Keeping carrots and celery in a specific manner could help them remain fresh for weeks, according to a nutritionist.
The two vegetables are vital to so many dishes – from the sauce in a spaghetti bolognese to a hearty soup in winter – the boast an abundance of flavour whilst bulking out our favourite meals with a nutritional enhancement. However, without an adequate storage method, these veggies can rapidly deteriorate.
For those preparing meals for just one or two people, this cab prove particularly frustrating as you may struggle to consume all your produce before it loses its satisfying crunch and flavour. Fortunately, however, Davina Cohan has revealed an ingenious way to boost your vegetables’ freshness and longevity.
“Cut them up however you’d like and put them in a container of water. Set the container in the fridge and they’ll stay crunchy for weeks.”
Davina wrote alongside her clip: “Because no one likes a soft carrot.” One appreciative follower replied: “Thank you so much.”
It comes after another foodie TikTok user detailed how you can prevent potatoes from sprouting by storing them alongside a particular fruit. User, @lifetips669 disclosed: “Potatoes and apples are good friends. Storing them together prevents sprouting.”
And it seems there is scientific evidence to back this approach up. According to Tasting Table, apples release ethylene, a naturally occurring gas which “can slow down or halt potatoes’ sprouting process”.
The website further advises against storing potatoes in a warm environment, suggesting instead to keep them in a “cool, dry and dark” place.
However, Tasting Table goes on to warn home cooks not to store them in the fridge as the cooler temperature can “trigger the potato’s starches to transform into sugars, which can become carcinogenic when cooked”.
It also cautions about which other vegetables you store alongside apples, as the ethylene can have an adverse effect on onions, melons, broccoli, and peaches.
Indeed, their high sensitivity to the chemical can accelerate their ripening process and cause them to spoil faster.