13 cooking hacks to keep your fridge full AND save you money – and you’re definitely storing your potatoes all wrong

FOOD waste is bad for the environment and it can also put a strain on your finances.

We reveal tried and tested hacks to keep your fridge fully stocked for longer.

Freeze milk for tea

NEVER manage to use up all of your milk before it turns sour?

Take a regular ice-cube tray and fill it with whatever milk you normally add to your cup of tea.

Freeze the milk into cubes – which can last for up to six weeks – and drop them into your mug of boiling water with your teabag whenever you make a cuppa.

Voila! You have a perfect cup of tea and none of your milk will go to waste.

Keep cheese fresh

WANT to avoid ending up with a block of moulding cheese in your fridge before you have the chance to eat it all?

Simply double-wrap it using baking paper, or wax paper, then place it into a Tupperware container lined with a damp kitchen towel.

Seal with an airtight lid and enjoy your cheese for longer.

Strawberries in vinegar

MAKE the most of delicious strawberries when you buy a punnet by bathing them in vinegar.

It could help keep them fresh for up to three weeks.

Put the strawberries in a bath of water and apple cider vinegar and leave to sit for 15 minutes, then rinse well.

Dry them with a paper towel, then store in an airtight glass jar in your fridge.

Pick salted butter

MANY of us could do with less salt in our diets. But did you know salted butter will stay fresh for longer than its unsalted counterpart?

Butter is high in fat but has a low water content, which means it is not a hospitable environment for bacteria to grow.

The salt lowers the water content even further, keeping it fresher for longer.

Wrap lettuce in foil

NO one likes a limp lettuce leaf that browns before you have the chance to eat it.

One trick is to wrap the lettuce in tin foil, covering it fully, before storing it in the fridge. This will keep the leaves fresh for up to a month as it locks in the moisture.

Alternatively, store lettuce submerged in water in an airtight container, changing the water every few days.

Kitchen roll in spinach

DO you sometimes buy bags of leaves, such as spinach?

All too often these leaves wilt and go bad before you have a chance to finish them up.

However, if you place a single sheet of kitchen paper into the bag with them, this will help absorb the excess moisture, tackling one of the key reasons why your leaves become inedible.

Celery for fresh bread

WE have all been there: Your bread is no longer good to use for sandwiches because it has gone stale.

But a top trick is to place a stick of celery either in the bread bag itself, or in your bread bin with your loose loaf.

Over time, the bread will absorb the moisture from the vegetable, which will extend its shelf life.

Do not chill potatoes

THERE is a reason why people say you should store potatoes in a cool, dry place and not the fridge.

If you refrigerate potatoes their starch turns to sugar, turning it sweeter.

Another tip is to avoid storing potatoes next to onions, which produce ethylene gas that causes potatoes to sprout.

Store flour in freezer

WE all know it is best to keep flour in an airtight container once it has been opened.

But did you know putting flour in the freezer will extend its shelf life even further?

Wholewheat flour holds up particularly well in the freezer, as it has a higher oil content than other flours which can oxidise outside the freezer.

Wrap bananas in film

WE are bananas about this helpful hack. Fruits such as bananas can go past their best too quickly but wrapping the stems in cling film will help to keep them fresh for longer.

This prevents ethylene gas, which seeps from the ends, getting to the rest of the banana. That slows down the ripening process.

Regrow your own veg

YOU might not have access to a garden or an allotment but there is an easy way to grow your own veggies for free.

Simply take the root of your used lettuce and place it in a cup of water.

In two to three weeks’ time it will regrow, providing you with fresh leaves. You can repeat the trick with leeks, celery and spring onions.

Keep garlic on counter

MOST people store garlic and onions in a cool, dry place or in their fridge.

But it is best to leave them on the kitchen counter in an open paper bag to let them breathe.

This will ensure they last longer while also providing a fragrant smell for your kitchen.