How to extend shelf-life of fresh produce

With the ongoing ECQ in the Philippines due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw the problems of food security in Metro Manila highlighted. Through innovation and technology, we look forward to helping our country have safe and nutritious food for everyone.

As part of our advocacy to push clean and healthy food, we are here to give you tips on how to extend the shelf life of our vegetables.

 

GET IT FROM YOUR LOCAL URBAN FARM, FUTURE FRESH

This may be the most obvious and overlooked way. It is always best to buy produce delivered directly to you very soon after harvest.

In our case, we are the only local farm that harvests your orders just before we dispatch them. By reducing travel time, you will enjoy the benefit of the extra shelf life with Future Fresh.

 

KEEP YOUR PRODUCE MOISTURE-FREE

For most vegetables, moisture is the enemy. We suggest that you keep your vegetables unwashed when you store them. You may wash them before you cook or consume them.  

However, if your vegetables are dirty you must wash them. Bacteria from roots with soil might cause it to decay easily. Just make sure you dry them well. 

What’s good with Future Fresh produce is that there are no wilted leaves and roots in our items that may cause decay. Take a look at our (Wansoy) Coriander.

You may remove excess moisture by lining the storage bag with a paper towel. This is especially helpful with products that have high water content like our Roquette Arugula.

 

 

THINK ABOUT WHERE YOU PLACE THEM IN THE FRIDGE

Vegetables need social distancing too. Some fruits and vegetables like tomatoes and bananas have high ethylene levels. It is best to separate vegetables and allow airflow.

Our fresh produce comes in resealable, biodegradable zip lock bags. They are filled with air when delivered to you. This is to prevent them from being squished.

 

PREP YOUR FRESH PRODUCE BEFORE STORAGE

For some produce like kangkong, remove the body and keep the leaves. Place them in an airtight container or ziplock bag. This saves you time and extends the life of your vegetable.

Future Fresh produce doesn't come with wilted leaves or roots which means you don’t need to prep them at all. You also get more from what you buy since you don’t need to throw anything away.  Our Genovese Basil, for example, does not come with any stems.

There are other vegetables that you may Blanche and freeze like squash and broccoli. You can separate in portions so that you only take out what you need.

 

 

CHECK ON YOUR FRESH PRODUCE FROM TIME TO TIME

Don’t put them in your refrigerator only to forget about them. Give them a good look mid-week. If too much moisture has accumulated, change the towel or bag. You may also trim and remove any wilted parts to get a little more life out of them.

 

 

BUY WHAT YOU NEED & SCHEDULE WEEKLY ORDERS

On our website, we present our quantities in grams and if it is good for how many people. For example, our Baby Kale which contains 150 grams per bag, is ideally good for one.

We also offer weekly deliveries to our customers who want to receive fresh produce regularly. You may choose how often you want to receive our FRESH PICKS SUBSCRIPTION.

We understand that during the ECQ, most of us want to limit our grocery and market runs by buying what we need in one go. However, let’s make sure that we don’t hoard so that we don’t waste food and that there will be more for other people.