It is no secret that eating more fruits and veggies is the way to keep your body healthy and happy. I’m always pleased to see so many people turning up at the farmers market or pack their shopping cart in the grocery store with fresh produce instead of prepacked meals and other processed crap.
However, nothing as worse as loading up that much fresh produce and then finding it slimy, moldy, limply or wilted in the fridge a few days later. So today I want to share my storing tips and tricks for fresh produce.
How to Store Fruits and Vegetables: 10 Helpful Tips & Tricks
1. Ethylene-producing foods
Some fruits and veggies produce a gas, called ethylene, as they ripe. This is an odorless and harmless gas, but it can cause other produce to become spotted, soft, and mealy. Avoid premature ripening of ethylene-sensitive foods by keeping them separate from foods that emit this gas.
Ethylene-producing: apricots, avocado, bananas, cantaloupes, honeydew melons, kiwis, mangoes, nectarines, papaya, peaches, pears, plums, and tomatoes.
Ethylene-sensitive: apples, asparagus, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, eggplant, green beans, leafy greens, potatoes, summer squash, and watermelons.
2. Do not refrigerate
Keep potatoes, onions, and tomatoes in a cool, dry place instead of the fridge. The cold destroys their flavor. But make sure to keep them separated! Do not refrigerate unripe fruit and veggies. Store them on the counter and move them to the fridge once they are ripe to keep them longer.
FYI: banana peels will turn black, but this won’t affect the flesh, though.
ALSO READ: 15 Common Foods You Should NOT Refrigerate
3. Berries
Do not wash berries before storing them to avoid them from getting moldy.
4. Citrus fruits
Citrus fruits can be stored in a cool, dry place for up to a week. However, if you want to keep them longer, store them in a mesh or perforated bag in the fridge.
5. Cut off pineapple top
Cutting the leafy part of your pineapple will help you to keep it longer in the fridge, and it takes up less space as well.
Scroll down for more tips and tricks on how to store fruits and vegetables
6. Store veggies
Wrap celery in aluminum foil and store in the veggie compartment. Keep carrots and broccoli in separate bags in the crisper. Make sure the veggies are dry, moisture speeds up the spoiling process.
ALSO READ: How To Wash And Store Fresh Greens
7. Cut veggies
If you like to cut up veggies straight away after your shopping trip, store them in glass containers lined with paper towels to keep the moisture out and prevent them from getting slimy. And if not eating them raw, freeze them for later use, instead of keeping them in the fridge.
8. Use re-usable fresh green bags
Reusable GreenBags help preserve the freshness of fruits and vegetables. The bag slows down ripening process and keeps bacteria from forming. GreenBags can keep produce fresh for up to 30 days and reduce vitamin loss by up to 50% by preventing excess moisture. Saves money and reduces waste.
9. Keep an eye on your produce
From the moment something starts to rot, mold or turn bad, compost (or throw in the bin) immediately before it starts to spoil your other produce.
10. Plan your meals
Plan your meals ahead and only buy what you need. Go to the grocery store or farmers market more often instead of planning one trip a week. We usually plan our meals for 3 days and do another grocery run in the middle of the week to make sure nothing spoils or finds its way to the bin because we haven’t eaten it.
Thanks for reading. I hope this information was helpful. Until next time!
Amy Goodrich
Crazy cat lady, life and food lover, certified biologist, and holistic health coach.
