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Apples

Keep apples separate from your other food, preferably in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Apples give off ethylene gas which causes other foods to decay more quickly. However, when bagged with potatoes, keeps them fresher and firmer for a few more weeks.

Avocados

If an avocado is ripe but you don’t plan on using it for a few days, stick it a paper bag in the fridge to stop it from going bad. The darkness will help prevent them from ripening, while the bag will allow moisture to evaporate and prevent them from becoming moldy. To ripen, store them at room temperature.

Bananas

The trick to stop bananas going brown is to keep them together as long as possible. Bananas contain high amounts of reacting agents that make it prone to fast decaying. Wrap the stems of the bananas in clingfilm or foil when you first buy them, and only snap one off when you're ready to eat it. This should give you 3-5 extra days of perfectly ripe banana joy.

Berries

Berries are not only an expensive fruit, they seem to spoil the fastest. You can extend their life by giving them a bath mixture made up of 1 cup of vinegar and 3 cups of water before you put them in the fridge. You will not taste the vinegar and this kills the mold spores and bacteria that turn them fuzzy. Just make sure to dry them thoroughly before storing. Store them in the plastic container they came in, or a ziplock bag. Place them in the back of the fridge where it stays coldest.

Cottage Cheese & Sour Cream

To keep cottage cheese or sour cream fresh, store upside-down in your fridge! Inverting the container creates a vacuum which will help reduce the chance of mold or bacteria growing on the surface.

Butter

Store butter in it’s original package. Stock up when it’s on sale and freeze it to keep it fresh. Seal it up in a freezer bag, and it will stay good for up to 6 months!

Coffee Beans

Store your coffee beans in an airtight and opaque container to keep it fresh, and use within 3-4 days. (If you bought more than you can use in a few days, freeze the rest to keep it fresh.)

Cheese

Before storing cheese in your fridge, wrap it securely in wax paper. Wax paper allows the cheese to breathe while keeping it dry. After cutting cheese, you can rub butter on the cut part to help keep it fresh. Cheese keeps pretty well in the freezer too! To store shredded cheese in the freezer, simply shred, toss with cornstarch, and place in an airtight baggie. Ditch the plastic wrapper your cheese came in—if it isn’t exposed to oxygen, your cheese will dry out quickly. Porous material will keep it fresh longer.

Cookies

When your cookies have turned to rock cakes, place a small piece of bread in the jar to revalitilize them and bring back the moisture and softness.

Celery & Cucumber

Swap the original packaging for a sheet of aluminium foil. The foil allows the gas that spoils your celery escape, rather than trapping it, so the celery stays crisper longer

Eggs

 Store eggs in their original carton. Eggs should be stored in a refrigerator for extended life. If you can’t decide if your eggs are still fresh, place one in a cup of water. Fresh eggs should sink, while old eggs usually float.

Fish

Fish should be kept in a bag on top of a bowl of ice inside your fridge. Eat it as soon as possible! You can also freeze fish to keep it fresh for longer. Place your fish fillets in a plastic baggie filled with water, then freeze.

Garlic Cloves

Don’t store bulbs of garlic in a closed container. It will last much longer if stored in an open basket or a paper bag.

Greens

Store kale, collard greens, Swiss chard, and other hardy greens with their stems in a glass of water. Cover the greens loosely in a plastic bag, and they’ll stay nice and crisp longer. To keep celery, carrots, and radishes fresh, chop them and store them in the fridge in a container of water.

Herbs

Keep herbs fresh by storing them in whole bunches. Just rinse the bunch, put it in a ziplock freezer bag, and toss it in your freezer. It should stay fresh for up to a month this way! When you’re ready to use them, just chop them up and toss them in whatever you’re cooking.

Lettuce

Wrap lettuce in a damp paper towel before storing to help keep it fresh. If your lettuce has started wilting, rehydrate and refresh your leaves by separating them and tossing them into a sinkful of iced water for anywhere from 5-30 mins, depending on how sad they're looking. 

Mushrooms

Keep mushrooms in a paper bag rather than a plastic bag. This prevents too much moisture which causes sliminess. If the mushrooms start to dry out, and start looking a little starved, then give them a quick rinse in the sink for a few seconds and they will plump right back.

Moldy Bread

A stick of celery in the bread bag will prevent the bread from becoming moldy

Milk

Sprinkle a small amount of salt into the top of the milk to improve the time it takes to sour.

Onions

Onions should not be in the refrigerator, but in a dark dry spot. A great hack is to use an old pair of hose. Put them in one at a time, knot between each bulb and keep them in a dark, dry place until you need them.

Poultry

Meat and poultry should be kept in its original packaging if you’ll eat it in the next day or two. If not, wrap it in tin foil or stick it in a ziplock bag, then store it in your freezer. Smoked meats like bacon, ham, etc. can be wrapped in a vinegar-dampened cloth, then wrap the whole thing in wax paper and freeze.

Salt Shaker

Salt will cake up in high humidity environments. Place a few grains of rice into the salt shaker to keep away the moisture and ensure easy shaking. Rice absorbs moisture and prevent the salt from lumping.

Squash

Coat whole squashes in a thin layer of vegetable oil and store them in your pantry. They can stay good for months this way!