The Best Way To Store Fresh Produce — Fruits + Vegetables
There is a simple joy in the snap of a lettuce, or the bite of a juicy tomato fresh from the farmer’s market (or your local grocery stores). But keeping these pesky perishables perky and fresh once you get home can be a real challenge! Especially right now while grocery prices are at an all time high, it just sucks having to throw away what was once fresh, because it was not stored correctly. We are here to provide a few manageable and educated strategies which will help you minimize food waste and enjoy your fresh fruits and vegetables longer. Hint: it’s not always in the refrigerator!
Disclaimer
This blog post is a work in progress.
My goal is to update it continuously, so it becomes a giant archive on how to best store all kinds of fresh produce. Not just the ones commonly found in typical grocery stores, but also fruits and vegetables a lot of us minorities and people of color tend to eat.
I plan on talking about how to store, when to eat, what to avoid and general best practices. The comment section is now open, so please don’t hesitate to note down which fruits and vegetables you would like us to share more information on.
Alright, let’s dispel some myths about how to store common fruits and vegetables!
Asparagus
How to store — Store them as you would store cut flowers — trim the bottoms and stand the spears up in a glass or jar with about an inch of water. Cover with a plastic bag then refrigerate them.
When to eat them — Tastes best when cooked the day you buy it. If not they can last up to 4-5 days in the refrigerator.
What to avoid — Do not wash asparagus before storing and never soak it. Try not to get the remaining parts of the asparagus wet to avoid mold growth, only the bottom of the stem should be moist during storage.
Avocado
How to store — If the avocado is unripe, leave it out on the countertop. It will ripen within 2-5 days. For ripe avocados, place them in your refrigerator for 2-3 days to keep them fresh.
When to eat them — Within 1-2 days once they have fully ripened.
What to avoid — Do not store avocados in a paper bag, which would trap the natural ethylene gas that emits from the avocado and actually speed up the ripening process. Also Keep avocados away from bananas, tomatoes, and melons, which are all high ethylene producers.
Berries | Strawberries, Blueberries, and Blackberries
How to store — pick out and discard any that are bruised, slimy or spoiled. Wash the berries in a solution of vinegar and water, drain and rinse them under cold running water. Dry the berries as thoroughly as possible — use a salad spinner lined with paper towel. Use a large well-ventilated container like this, line it with dry paper towels and store the berries as uncrowded as possible to promote good airflow.
When to eat them — within 5-7 days.
What to avoid — moisture and molds are the enemy here so try to maintain a dry environment as much as possible.
Cucumber
How to store — cucumbers are best stored at room temperature. When subjected to temperatures below 50°F, they’re prone to developing “chilling injuries,” including water-soaked areas, pitting, and accelerated decay. If you still prefer to keep them in the refrigerator, store them closer to the top and front of the shelf, where the temperatures are warmer.
When to eat them — Within 3 days.
What to avoid — Keep them away from bananas, tomatoes, and melons, which are all high ethylene producers.
Eggplant
How to store — store them at room temperature, not in the refrigerator. Keep eggplants in a cool and dry environment, away from direct sunlight. When subjected to temperatures below 41°F for an extended period, eggplant is prone to chilling injuries, like pitting, surface bronzing, and browning of seeds and pulp tissue.
When to eat them — Within 4-5 days.
What to avoid — Keep them away from bananas, tomatoes, and melons, which are all high ethylene producers.
Mushroom
How to store — place mushrooms in the refrigerator in a porous paper bag for a prolonged storage. Try not to use plastic bags or containers because it will trap moisture and mushrooms end up sitting in a damp environment, which causes discoloration, mold, and slime.
When to eat them — Within 1 week
What to avoid — moisture which will turn the mushrooms slimy, moldy and inedible very fast.
Okra
How to store — Place fresh in the refrigerator in a porous paper bag or a perforated plastic bag for a prolonged storage. Try not to use nonporous plastic bags or tight containers because it will trap moisture and moisture will promote mold growth and make them slimy. For long term storage, its’s best to freeze okra which can last up to 12 months in the freezer.
When to eat them — Within 2-3 days.
What to avoid — Moisture, do not wash the okras until they are ready to be cooked. You should also just wash the outer layer while they are uncut. Washing okras after they’ve been cut will make them even more slimy.
Potatoes
How to store — Keep potatoes in a cool dry place, like in the cabinet of a pantry, in a paper bag or cardboard box. It's important to keep potatoes at the cool, ideal temperature (but not, surprisingly, the fridge) to prevent them from turning green, getting soft spots, or pre-maturely sprouting.
When to eat them — When stored properly in a cool, dark and dry environment, potatoes can last up to 2 months. At room temperature they can go bas as little as 2 weeks.
What to avoid — Avoid storing potatoes with onions, bananas and apples which produce and emit ethylene gas, which will speed up the ripening process and can cause nearby potatoes to sprout, rot and spoil quickly.
Spring Mix (Mesclun) | Lettuce, Spinach and other Leafy Greens
How to store — Use a large well-ventilated container like this, line it with dry paper towels and store the spring mix as uncrowded as possible to promote good airflow. Try to use the biggest possible container so it has plenty of space and the greens are not jam-packed inside.
When to eat them — Up to 10 days.
What to avoid — Moisture and crowding which will create condensation which in turn will make the greens soggy, slimy and rotted.
Tomatoes
How to store — Tomatoes come from a warm climate, and should be stored at room temperature, on the countertop. They are even better placed next to a sunny kitchen windowsill, so they can continue to ripen and develop flavor. Anything other than fully ripe tomatoes really suffer after refrigeration in every way—flavor development, coloration, and mealy texture.
When to eat them — 7 days on countertop + additional 7 days in the refrigerator once they have fully ripened/
What to avoid — Avoid placing unripe tomatoes in temperatures below 55° F (like the inside of your refrigerator), which will halt its’ flavor-producing enzyme activity. While fully ripe fresh tomatoes are still susceptible to flavor loss when placed in the refrigerator, some of that enzyme activity can come back if they are allowed to recover for a day or two at room temperature before eating.
Hot Tip: If you are unsure, try to follow and maintain the same environment you found the vegetables at the grocery store. For example, if you found tomatoes at room temperature in the produce aisle, then they are best kept in room temperature at your home too!
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