It’s a known fact that most households waste food — and wasted food is wasted money. With grocery costs still a real pressure on family budgets, a few small changes to how you store everyday food can make a genuine difference. Your fridge, your freezer, and your wallet will all thank you.
Here are some proven tips to store food and cut down on waste, so you’re not left throwing out soggy salad leaves, mouldy bread, or meat that’s been ruined by freezer burn.
#1. How to Avoid Meat Freezer Burn
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Freezer burn happens when meat gets encased in ice crystals and turns unpleasant once defrosted. To avoid it, create a DIY vacuum seal in your freezer bag using either the Water Trick or the Straw Trick.
You’ll need a sealable freezer bag and either a straw or a bowl of water.
The Water Trick
Submerge the bag of ingredients in water. The pressure from the water pushes the air out of the bag and moulds the plastic to the shape of the food inside. Just make sure no water gets into the bag while you’re submerging it, and dry the bag off before it goes into the freezer.
The Straw Trick
Press as much air out of the bag as you can by hand, then put a straw into one corner, seal the bag around it, and suck the remaining air out through the straw until the bag collapses tightly around the meat. Pull out the straw and finish sealing.
#2. How to Stop Berries Going Off in the Fridge
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Berries are a breakfast staple in a lot of households, and it’s frustrating when a pack of blueberries, raspberries or strawberries starts to turn before you’ve had the chance to eat them.
Before storing, make up a solution of water and apple cider vinegar — 1 part vinegar to 8 parts water. Put the berries in the bowl briefly, then rinse them in a colander or sieve.
Pat the berries dry before returning them to their original container (the small holes in these containers help air circulate). Some people also like to line the container with a paper towel to soak up extra moisture.
#3. How to Stop Bread Going Stale and Mouldy
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Pop a stick of celery into the bread bag. The bread absorbs moisture from the celery, which helps stop it drying out and going mouldy as quickly.
If you do end up with stale bread — but before it goes mouldy — whizz the slices in a blender or food processor to make breadcrumbs, then freeze them. They’re great for adding to burgers or coating homemade fish fingers or goujons.
A tip for your celery: wrapping it in foil helps keep it crisp and fresh for longer, rather than going soft and limp.
#4. How to Keep Cookies From Going Hard
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It might seem like a small thing, but here’s an easy fix: pop a slice of bread into your cookie jar or container. The cookies absorb moisture from the bread, which keeps them soft for longer. White bread works best, since it won’t transfer any flavour.
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#5. How to Stop Milk From Going Sour
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Add a small pinch of salt to your milk container to help it stay fresh for longer — the salt helps slow spoiling. It’s also worth avoiding storing milk in the fridge door, since that’s the warmest part of the fridge and further from the cold element.
If your milk does turn, don’t pour it away — try this easy homemade soda bread, perfect warm from the oven as an after-school snack.
Ingredients
- 450ml plain flour
- ½ tsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp bread soda
- 300–600ml sour milk (or buttermilk)
Method
1. Sieve the dry ingredients into a bowl, make a well in the middle, and add the sour milk — start with 300ml and add more as needed.
2. Use your hand like a claw to stir the mixture until it comes together into a rough ball.
3. Turn it out onto a floured surface and pat into a round shape. Cut a cross into the top and place on a baking sheet.
4. Bake for 15 minutes at 250°C / 480°F, then for a further 20–30 minutes at 200°C / 390°F. It’s ready when tapping the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow.
5. Cool on a wire rack before serving. Best eaten the same day, though it will keep until the next.
#6. How to Stop Bananas From Going Brown
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Some people swear by keeping bananas in the fridge, but here’s another handy trick: wrap plastic (even the grocery bag the bananas came in) around the stem of the bunch. This helps stop ethylene gas — produced naturally as bananas ripen — from reaching the rest of the fruit and speeding up browning.
You can also wrap each banana’s stem separately, since bananas on a bunch tend to ripen at different rates.
Of course, if you do end up with brown bananas, try this recipe for Banana Cake to use them up.
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#9. How to Keep Sugar From Drying Out
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Stop sugar from drying out and clumping by popping a marshmallow into the container. The moisture in the marshmallow helps keep the sugar soft.
#10. How to Keep Lemons for Longer
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Store lemons in the fridge in a sealed plastic bag — this can help them last noticeably longer than leaving them out on the counter.
If you end up with leftover lemon halves, freeze them whole and use later for homemade lemonade, or slice and freeze them to pop straight into drinks.
#11. How to Stop Potatoes From Sprouting
Add an apple to the potato bag — apples produce ethylene gas, which helps keep potatoes firmer and less likely to sprout.
It also helps to take potatoes out of plastic packaging and store them in a brown paper bag or a potato cloth sack, kept somewhere dark, to keep them fresher for longer.
YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY: How to Make Fruit and Veg Last Longer and Cut Down on Food Waste
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Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the easiest way to stop food going off faster at home?
Small storage habits make the biggest difference — keeping bread away from moisture, storing berries properly before refrigerating, and being mindful of where you place things in the fridge (avoiding the door for milk, for example) can all help food last noticeably longer.
How can I stop meat getting freezer burn?
Removing as much air as possible from the freezer bag before sealing is key. The Water Trick and Straw Trick above are simple, no-equipment ways to do this at home.
Can I still use milk or bread once it starts to turn?
Often, yes, with a little creativity. Slightly soured milk works well in soda bread, and bread that’s gone a bit stale (but not mouldy) can be blitzed into breadcrumbs and frozen for later use.
Do these food storage tips work for large families?
Absolutely — most of these tricks scale up easily. The main thing is building the habit into your weekly shop and storage routine, whether you’re feeding two people or six.
Related Articles
- 7 Practical Tips to Help Reduce School Lunchbox Waste
- Tips for Parents to Stop Food Waste
- How to Make Fruit and Veg Last Longer and Cut Down on Food Waste
- 8 Easy Cookie Recipes You Can Do With the Kids
Save These Tips for Later
Not ready to try them all today? Bookmark this page or save it to your favourite recipe folder so these tips are handy the next time you’re doing a food shop or a fridge clear-out.
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