Produce lovers, rejoice! I have found a simple solution to our continuous problem of how to keep fresh-cut produce fresh. And I found it on Amazon!
The first day of 2021 was a huge restart day for so many of us, and that included setting healthy eating goals and intentions. And with meal prep being so popular these days, especially for busy working individuals (whether at home or away from home), adding healthier side dishes is a priority. The only problem with meal prep is if you are packing fresh-cut fruit or vegetables with your prepped breakfasts, lunches, or dinners, they go brown very quickly.
I recently heard of a product called NatureSeal®, available on Amazon and super affordable, and am so glad these products came into my life. Not only are NatureSeal’s products made with a healthy blend of vitamins and minerals and super affordable, but they actually do work and take minimal effort to help keep fresh-cut produce looking fresh.
NatureSeal
Avocados are my absolute favorite on things like burrito bowls, salads, tacos, etc. But I always run into the issue of having to somehow preserve half of an avocado for a day or two until I’m ready to use it. I’ve been told that if you simply leave the pit in the half you are wanting to save, it should stay fresh. Having done this trick many times, I can say that while the inside of the avocado does remain fresh, the exposed flesh tends to look browned and almost rotten – resulting in wasted food.
NatureSeal is the solution to my never-ending avocado browning problem.
NatureSeal has a few different products to choose from: NatureSeal® Fresh-Cut Solutions Fresh-Cut Produce Extender; and NatureSeal® Fresh-Cut Solutions for Guacamole and Avocado.
NatureSeal® Fresh-Cut Solutions Fresh-Cut Produce Extender
The NatureSeal Fresh-Cut Solutions Fresh-Cut Produce Extender is great for apples, carrots, celery, peaches and pears and helps keep fresh-cut produce from browning for up to one week. Each box comes with 10 packets, and each packet treats up to three pounds of produce, which is amazing! It is allergen-free, sulfite-free, and gluten-free, as well as GMO-free, and Kosher certified. It’s made up of a blend of vitamins and minerals and is super easy to apply.
- Wash your whole produce and set it aside.
- Add 1 packet of NatureSeal Fresh-Cut Solutions Fresh-Cut Producer Extender to a 1 gallon resealable bag and add 1/2 cup of cold water. Shake until the powder is dissolved.
- Then, add all of your cut produce (discarding core or pit), and immediately place the fresh-cut produce in the solution.
- Shake the bag to ensure all pieces are covered with the solution.
- Drain and store in a sealed container or a storage bag in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
NatureSeal® Fresh-Cut Solutions for Guacamole and Avocado
The NatureSeal Fresh-Cut Solutions for Guacamole and Avocado packets help keep quac from browning for up to five days, and cut avocado from browning for up to 10 hours.
For preserving guacamole:
Simply add the NatureSeal powder directly into the avocado pulp and blend with a hand mixer. It’s odorless and tasteless so you won’t even notice it’s there.
For preserving sliced avocado:
- In a bowl, dissolve 1 packet of NatureSeal in 2/3 cup of cold water.
- Cut the avocados in half. Remove the pit and slice. Only slice two avocados at a time to ensure that there’s not overcrowding in the bowl of solution.
- Immediately immerse the slices into the NatureSeal solution for at least 10 minutes.
- Stir gently to ensure all the sliced surfaces are covered.
- Remove slices from the solution, drain well, and refrigerate in a covered container or sealed bag.
Tip: Do not leave treated produce out at room temperature for more than four hours.
Some of you prefer to simply use lemon to preserve the coloring of fresh-cut produce, but as you know, lemon significantly changes the taste of your produce. With NatureSeal products, you won’t have to worry about the natural flavor of the produce being changed.
The benefits of using NatureSeal speak for themselves, but aside from preventing produce loss, consider the money you could save by keeping your fresh-cut produce looking fresh longer. NatureSeal also comes in handy when you are preparing meals ahead of time for parties!
Important notes:
- Produce treated with NatureSeal products will retain a pleasing appearance for a very long time but will NOT last forever.
- It’s important to know that while using NatureSeal products helps maintain the color,
texture and natural flavor of the fresh-cut produce, it does not inhibit or prevent microbial growth. If treated produce is left out at room temperature for more than four hours, it must be discarded. - NatureSeal products are only intended for the produce items identified on the products
packaging and should not be used for any other purpose. - NatureSeal products are not intended for fresh-cut produce which will be baked or cooked.
**This post is part of a sponsored collaboration with NatureSeal. As always, I only work with brands that I believe in and that I believe you could all benefit from. My opinions and thoughts are my own.
Giveaway
I’ve teamed up with NatureSeal to offer one winner two boxes of NatureSeal products. To enter, use the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck! Giveaway ends 2/1/21.
airplanesanddragonflies says
WHAT Rafflecopter form???
Cristen Casados says
Sorry about that. I just re-added it in.