Why Are Some People Putting Paper Towels in the Fridge?

Paper towels serve a multitude of purposes, particularly regarding soaking up wet or sticky messes. Therefore, this handy life hack is unsurprisingly useful at keeping produce fresher for longer. People have discovered a whole new use for them and are now putting a paper towel in the fridge.

Putting a Paper Towel in the Fridge

The secret to this helpful life hack is actually quite obvious. Because a paper towel is designed to absorb moisture, it’s a great solution for helping keep produce fresher for longer. Simply line the produce drawers with a couple of paper towels. Then, place fruits and veggies inside and store them as normal. The paper towel in the fridge will help keep fruits and vegetables from getting wet and soggy—a result of being surrounded by too much moisture. In contrast, paper towels can also help keep moisture in for longer. For example, in the case of things like fresh herbs. Just remember to replace the paper towels every few days to preserve freshness. Bonus: the wet paper towels can be used to help keep the drawers and shelves clean. Just wipe everything down with the wet towel before replacing it.

Read: This Laundry Hack Will Make Your Clothes Crease-Free Without Reaching For The Iron

How a Paper Towel in the Fridge Works

Most people know that over time, fruits and veggies, especially leafy greens, release moisture as well as ethylene. This is what causes them to go bad, in most cases, before you’ve even had the opportunity to consume them. A paper towel in the fridge will help to prolong that process, giving you fresher fruits and vegetables for longer.

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Saving Produce

Furthermore, another way to ensure fruits and vegetables last longer is to keep them in aerated containers, allowing them to breathe. Ideally, this will prevent them from being exposed to the gas for extended periods of time, speeding up the ripening process and ultimately causing food to go bad astonishingly quickly.

Other ways to prolong the freshness of produce include keeping it in the freezer, buying harder or less ripe options, and keeping some in the fridge and others on the counters. This can apply to various stages of ripeness, as well as differing types of fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, it gives all produce plenty of room to breathe, whether stored on the counter or in the fridge.

Or “swaddle” herbs in a paper towel to keep them from drying out.

Although there aren’t a lot of complications associated with putting a paper towel in the fridge, it’s certainly worth considering because it can ultimately save hundreds of dollars. Other interesting and helpful uses for a paper towel include, using them to absorb oil from containers. Cooking oils like olive or avocado tend to drip down the sides of bottles. However, a paper towel may be able to help. Simply wrap the bottle in a paper towel and fasten it in place with a rubber band. The paper towel in a the fridge soaking up moisture is a similar concept to how it works for absorbing oil as well.

Instead of a Paper Towel in the Fridge, Put it in Sugar

Brown sugar contains molasses and clumps into a rock when the moisture is removed from the contents. However, placing a moist paper towel in a microwave-safe container to heat for 20-30 seconds with some brown sugar can help to soften it.

Another benefit of using paper towels in the microwave is to help cook food evenly. Place a paper towel over a microwave-safe bowl or container, then put it in the microwave for the desired length of time. The paper towel will act as a vacuum seal, ensuring the heat evenly reaches every part of the dish.

Another alternative in which a paper towel might be helpful isn’t quite putting the paper towel in the fridge but instead putting it in a container to use in place of a salad spinner. Simply line the container with a paper towel like you’d line the drawers with a paper towel in the fridge. Add produce, and shake gently to allow the paper towel to absorb the moisture.

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