Fruits and vegetables are fantastic to eat, but they can often go bad before you get around to eating them.
One TikTok user, though, has a hack that will keep your berries fresh for weeks.
The scoop
TikToker Maria Watkins (@livingplanetfriendly) shared a video detailing how she keeps her berries fresh for weeks at a time.
@livingplanetfriendly There's always a big debate on whether or not to wash your produce right away or to wash before eating—I've personally found produce lasts the same amount of time whether or not it's washed, but if it is washed I'm more likely to eat it. If you've found a different way works better for you, you do you! #StoringProduce #PreventFoodWaste #FoodWaste #SaveMoney #LowWaste #ZeroWaste #Sustainable #Sustainability #HowToStoreProduce #StoringBerries
♬ original sound - Maria Watkins
As she demonstrates in her video, the only thing you need to do in addition to washing your fruit is to jar it with a Swedish dishcloth, which helps it stay fresher longer.
She explained: "How to store produce to prevent food waste and stop throwing money in the trash […] As always, everything is washed in a 5-minute vinegar bath. Strawberries and blueberries are patted dry with a towel and added to glass jars with a Swedish dishcloth usually cut up inside to absorb any excess moisture."
Of course, you can store them in containers other than glass jars if those aren't available, since the Swedish dishcloth is what's soaking up excess moisture, so really, you just need to buy the dishcloths if you don't already own them.
How it's helping
As Maria pointed out in her video, this hack enables you to save money by not tossing out fruit gone bad before you have a chance to eat it. You not only save money, but you're also reducing food waste and the amount of food sent to landfills, which helps lower the amount of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere that contribute to the overheating of the planet.
With fruit lasting longer, you're more likely to get around to eating it, too. Since fruit is good for your body, the more you eat, the better off you'll be. Maria also mentions that some vegetables can even be stored in this way, making them last longer, so you can experiment with what works best for your fruits and vegetables.
What everyone's saying
Other TikTokers were intrigued by the hack and offered up their own hacks for storing berries.
"I never thought about using Swedish dishcloths!!! I've always used paper towels. SO SMART," one TikTok user raved.
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Reducing my food waste 🗑️ Another person hilariously said: "As a Swedish person I'm lowkey confused about using our dishcloths for this but ima try lol."
"Stopppp I'm so going to try the Swedish dishcloth! It'll save my paper towels!" another TikToker exclaimed.
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