16 Food Storage Tips, Tricks, And Hacks For Stretching Your Groceries As Long As Possible

In a test, lemons stored in sealed plastic bags in the fridge lasted four times longer than lemons kept at room temperature. (The sealed plastic was key — read more at The Kitchn.)

Instead, re-wrap it in parchment paper or cheese paper so it can breathe and last longer. As Food52 explains: When cheese is wrapped in plastic, it can't intake oxygen — which can affect flavor and breed bacteria.

Get a set of 15 cheese paper storage bags on Amazon for $9.

The paper towel absorbs excess moisture, which keeps the greens from getting soggy over time — and extends their shelf-life.

Then use them as ready-made recipe starters in dishes that call for oil as the first step — like stews, soups, or roasts.

Portion them out into ice cube trays, then drop into recipes that call for a bit of liquid to add flavor at the end, like pasta sauces.

Totally fine if they're a little wilted or droopy — you won't be able to tell once everything gets pureed. Read more at PopSugar.

We're pretty obsessed with these — and they work with other fruits and vegetables too. Read our full review here.

Get a set of three containers on Amazon for $26.99.

By doing this, the oil that naturally collects on top will instead work its way to the bottom — and you can avoid having to re-blend later.

This is so important — but not something everyone does. TL;DR: Get perishables off the fridge door, store produce in the crisper, push dairy towards the back, and keep raw meat on the bottom.

If your fridge is too hot or too cold, it doesn't matter how well it's organized. Stuff will still spoil before it's supposed to. (If you're not sure about proper temp, double check the manual that came with your fridge model — or look it up online.)

If you open a canned good — like beans, tuna, or tomatoes — but don't use all of it, make sure to transfer leftovers into a separate container. Refrigerating leftovers in the same open can negatively affect taste, among other things.

This way, you can also buy in bulk — which can save you a few bucks or at least prolong your next trip to the store. Find the FDA's freezer + fridge storage guidelines here.

If you pre-wash all your fruits and veggies when you get home from the store, the leftover dampness can make them mold or rot more quickly.

Because you never know when the craving will strike. (When it does, just add tequila and sweetener — and you're good to go!)