for a stir fry or stew); or freeze them on a tray before bagging up for later<\/p>\n

DAIRY<\/strong> PRODUCTS<\/strong> \u2014 Store them at the back of the fridge where it\u2019s coldest to give maximum shelf life, not the door. Milk and cream can both be frozen, although make sure to freeze the bottles \u00be full to allow for expansion<\/p>\n

BERRIES<\/strong> \u2014 Give them a quick rinse in a water & vinegar solution (1 part vinegar to 10 parts water) then pat them super dry and store in the fridge to stop them going mouldy so quickly<\/p>\n

CELERY<\/strong> \u2014 Wrap in tin foil and store in the fridge to keep it nice and crisp<\/p>\n

LEMONS<\/strong> \u2014 Lemons keep well at room temperature for about a week. However pop them into a sealed plastic bag or container in the fridge and they\u2019ll last 4 times longer than when kept at room temperature<\/p>\n

HONEY<\/strong> \u2014 When stored in a sealed glass jar in a cool, dark place, honey can last forever. However if it does crystallise, just pop the jar in some warm water and it will liquefy again, just like magic<\/p>\n

EAT<\/strong> ME<\/strong> \u2014 It can work wonders by having an \u2018eat me\u2019 shelf in your fridge so you know everything there needs to be eaten soon before it goes off<\/p>\n

And finally, if you know you\u2019re not going to eat something in time, then why not make a neighbour\u2019s day by giving it away on the OLIO app instead? Half of all food added is requested in less than 30 minutes!<\/p>\n

About the expert<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Tessa Clarke is the co-founder of sharing app OLIO.<\/p>\n

OLIO is a local community app that connects neighbours with each other to help them share more, care more and waste less. It has had successful shares in 61 countries in the world. OLIO is well known for its work in tackling food waste, linking neighbours and businesses to share surplus food that would otherwise go to waste. Half of all food added to the app is requested within 21 minutes of posting. A year ago it launched an initiative with all 2,700 of Tesco\u2019s stores, taking food nearing the end of its shelf life and redistributing it locally via volunteers known as Food Waste Heroes. There are now over 35,000 Food Waste Heroes operating in the UK. Since launch OLIOers have shared 34 million portions of food, which has had an environmental impact equivalent to taking 101 million car miles off the road, has saved 5 billion litres of water and has prevented 29k tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions. Since its launch five years ago, OLIO has broadened its offer to include the free sharing of household items such as toiletries, kitchen appliances, books, clothes and toys; as well as providing guidance on how to live more sustainably via its GOALS feature, which provides prompts on how to live in a more planet-positive way.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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