The Secret to Making Your Produce Last
If healthier eating is on your resolution list, makeΒ your produce go the distance by keeping it fresh as long as possible. Here's how!
If your New Yearβs resolutions include eating healthier, then you likely have an abundance of fresh produce. Thatβs why weβre revisiting this article that originally ran in January 2015. Make the most of your produce purchases and set yourself up to succeed with your resolutions.Β
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ItβsΒ the time of year whenΒ folksΒ swear offΒ prepackaged snacks and start filling theirΒ grocery cartsΒ with fresh fruits and veggies. Sound familiar? If so, we applaud you for your efforts and want to help you make your new lifestyle stick. In that spirit, first things first: donβt let your fresh produce fall victim to mold and flavor loss. With the help of some trial and error, additional research and a few words of wisdom from StyleBlueprintβs own Linda Reeve, owner ofΒ Clover Bell Farm, we present to you our playbook for keeping your food fresher longer.
FRUIT
Putting fruits in the fridge can dull their taste. Increase their shelf life with these storage tips, and use the fridge as a last resort.
Apples
How to make them last: Apples can live on the counter, but neverΒ store them with any other fruits or vegetables. Not in a bowl, not in a bag, not in a refrigerator drawer. NEVER. Apples put off highΒ amounts of ethylene gas, which acts as a ripening agent and will take out other unsuspecting produce without a second thought.
How to save leftovers: Soak sliced apples in a bowl of lemon water,Β drain the liquid, and store them in a Ziploc bag in the fridge.
Avocados
How to make them last: Leave unbagged avocadosΒ on the counter to ripen. To ripen them more quickly, place next to an apple.
When to refrigerate: Only refrigerate avocados once they are ripe. This will keep them fresh for about two weeks.
How to save leftovers: If youβve already sliced into the avocado, replace the pit to prevent it from browning. The pit will only protect the parts that it is directly touching, so to ensure maximum freshness, squirt a little lemon juice on the avocado or store it in an airtight container with a piece of cut onion. The lemon juice and onion will slowΒ the oxidation/browning process.
Bananas
How to make them last: Wrap the stem in plastic wrapΒ toΒ slow the ripening process.
When to refrigerate: Once the banana has ripened to your liking, put it in a plastic bag and keep it in your refrigeratorβs fruit bin. Donβt be alarmed when the peel turns black; the banana itself will stay fresh for a few days in the fridge.
How to save the leftovers: If you have leftover banana slices, squirt a little lemon juice on them to stop the browning. You just need a little, or you will end up with sour bananas! If the banana overripens, throwΒ it in the freezer and save it for a smoothie or fresh banana bread.
Berries
How to make them last: While berries can be found in grocery stores year round, they are best when in season.Β Refrigerate your unwashed berries, loosely covered, in a single layer in the refrigerator.Β Never wash berries until youβre ready to eat them, because they easilyΒ absorb water, and the added moisture will shorten their shelf life.
When to refrigerate: Right away.
Citrus Fruit
How to make itΒ last: There is nothing worse than an orange peel that is rock hard, and the mesh bags theyβreΒ sold in donβt prevent them from hardening. TheyΒ need to be stored in a ZiplocΒ bag to stay fresh, especially during the dry months of winter.
Stone Fruit (peaches, plums, apricots)
How to make them last: Store stone fruits stem-side-down and not touching one another. They can live on the counter, but only in a place that is out of direct sunlight.
When toΒ refrigerate: After plums and yellow peaches ripen, you can refrigerate them for three to five days. Nectarines and white peaches will only last about a day.
Tomatoes
How to make them last: Store tomatoes at room temperature orΒ in a cool place. Tomatoes are delicate, so store them in a single layer to prevent bruising.
When to refrigerate: Never, unless you want mealy tomatoes.
How to save the leftovers: Cut tomatoes can be placedΒ facedown on a plate. But eat them up quickly!
VEGETABLES
Celery
When to refrigerate: Right away.Β Trim the ends, wash and dry the stalks, wrap in a dry paper towel and store in a plastic bag. Celery can also be stored in a glass of water. You decide which storage works best for your consumption needs.
Corn
When to refrigerate: As soon as possible. Leave the husk on, place the uncovered, full ear in the refrigerator and use within two to fiveΒ days.
How to save the leftovers: ShuckΒ the corn, remove the silks and wash thoroughly. Place the corn in boiling water (make sure the water is really boiling) for two minutes, then drop the corn in ice water. Nebraskans β and Linda β insist on putting a splash of milk in the boiling water, too. Once you have dried the corn and cut the kernels off the cob, put it in a freezer-safe container, and it can be stored for up to six months.Β If you have the freezer space, itβs easiest if you spread the shucked corn kernels out on a baking sheet, freeze, then pour into a bag.
Garlic, Onions, and Shallots
How to make them last: Store these items separately in a paper bag with aΒ hole punched through it. Seal the bags with a paper clip and storeΒ them in a cool, dry and dark place. If you opt out of the hole-punched brown paper bags, store garlic, onions and shallots in a mesh bag (humid locations are best).Β
How to save the leftovers: If parts of the onions, garlic or shallots go bad, cut them off so they donβt contaminate the rest.
Lettuce
When to refrigerate: Right away.Β Dampen a paper towel and squeeze out the excess water. Place it inside the bag of lettuce or other tender greens with the bag mouth open to keep it fresh. This works great for spinach, arugula and basil, too. If the lettuce bunchΒ has roots, wrap them in a damp paper towel before bagging.
How to save the leftovers: If you have a salad that has been dressed, toss the leftovers into the trash. Youβll have soggy lettuce in the morning.
Mushrooms
When to refrigerate: When you get home, you can put the unopened container of mushrooms directly in the fridge.
How to save the leftovers: If youβre going to leave the container of mushrooms in your fridge for longer than a few days, or if you have loose mushrooms, wrap them in a paper towel and place them in an open plastic bag or a paper bag.Β The less contact they have with each other, the better. When the paper towels get damp, replace them.
Potatoes
How to make them last: Store potatoes in a mesh bag in a cool, humid and dark place, and donβt wash them until youβre ready to get cooking. If there is anyΒ βgreeningβ on your potatoes, be sure to peel it off, as it can give some people β children especially β a bad stomachache (or so the farmerβs wives say).
How to save the leftovers: If you have cut, raw potatoes, store them in cold water, whichΒ will keep them fresh overnight, but not much longer. Baked or cooked potatoes can be stored in the fridge for up to seven days.
HERBS
Treat herbs as you wouldΒ fresh flowers: Cut the ends off most leafy fresh herbs (basil, mint, dill, cilantro, parsley, but not sage, rosemary or thyme), and try to remove most lower leaves. Place them in a glass of water and return to the refrigerator. These are tricks that also work great for asparagus and celery.
OTHER KITCHEN STAPLES
Bread/Tortillas
How to make it last: Store bread and tortillas in the original packaging, tightly closed, at room temperature.
When to refrigerate: Never. Refrigeration onlyΒ leaves you with dry bread.
What to do with leftovers: If you need to make your bread last, or save it forΒ a later date, throw it in the freezer.
Cookies
If you want oatmeal or other cookies to stay moist (or at least not dry out) in the cookie jar, put a slice of apple in with them and close the top tightly.
Eggs
How to make them last: Keep eggs in theirΒ originalΒ carton.
WhenΒ toΒ refrigerate: It depends. Linda says thatΒ her family, like most farmers and Brits, never refrigerate theirΒ farm eggs, but keep them on the counter out of direct sunlight and heat. They taste creamier and last just as long as refrigerated eggs. Ina Garten and other chefs specifically require a room-temperature egg for most recipes. If you want them refrigerated, store themΒ in the body of the fridge, not the door.Β
How to save the leftovers: Raw egg whites and yolks should be stored in airtight containers and placed in the refrigerator. Yolks can be covered with a small amount of cold water to keep them from drying out.
SB BONUS: The best eggs are always made in butter. Remove from heat and cover for one minute to rest for the best eggs.
STORAGE CONTAINERS
BPA-Free
With the ongoing debate about the hazards of using plastic containers to store foods, people have become more consciousΒ about which containers they are using and reusing. According to the Sierra ClubΒ andΒ the Environmental Working Group, numbers 1, 2, 4 or 5 plastic containers are okay to reuse, but number 7 plastic may contain higher BPA, a chemicalΒ that can potentially have adverse effectsΒ on the brain, behavior and prostate gland of fetuses, infants and children. If you are looking for BPA-free containers,Β reuse your Jeniβs Splendid Ice CreamsΒ containers, which are number 2 plastic, selectΒ other BPA-free containers or stick to glass.
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Recipes abound in our archives. Take a look around and then whip up something fresh and healthy this weekend! Click HERE!
Alex Hendrickson
Alex is a Southern writer known for hunting down delicious stories and traveling the world with hunger. Her passions and interests lie in food, travel, interior design and inspiring people, and her dream is to eat a dozen oysters a day.