With the cost of living crisis continuing to soar, many shoppers will be looking for ways that they can make their grocery shopping last that bit longer.
Food price inflation has rocketed to its second-highest level of 9.9% recently, leading to an increase of £454 on annual grocery shopping bills.
And it's not just food bills that shoppers are becoming increasingly worried about, as many have begun to think of food wastage and its impact on the planet.
Which is exactly why there has never been a better time for households to learn more about food storage hacks and how they can help them to make their shopping last longer while staying fresh.
Luckily, one consumer expert has come to the rescue with quite a few savvy kitchen tips that can help anyone who accidentally forgot about the leftover food in their fridge.
Tom Church, founder of the money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk, has shared his top seven tips that not only keeps your food fresher for longer, but could save you a whopping £182 on groceries.
He says: "It’s disappointing when you get some lettuce, bread or fruit out of the fridge, only to realise you can no longer eat it.
However, with some simple preparation tips, you can increase the shelf life of your fridge staples - and in some cases, even double it."
Here are Tom's savvy tricks that can help you make your food - and your grocery shopping- last that bit longer.
Store lettuce with A paper towel - lasts for a month
You ever found that the lettuce you bought last week has suddenly gone all brown and mushy? Don't worry, it has happened to nearly all of us at some point.
There is an easy way that will keep lettuce heads fresher for longer and it simply involves a kitchen essential.
First, take the lettuce head and break it down into small pieces. Then, wash it thoroughly. Make sure you get all the water off afterward - use a salad spinner or a tea towel. Next, place the lettuce in a glass container with a clean cloth or paper towel.
Just make sure you change the paper towel every couple of days to save 50p instead of buying a new lettuce every week - that’s equivalent to £26 a year!
Wash strawberries with white vinegar - lasts for 2 weeks
Fresh strawberries can last up to 3-7 days in the fridge, but you can double the amount of time they stay fresh for by using white vinegar.
Just mix one cup of white vinegar to three or four cups of water. Then, dry them thoroughly and place them in a container with paper towels. Not only will this remove any pesticide residue, but you’ll also be able to eat these strawberries for up to 2 weeks. If you were buying a £3 punnet of strawberries a week and halving your spending with this hack, you’d save £78 a year!
Take milk out of the fridge door to stop it spoiling
It turns out that storing milk in the fridge door may be the worst place for it, as the shelves and the doors are the warmest place of the fridge. The coldest sections of the fridge are always the lower shelves, as the cold air sinks towards the bottom - so by storing your milk in the bottom drawer or lower shelf, you can slow down the spoiling process.
If you bought half the amount of two-pint cartons of milk as a result, you’d be saving just under £14 a year.
Wrap cheese in parchment paper - prevents moisture and lets it breathe
You can increase the lifetime on a block of cheese by taking it out the wrapper and then popping it in some parchment paper. This method works because the cheese will receive airflow without being subject to dehydration. Plus, it will remain humid without becoming soggy.
Your best bet is parchment or wax paper - and if you really want to invest, you can buy special cheese paper online. If you only bought a block of £3 cheddar every other month instead of monthly by trying this hack, you’d be saving £18 a year.
Swap unsalted for salted butter - double shelf life easily
If you’re in the habit of buying unsalted butter, but you’re only using it for your toast and sandwiches, consider swapping it for the salted variety. Generally speaking, unsalted butter lasts around a month after the best by date, then two weeks once it’s opened. Meanwhile, salted butter should last for two months after the best by date, then a month once it’s opened.
If a family of four is getting through a 225g stick of Lurpak unsalted butter every month, but switches to salted - the same price for both at £2.50 per unit - they will only have to buy half as much and save around £15 a year.
Wrap banana tails in tin foil - slows the ripening process
How many times have you bought a banana, forgot about it, and then suddenly it is brown or black? Again, it is something we are all guilty off.
You can slow down the ripening process when you bring a bunch of bananas home from the shops by purchasing some tin foil. Wrapping the 'tails' - the stems - in tin foil will reduce the release of ethylene gas - which is emitted from bananas and assists with its own ripening as well as that of fruit nearby. For the best result, separate the bananas from the bunch and wrap each individual stem.
Put celery in with your bread - stops bread going stale and mouldy
If you’ve ever opened your loaf of bread to make a sandwich, only to discover that it’s gone mouldy, consider placing a stick of celery into the bread bag. It may sound odd, but the bread will absorb the moisture provided by the celery and, in turn, remain fresh. Your loaf won’t become dry and mouldy at the same rate, so your chances of getting a sandwich together will increase!
Plus, if you buy bread such as the £1.20 Hovis Soft White Medium weekly and only buy half as much due to this hack, you’d be saving just over £31 a year.
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