Expert's five food storage hacks to keep food fresher longer - banish mushy bananas and brown avocados

Trying to eat healthier can seem impossible when you feel like you're spending too much money on fruits and vegetables that aren't even surviving the week.

You find yourself trying to get to the end of the banana bunch or finish off the other half of your avocado, only to see it rotting away despite only buying it a few days prior.

But one expert has found a few hacks that will ensure your grocery shop lasts a lot longer than it usually does. With this, you could be saving money rather than throwing away mouldy fruit and buying it all over again.

Food and flavour guru Matt Webster, from Seasoned Pioneers, has revealed five surprising storage hacks to keep your fruit fresher for longer, reports the Mirror.

Bananas

Bananas often turn mushy and discoloured just a few days after purchase, leaving you with the choice of either whipping up banana bread or eating them quickly to avoid waste.

In fact, bananas are one of the most wasted foods in the UK - with an estimated 1.4 million bananas being thrown away every day!

Contrary to popular belief, storing bananas in the fridge is the best way to keep them fresh.

While the skins may turn brown, the banana inside will remain fresh for up to two weeks. You can even prevent that strong banana smell from permeating your entire fridge by placing the bananas in a brown paper bag and tying the top.

Strawberries

Strawberries are notorious for their short shelf life. Many of us buy them during our weekly food shop, only to discover half of them have turned mushy and mouldy by the time we want to eat them.

Berries, with their thin skins and high moisture content, are particularly prone to mould. However, a common kitchen spice - cinnamon sticks - can help extend their shelf life.

The chemicals in cinnamon combat fruit decay, so adding a couple of sticks to your berry tray can keep them fresh for longer. Even used cinnamon sticks can be repurposed for this, just ensure they're dried before reuse.

This method won't leave a residual cinnamon taste, just perfectly preserved berries!

Avocados

Despite their numerous health benefits, Avocados can be pricey. To get more bang for your buck, try preserving them longer, especially once they've been halved.

A cut avocado will brown within hours, but storing it in an airtight container with chopped onions can keep it fresh and green for much longer.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes might seem like a natural fit for the fridge, but this can actually ruin their flavour and texture.

Tomatoes, in fact, should be stored at room temperature. The secret to keeping tomatoes fresh lies in preventing moisture from escaping the fruit.

Hence, it's suggested to place the tomatoes upside down with the stem side on a plate to minimise air exposure and evaporation.

Apples

While apples generally have a long shelf life, once they're cut, they can brown quickly. To avoid this, you can immerse them in salt water.

Salt acts as a preservative and adding a smidgen of salt to the soaking water can keep the apple slices looking fresh. Dissolve a quarter teaspoon of salt into a cup of water.

Add the apple slices, let them soak for onethree minutes (be careful not to let the apple slices soak too long, or they'll absorb the salty taste), then drain them in a colander. Rinse the slices with fresh water.

So there you go, give these hacks a whirl and see how much food you can save!