If we learnt anything from watching ABC's War On Waste last year, it's this. Food wastage is a BIG problem in Australia. On average, Australian families throw away $3,500 a year in wasted food. It's 1 in 5 bags, and a large portion of it would be fresh produce. A relatively small investment can make a large dent in that wastage. At Shop Naturally we have 3 different products to help keep your fresh produce fresher for a lot longer. Each product has its strengths and weaknesses. Find out which one is best for your fridge.

"1) The Swag ... with an exclusive free gift"



The Swag Bag takes the concept of using wet canvas to keep produce fresher and significantly improves on it. Where wet canvas can waterlog and damage your fruit & veg, The Swag has three layers of 100% natural unbleached cotton, designed to keep the moisture in the middle layer, while being breathable and keeping the contact dampness off your fresh produce.

I have been using The Swag in my own home for a couple of years and we are pleased we are finally able to stock them for you.

STRENGTHS - they truly shine with fruit & veg with a high moisture content (lettuce, greens etc) and hard veg like carrots & pumpkin too.
WEAKNESSES - they do nothing for a cut avocado (keep reading, we have a solution). You do need to keep these damp for them to work and for some people, the initial outlay may be out of their budget. They are a really great investment and should pay for themselves in a few weeks.


We have always loved beeswax wraps here at Shop Naturally. Originally they were in store for a replacement for cling film, and then I accidentally left a piece of pumpkin and some cabbage in my fridge for almost a month and discovered the beeswax is just amazing for keeping fresh produce fresher for longer. For cut avocados, we haven't been able to find anything better.

STRENGTHS - they truly shine with harder veg and with avocados, just brilliant.  You don't have to remember to keep them damp.
WEAKNESSES - they're not vegan, they don't do a whole lot for things like lettuce or spinach that have a high water content (The Swag is your best option for those)

3) Fresh Paper - loved by Julie Goodwin from Masterchef"

FreshPaper is still a bit of an unknown secret in Australia. It launched a few months ago and hasn't hit mainstream.........yet! We are sure it will. FreshPaper is simply sheets of paper infused with some spices that inhibit bacterial and fungal growth and the enzymes that cause over-ripening. They extend the life of your average fruit & veg by 2 to 4 times.

When it launched, Julie Goodwin did the video for them and she gave them a test drive before putting her name to them. We did one too. I get complaints in my house from my husband who doesn't like opening the beeswax wraps and canvas bags, so he was happy when I road tested these. I still use a combination of all 3 in my own fridge, depending on what I have in the crisper. The pumpkin in the shots above was in the fridge for a couple of weeks, unwrapped, with the FreshPaper. The outside looked a little dry, but I cut a sliver off both sides and it was still moist and fresh and diced up nicely ready for the oven.

Where they truly shine is to pop them in to punnets with berries. If you're sick of strawberries lasting only 24 hours, this is what you want to try. They are low cost and don't require you to cover and wrap your fruit & veg, so you can still see what's in your crisper. Best suited to those who just need a handful of extra days freshness.

STRENGTHS - great entry level price. You can see everything in your crisper at a glance (no need to open bags or unwrap pouches). Great with berries.
WEAKNESSES - extend the life of your produce for a shorter period of time than The Swag and Beeswax Wraps. Doesn't work in air-tight containers.

"Our Promo Deal saves you 30%!"


Agreena Wraps are silicone sheets designed to replace single use cling film, alfoil and baking paper. They are spectacular. What we never expected was their ability to keep your produce fresher for longer. It's not their main purpose, and they will get out-performed by what's listed above, but we ran a pretty big bench test a few months ago and wrapped some carrots and broccoli in the wraps alongside The Swag, beeswax wraps and vegan wraps. They got beaten by The Swag and the beeswax wraps, but they outperformed the vegan wax wraps. If you already own Agreena Wraps and you want to get a couple of extra days out of something, give them a try.

"You may also love ....."

JUST ARRIVED - BULK FOOD BAG SETS

Onya Reusable Bulk Food Bag Sets are the way to make your trip to the farmers market, food co-op or bulk food store a truly waste free experience. Each set comes with a small, medium and l arge bag for your flour, pulses, nuts etc. PLUS a carry pouch and a super large shopping bag to carry everything home in.

They are 10% off for launch, just $35.95 and available in two different colour combinations.

FRUIT & VEG WASH

Organic produce isn't always available or affordable. Even without that, the grime from transport alone can leave a film on fruit & veg that can be hard to get off with water alone. If you're not peeling, this wash costs around 10 cents for a full sink.  At 2 sink fulls a week, the bottle will last you a year.

Other brands require you to add apple cider vinegar to be effective. That's just not necessary with the Abode wash.

We also have an extensive array of fun and eco-friendly biodegradable sponges, brushes and cloths available to complement our fresh produce savers and natural cleaning products in store.