Five Hacks for Fruit Fanatics

Get ready to become the ultimate fruity aficionado with these five tips to keep your favorite autumn and winter fruits at their finest.

From preventing premature ripening to preserving sliced fruit, these hacks will help your fruit last longer so you get the most from your seasonal bounty and reduce your kitchen waste.

1. Not all Fruits Make Good Neighbours

Think twice when stacking your fruit bowl or produce drawer, as some fruits emit ethylene gas which causes their neighbors to ripen more quickly. Bananas and apples are notorious gas emitters, so give them some breathing room from other fruits to prevent premature ripening.

Or use this power to your advantage by placing fruits like avocados or firm persimmons in a paper bag overnight with a banana or apple to accelerate the ripening process so you can enjoy them quicker!

2. To Fridge, or Not to Fridge?

Apples will keep eight times longer in the fridge than in the fruit bowl*, so maximize their shelf life by storing them in the refrigerator and only placing a few in the fruit bowl at a time. 

Kiwifruit and persimmons on the other hand should be kept at room temperature until they begin to soften, then transferred to the fridge to extend their freshness. 

Bananas are another one for the benchtop, as they will discolor in cold fridge conditions. Just be mindful of their fruit bowl neighbours.

Citrus fruits can last up to a couple of weeks in the fridge, but if using within a week, they fare well at room temperature out of direct sunlight.

_{3. Keep Your Fruit Slices Fresh}

This hack will make you a lunchtime hero! Stop cut apple and pear slices from browning by soaking them for 10 minutes in a bowl of cold water with ½ teaspoon of table salt dissolved in it. Drain the fruit slices and give them a quick rinse to remove any residual salt before storing them in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to snack on.

Taking fruit salad along to a shared lunch? Squeeze some lemon juice on your cut fruit when you're mixing your salad, to maintain its fresh appearance.

4. Prick your Lemons

Got a recipe that calls for a squirt of lemon juice? Instead of cutting your lemon in half, leave it whole and just puncture it with a fork or skewer instead...then squeeze! This will give you a burst of juice, without you having to worry about the rest of your lemon drying out.

_{5. Harness the Power of Freezing}

If you're a fruit fanatic with too much fruit on your hands... the freezer is your friend! Juice lemons, limes, or oranges into ice cube trays and freeze to create convenient portions of Vitamin C-loaded goodness. Add these citrus cubes to cooking, smoothies, or even hot water to create an immunity-boosting tonic during the colder months. Our Winter Wellness Shot recipe is a must try to keep the ills and chills at bay! Check it out here.

You can also freeze whole lemons, grating them fresh out of the freezer for zest or defrosting whole lemons in lukewarm water for 5-10 minutes before use.

Browning bananas are another great one for the freezer! Just peel and slice them first, so you can easily throw them into baking or smoothies down the track.

These hacks are sure to help you squeeze the most from your Wonky fruit finds, making sure more ends up on your plates and less in waste.

Hungry for more storage tips? We've got veggies covered too, just check out our Blog here - 6 Handy Tips to Keeping your Veggies Fresher for Longer

*Love Food Hate Waste