Making the most of your fruit and veg

Almost half of the fruit and vegetables that are grown end up in landfill.  Here are some ways the Dirty Clean Food team keep their fruit and vegetables fresher for longer and reduce food waste.

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Cut off the bottom of your leek, celery or spring onion and place toothpicks in the vegetable and place over a glass of water with the bottom submerge. Place in a sunny spot and watch the magic happen. I change the water every couple of days. This growth only took 3 days. It can then be planted in the garden - Amanda 

We put paper towel in our loose spinach bags and lettuce leaves to help soak up any excess moisture in the fridge - Richard L 

I keep the half of my avocado that I didn't eat in water or I'll  mash it and add a little lemon juice to keep it from discolouring - Billie

I cut the bottom off my broccoli and asparagus, and stand them in a glass of water in the fridge, with a zip lock bag over their heads. Keeps them fresh and crisp for a couple of weeks - Christie

I place my whole unwashed strawberries into a glass mason gar with metal lid and then pop them in the fridge.  They'll last a couple of weeks - T.A.

I find basil is really easy to regrow. You need a stem that's about 10cm high. Place it in a glass of water with the leaves well above the water line and leave it in a bright area. Roots will grown in a couple of days and when they're 4-5cm long, you can transplant them in soil - Amanda

Cut the top off your baby carrots, radishes, beetroots and other root plants to harvest the greens and add to your salad. Use a baking tray and place all the vegetable with tops facing up and cover with water. Place in a warm sunny spot and change the water regularly. Plant in soil once the greens start to sprout.

Lettuce, Bok Choy and cabbage are relatively easy to grow from scraps. Instead of throwing out the leftover leaves, place them in a bowl with just a bit of water in the bottom. Keep the bowl somewhere that gets good sunlight and mist the leaves with water a couple of times each week. After 3 or 4 days, you will notice roots beginning to appear along with new leaves. When this happens plant the lettuce in soil. 

I keep a damp tea towel over my veg in the crisper (as it doesn’t seal that well) and that keeps veg from going limp. - Jen