It’s raining again here, and although I don’t mind walking in the rain, I’m not overly fond of exposing my runners to repeatedly getting wet. I’m sure that no matter how high end they are, they’re not intended to act as rubber boots, so the glue in the soles will separate if not properly used/cared for. I don’t mind paying good money for good quality running shoes. I need them for power walking. I am going to look after them as best I can. After getting them drenched in a puddle a few days ago, I know I need to be more careful if I want them to have a reasonable lifespan. Also, a day off from power walking every now and then doesn’t hurt.

Today, I decided to share a couple of food hacks. One I’ve been doing for many years, and the other one I tried for the first time four days ago. Both are excellent tips to extend the storage life of fruits and vegetables. Maybe you already do one or both of these. In the event that you don’t, I encourage you to try these tips. You’ll be amazed.

My feature photo is of some veggies after their vinegar solution bath. This is the one I’ve been doing for over 25 years because I have severe pesticide and preservative allergies. When I bring fruits and vegetables home from the store, they all get soaked in a sink full of water and 2 cups of vinegar. I let them soak for about 20 minutes and then let them air dry on paper towels before storing them.

This bath not only removes my allergens, but it lengthens the fridge storage life and it efficiently cleans any bacteria that may be on the produce from people handling it in the store. The other nice thing is, that in cleaning them all at once, as soon as they come home from the store, they’re always immediately ready to use.

Leave the tails and a bit of the tips on radishes to help them last longer and avoid cutting into vegetables with a metal knife. If you use a ceramic or plastic knife, the cut edges won’t turn brown.

The second hack is one I’ve read about many times, but was skeptical about the claims. Well, now that I’ve finally tried it, I’m a believer.

As soon as your bananas come home from the store, carefully separate them and then wrap each end tightly in stretchy plastic wrap. I bought these bananas at this stage four days ago. Normally, by now they’d be starting to get over-ripe. They’re exactly the same as the day I brought them home from the store (minus the ones we’ve eaten, of course). The plastic wrap can be saved and reused on the next batch.

I’ve always been conscientious about waste of any kind and especially food waste. With the prices of food now, it’s even more important to me to utilize food storage hacks that insure everything bought will be used.

“Thrift is poetic because it is creative; waste is unpoetic because it is waste.”

G.K. Chesterton