It’s an awful feeling to go to the grocery store, pick out your favorite type of fruit, and take it home only to discover it molding a day or two later before you’ve even had a chance to enjoy it. This common problem not only keeps you from enjoying your favorite fruit, but it can waste your money, too!
Why does fruit mold so quickly? Mold thrives with plenty of water and oxygen, so the rate at which fruit molds usually depends on the water content of the fruit, how old the fruit is, and how you store it. For example, berries are sometimes the quickest fruit to mold because their water content is so high.
To learn more about how to make your fruit last a bit longer, we talked with Rachel Fine, RDN and founder of To The Pointe Nutrition. Here’s her advice on the best way to stop different types of fruit from molding too quickly. Then for some healthy eating tips, check out the 4 Best Fruits to Slow the Aging Process.
How to keep berries fresh longer and prevent mold
Berries like blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries can be some of the quickest fruit to mold—and sometimes the most expensive to buy, making this extremely frustrating. Thankfully, Fine has a solution for delaying this process.
“Especially during their season, berries can often spoil quickly during the summer months,” says Fine.
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“To combat this, first rinse your berries in their container under cool, running water. Then, rinse berries again, this time in a solution of one part white vinegar and four parts water.”
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Prevent bananas from ripening too quickly
Another common fruit that can spoil too quickly, especially if you buy them in a bunch, is bananas. And often times we bring bananas home and stick them in a fruit bowl or tray on our kitchen counter, but Fine suggests changing up where and how you store them.
“Ethylene is produced from bananas, and increases the rate of spoilage, so to combat this, hang bananas to encourage airflow and prevent ethylene emissions from concentrating in one area.”
Alternatively—buy frozen!
If you still find that your fruit is going bad before you can finish all of it, you may want to buy less at one time and just shop a little more frequently. Or, if this is too difficult with your schedule, you can try frozen fruit instead.
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