The 20p hack chefs swear by to keep your open jars from going mouldy – and it’s already in your cupboard
THERE’S nothing quite as annoying as going to use a jar of something in your fridge only to discover it’s gone mouldy.
But did you know there’s a really simple way to keep your open jars fresh for loads longer? And the answer is already in your cupboards.
According to Christina Soteriou, who is a chef and recipe writer, you don’t have to chuck your pest, pasta sauce or anything else away if you don’t use it all.
All you need to do is add a layer of olive oil on top of the leftover food in the jar to keep it fresh.
“Adding a thin layer of olive oil on top of your condiments creates a seal that prevents bacteria from getting into the product,” Christina explained.
Start by taking a teaspoon and removing any dried on gunky-looking bits from the edge of the jar.
Then push down the sauce, or whatever is in the jar, so it’s a far layer.
You can then slowly pour a layer of olive oil on top, a few milometers should do the trick – just make sure nothing is uncovered.
Food you can use this trick for
- Pesto
- Chili oil and paste
- Jars of minced garlic or ginger
- Tomato paste
- Harissa
- Chipotle
- Mole
- Homemade sauces
Of course, it’s important to use your own senses to determine if food is safe to eat, and if you’re unsure it might be better to bin it and open a fresh jar.
The quality of the olive oil you use can also determine how well this trick works, so the higher quality, the better.
That said, because you only need a tiny amount of olive oil for each jar you use the trick can still work out as just pennies – so you’re saving money and reducing food waste.
The same method can be used to keep other foods that already come in oil fresher for longer too.
For example, making sure your sundried tomatoes are fully covered in their oil before returning them to the fridge will stop them going bad.
After sharing the hack on social media other food fans chimed in to say they also swear by the method.
“We do this with pesto and it lasts loads longer,” one wrote.
Another wrote: “Thanks for the tip!! Cannot wait to try it, I have a jar of opened pesto in the fridge right now but leaving for a holiday for 10 days.
“Do you think it will last until I come using this method or should I just freeze it?”
“Wow. My rose harissa goes mouldy after a week after opening. I’m not using it daily. Going to try this,” someone else commented.
And another foodie loved the hack so much they said it will “Absolutely revolutionise” the jar shelf in her fridge.
Meanwhile, someone else said her grandmother used “the same method” to keep pickles fresh for longer.
“It works like a charm,” can confirm,” she said.
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