The invention discloses a
preservative for
fruits and vegetables, which comprises the following components in percentage by
mass: 5-8% of an emulsifier, 3-5% of
Litsea cubeba extracts, 2-4% of star anise extracts, 2-3% of
chitosan, 2-3% of
calcium chloride, 1.5-3% of
calcium bisulfite, 1.5-3% of
calcium chlorite, 1.5-3% of
anhydrous ethanol, 0.5-1% of
citric acid, and the balance of
distilled water. A use method of the
preservative for
fruits and vegetables comprises the following steps: soaking vegetables or fruits into the
preservative for 5-10 minutes, taking out the vegetables or fruits out of the preservative and
drying the vegetables or fruits, placing the vegetables or fruits into a preservative vessel, covering preservative films on the vegetables or fruits, and storing the vegetables or fruits under the condition of
room temperature. The preservative for
fruits and vegetables disclosed by the invention is excellent in properties, keeps the quality of fruits and vegetables, enhances the commodity property of fruits and vegetables, and prolongs the
shelf life of fruits and vegetables; the preservative is safe, environment-friendly, non-toxic, harmless and
pollution-free; the preservative is high in efficiency, and has an
antibacterial effect superior to that of
sodium benzoate; and the preservative is simple in
machining process, moderate in cost and easy to use, and therefore, the fresh-keeping agent disclosed by the invention is an economic and ideal preservative for fruits and vegetables.