If you’re having a party or just friends over for dinner one of the easiest ways to save time  on the day of is to prepare a portion of your meal ahead of time. Use this trick to keep your crudité platter fresh for up to 12 hours.

Arrange your cut up vegetables on a plate, cover them with damp paper towels, then cover the entire thing with a layer of plastic wrap, and store it in the fridge.

Get more kitchen tricks and tips from the Real Simple test kitchen.