A TikTok user has shared a simple fruit and veg hack that will prevent your potatoes from sprouting prematurely – and all you need is a couple of common household fruits
A savvy lifestyle guru has just dropped a bunch of game-changing fruit and veg tips on TikTok, including a nifty trick to keep your spuds from sprouting too soon.
TikTok’s @lifetips669 posted a video packed with top-notch advice that’ll stretch the life of your market haul. “Vegetable vendors will never tell you these food storage tips,” they claimed.
They dished out a clever potato preservation hack, saying: “Potatoes bought in bulk go bad. Potatoes and apples are good friends. Storing them together prevents sprouting.”
Turns out, there’s some solid science to this tip, as it seems to slow down the ripening of both.
According to Tasting Table, apples give off ethylene gas, which can put the brakes on potatoes’ eagerness to sprout. The site also suggests skipping the warm spots for potato storage, opting instead for somewhere “cool, dry and dark”.
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But don’t chuck them in the fridge; that could turn their starches to sugars, leading to potentially harmful chemicals when cooked. And here’s a heads up – that same apple ethylene can wreak havoc on other produce like onions, melons, broccoli, and peaches, speeding up their ripening and reducing their shelf life.
In a nifty trick, @lifetips669 on TikTok recommends stashing prawns in an empty mineral water bottle and filling it with tap water. “Tighten the cap and freeze it,” they suggest.
“This way it stays fresh for a year.”
The clever clogs behind the account also suggests dunking broccoli in water to extend its freshness and swears by keeping onions in tights to prolong their shelf life.
Just like spuds, @lifetips669 points out that bananas bought in bulk often spoil quicker. They reckon wrapping cling film around the stem can keep them “still perfect” until you fancy a banana.
TikTok users have been quick to show their appreciation, with one posting: “Wow I’m so encouraged and happy, thanks a lot for this info.”
Another chimed in: “Wow additional knowledge. Thanks for sharing the tips.”