Mason Jar Storage For Keeping Produce Fresh Longer

Mason jar storage for keeping produce fresh longer is a little kitchen hack I wish that I knew about years ago. If you are sick of wasting your money in the produce section than this trick is perfect for you.

To think of the amount of money I have wasted over the years on produce gone bad before I could eat it up. It seems like a million dollars!

Is it the same in your household? Do you buy a bundle of berries and within what seems like 24 hours, half of them have soft spots or worse…mold. 

It can be really defeating and can sometimes even make eating healthy and fresh seem impossible on your budget. 

Same goes for both fruit and vegetables. Containers of mixed greens begin to wilt and brown the very second the seal is broken. 

Getting started with this method is really super easy. It is a simple three step routine…

1. Wash
2. Dry
3. Store 

Mason Jar Storage For Keeping Produce Fresh Longer

Wash

There are a couple of ways to handle washing produce but the best, by far, in my opinion is by doing a vinegar bath. This helps greatly in washing away any lingering bacteria or mold and gives your produce an overall stripped clean finish and taste. Any distilled vinegar is ok, a white vinegar or even an apple cider vinegar which will give more of a zing to your flavor. Fill your sink a bit with clean, cold water and a 1 cup of vinegar. Drop your produce in and let it soak for about 15 minutes and then do a final rinse with clean cold water.  

Dry

Allowing your fruit and vegetable to be as dry as possible before storing away in your glass containers will help in not allowing any access water to cause mold in the container. Your product will stay fresh for days, or weeks, longer. Place out on a paper towel and gently pat dry. Allow to air dry for several hours. Using a drying rack will speed this process up hugely as the veg or fruit won’t be sitting on the towel that has absorbed dripped water.

Store

Choosing the right mason jar is important. You want to make sure you aren’t squishing what you are storing. This will make the product bruise which will heighten the process of rotting. Placing a folded paper towel at the base of the mason jar to help in absorbing condensation can be helpful. If you need more space at the top of the jar use a wax paper lid.

 

Choose the right lid….it is just as important as the jar- or more.

A lid that holds it’s strength, seals just right and is of great quality overall will help in making all of the difference in longevity and freshness of your stored fruit, vegetable and on your shopping budget.

Denali Canning puts out a product that stands true for all three of the above mentioned categories and offers both regular and wide mouth lid options for a reasonable rate with a 99.8% seal rate. 

A quick guide for mason jar storing of produce

• Submerge carrots and celery in water. Change the water every 3-4 days. Peeling the carrots first will help them stay crispy for weeks. 
• Asparagus, herbs and lettuces need just an inch of water at the bottom allowing them to “drink.”
• Berries, tomatoes and cauliflower can be stored whole and dry.
• Bell peppers, onions, radishes can be destemmed, deseeded and cut into chunks and stored dry.

With this technique and having all your produce washed and ready in your fridge you will notice that you will consume it more regularly as well.

It won’t get lost in the back of your fridge and it will be available for easy grab and go too. 

Not to mention it will make your fridge look colorful and beautiful!!!

I hope this storage trick works wonders for your kitchen.

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Love, light and a little grace…

-Olivia