HANDLING AND STORAGE

Treated and stored correctly, many food items can stay fresh for much longer. But it’s not just a matter of chucking everything in the fridge.
 

As an example onions, bananas and potatoes actually keep better outside the fridge. Here are 12 common foods which shouldn’t be refrigerated.

It’s also a good idea to clean and individually portion items like meat and seafood before freezing. This way, you can use only what you need without exposing the rest to higher temperatures or contamination that may accelerate spoilage.

You can easily check online for the best ways to store the various foods you buy.

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR FRIDGE

Planning a meal? Start with what you already have. Jazz up aging produce with favourite spices or mix them into your next frittata. Vegetables past their prime can easily go into sauces for rice and pasta. Wilted lettuce and vegetable trimmings can be used to make stock; which can be used immediately or frozen and added later to soups or other dishes.

USE EVERY PART

Many of the parts of fruits and veggies we normally toss away can actually be eaten.

Green carrot tops, for example, actually have a sweet and earthy carrot flavour and can be used as a herb to make pesto or chimichurri.

Don’t just eat watermelon flesh. Its seeds can be roasted to make a crunchy snack. Even its rind can be pickled and eaten.

Here are some tips to get you started on leaf-to-root cooking.