An accidental discovery.

[Workingman]

I had been using veg saver bags to extend the life of carrots, celery, cabbage and so on. They did work quite well, but got weaker over time and I used the last one early last week. Without them stuff would soon go floppy and need throwing.... I needed something else.

I don't have that horrible clingfilm stuff - it makes things sweat - so I tried kitchen foil. What a revelation! Crisp veg 10 days old and still going strong, almost as good as the day they were bought!

It's probably an old trick, but I had never heard of it.

[saundra]

Well I never knew that
Hope they work with banana can't stop them going ripe

[Workingman]

Saundra, I don't do bananas, but for the cost of a bit of foil it might work - who knows?

[cromwell]

That's worth knowing; I've never heard of it before.

[JanB]

Nor me. The shelf life of veg here is awful.

Waiting for my veg to be ready, growing very well

[meriad]

Well I never knew that
Hope they work with banana can't stop them going ripe

Chances are it won't Saundra. Banana's give off a gas called ethene which promotes ripening so if you enclose them in the foil the gas can't escape. So generally if you need something to ripen faster, put them with bananas. From memory the best way to extend the life of banana's is to put them into a colder well ventilated place

[Workingman]

I went on a lion hunt, well, on the Internet actually. It's true, foil works, but not for everything, not berries or citrus.

As for bananas, Ria is right, it's ethylene! The trick is to break the bunch into singles and wrap the stems in a bit of clingfilm or foil and then store in an open / ventilated and cool place out of sunlight.

What I now need are tips on cotton wear so that they become non-iron! Or any other non-iron tips for everything.

[Gal2]

I bought a couple of drawstring bags from Lidl to store fresh veg in, they are specifically for this reason - and I think they work! At least things seem to 'keep' a lot better in the bags rather than in the plastic bags I buy them in! I keep them on a veg rack in the garage - it's VERY cool in there!!

[Kaz]

Well I never knew that
Hope they work with banana can't stop them going ripe

Chances are it won't Saundra. Banana's give off a gas called ethene which promotes ripening so if you enclose them in the foil the gas can't escape. So generally if you need something to ripen faster, put them with bananas. From memory the best way to extend the life of banana's is to put them into a colder well ventilated place

This!

[saundra]

I know about banana and the gas anyway I just put them in the bottom draw of the fridge
I have a draw string bag for potatoes to Gal and a tupper ware container for lettuce WM put shirts and tee shirts on a coat hanger when
washed and either hang in airing cupboard to dry or from a door lentil