How to Protect Produce From Spoiling with Sponges

Kitchen Tip: Don’t Let Your Produce Spoil!

It’s always a wonderful treat to find fresh produce on sale and stock up on the great find!  However, how often does that produce start to spoil and mold before it can be eaten?  A study by the University of Arizona in concert with the United States Department of Agriculture showed that each US family throws away an average of 470 pounds of food each year.  We also throw away 1/4 of all the produce purchased for our families.
Make sure the food you buy gets eaten instead of being sent to the trash.  Protect some produce which is quick to mold (such as strawberries and raspberries) from spoilage with this simple tip.  When storing produce in drawers, crispers, or containers in the refrigerator, place a dry sponge in the container as well.  The sponge will absorb excess moisture that can be the culprit of early molding and spoiling.
Bonus tip:  Remember that bananas should never be kept in the refrigerator, for the sake of all of your produce!  The ethylene gas they release acts as a speed-ripening agent on other fruits and veggies.  Keep them safely away from other produce to prevent spoilage.