ISU Extension Nutrition and Wellness Specialist Ann Parker

When people purchase produce and don’t plan to eat those foods right away, they can tend to spoil quickly.

ISU Extension Nutrition and Wellness Specialist Ann Parker says to prevent fruits like berries from getting soft to not wash them until right before you are ready to eat them. Additionally, she describes what to do to prevent apples and bananas from turning brown and spoiling very quickly.

“Things you can do to prevent that browning could be adding something citrus to that apple or banana. So if you are tossing together a fruit salad, having a citrus fruit in there or adding some lemon juice in there can help keep those bananas (and) apples looking better than getting all brown and squishy.”

Parker adds that certain crunchy vegetables like carrots, celery and radishes can be kept in ice cold water to keep their crunch longer.