Use this common household item to prolong the shelf life of your pantry ingredients

We’ve all experienced that disappointing moment when you open the fridge to retrieve the avocado you cut up just yesterday to find that the fruit has turned an unsightly brown colour in the fridge, effectively ruining your breakfast or lunch plans.

No matter how we try, whether we wrap the open fruit in cling film or coat it in lemon juice, pesky avocados and other vegetables seem to ripen and turn bad at an alarming rate when stored in the cool temperatures of the fridge.

However, one of our savvy bloggers from New Zealand shared a simple trick to keeping vegetables fresh for up to a week after they’ve been cut into. The secret ingredient? Lettuce leaves.

If you wrap your fruits and vegetables in lettuce leaves — particularly the outer leaves of the head that tend to be a bit harder — they can help your ingredients last for up to a week, perhaps even longer!

This green solution keeps plastic and cling wrap off the table, instead using all-natural methods to ensure your fruits and vegetables last longer. Go ahead and try this out for yourself!

Other kitchen hacks you might love…

Salt

Soak your pear or apple slices in salt water for 10 minutes to prevent discolouration — the salt interferes with the oxidation process, delaying the browning process. Just be sure to give the slices a quick rinse with tap water before serving so your fruit doesn’t taste salty.

Lemon juice

Lemon juice can also prevent browning due to the ascorbic acid in the fruit, which helps to reverse the oxidation process. Simply soak your fruit slices in a bowl of cold water and lemon juice for three to five minutes before draining and rinsing.

Chopped onion

Another commonly used method for preventing ingredients like avocado from turning brown is to store them in an airtight container with a chopped-up onion or, if you’ve already mashed up the fruit to make guacamole, simply scatter some chopped onion over the top to help it stay fresh for longer.