What’s in Store

For many consumers, storage of produce means a plastic bag in the fridge. But did you know that this is not necessarily the best way to go for certain foods?

Be careful of storing any produce in direct sunlight. Produce does need light to ripen, but if it is too strong, the bright direct light coming through a window can burn it.

As an alternative to plastic bags, check out
www.reusablebags.com These are supposed to help produce last longer, too!

The first thing you need to keep in mind is what to look for when purchasing produce. Obviously, the more unblemished and the fresher your produce, the longer it will last. Wilting, discolorations, spots and dried-out ends will indicate that that particular produce is simply past its prime and won’t last. You want heavy melons, hard apples and fresh smelling green vegetables. If it smells fresh, it is. If it doesn’t, don’t buy it.

Mushrooms:
Store mushrooms in a paper bag. When stored in a plastic bag, they quickly get slimy.

Tomatoes:
Store tomatoes out of the fridge and out of any storage bags. With tomatoes cold plastic bag confinement speeds decomposition and just decreases flavor. Outside the fridge they ripen very slowly. Store them in a fruit bowl or something like that.

Figs and berries:
These should be fine in their little green baskets without any plastic wrap or bags.  I have never had luck keeping berries in bags.  The point is to eat them fresh. The figs and berries you expect to eat in a few days’ time can be out on the counter, no need to refrigerate. Most of the troubles we have with good clean simple food is this unnatural idea that we should be able to keep it for a long time or ship it over vast distances.  Old fashioned canning still works for preserves.

Potatoes, onions and garlic:
These can all be stored for about a month. They need to be stored in a cool place - NOT in the refrigerator, and not together (when stored together, they produce gasses that spoil both). Try making two bins in your pantry, one for onions and one for potatoes, that keep my produce friends cool and comfortable and keep them from sprouting, too.

Hard squashes and sweet potatoes:
Winter squashes such as butternut and acorn squash, also sweet potatoes don’t need refrigeration but will fare well in the pantry with your onions and potatoes.

Broccoli and cauliflower will easily last the week in your fridge.

Carrots and celery:
These can last up to two weeks - take the tops off of carrots to extend their life. Otherwise, the other end will continue to grow and sap the root part, the part you eat, causing the carrot to wither and dry out.

Fruits:
Apples - store in the fridge, as they ripen very quickly outside it.
Oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes - I usually store in a fruit bowl outside the fridge, using them within a week or 10 days. Stored in the fridge they can last longer.
Grapes - should go in the fridge where they can last two weeks, maybe even a little more.

Fresh Greens:
These are the trickiest to store - lettuces, mustard greens, escarole, and I suppose spinach (see my notes on spinach here). These need to be used up within the week.  The best way to keep them from going bad is to use them up first.  Kale, parsley, cilantro, collard greens are heartier greens, longer lasting. When they turn yellow, they are done for, so you will just have to toss them. Have your lettuce salads within the first few after shopping. Your kale salad can come after that.  To put it in perspective - In older times and even today in many countries, people might go to the market daily to get the freshest produce! So again, the trick is bringing home very fresh produce.

In the fridge, and this might be counterintuitive for many, I put half lemons, half tomatoes, half onions, half cucumbers, half avocados together in a bowl or on a small plate without any plastic wrap or covering. I don’t get a problem with odor and I tend to use them within 48 hours because they are obvious and not wrapped up away where I can’t see them and can easily forget them. Also I try to shop once a week and use everything in that week. When I bring home groceries the next week, I first empty out of the fridge any produce still lingering and check it to see if it is still good. If it is, I put it in front and use it that day or the next day, so that it doesn’t sit for another week before I find it again in a less than pleasant state. Even though I keep onion pieces unwrapped, I never have a problem with oder because of this habit, and the habit of keeping it pretty clean (which is easier if it is not overstuffed with old stuff).

You will usually give your produce a longer life if you use the produce drawers of the refrigerator (the humidity is better there).  Double check the temperature in the drawers - it should be right at 40º F.

Marked-down produce, unless used right away, is usually not a good purchase. The only exception is overly ripe bananas, which if you are not going to eat them or make banana bread right away, can be frozen for smoothies.

Fresh produce can be both a healthy choice and a budget saver when bought in season (seasonal produce is cheaper) and in the right quantities.  Buying from local farmers at Farmers’ Markets, etc is going to get you fresher produce as well as giving you choices that are in season. Huge corporations of food producers have their greatest success with unnatural practices, like selling produce out of season, distributing it over great distances. I mean, food is big business - everyone has to eat, right?
Local family farms are a great way to go. There are local organic farmers in many areas. Check out local organic produce delivery: See my listings Alternatives to Shopping at Whole Foods.

When shopping for bargains, just remember you don’t save money if your purchase rots in your fridge!