Fresh produce can be pricey, so the last thing you want is to throw away wilted vegetables and rotten fruits. Try these food storage tips to keep produce fresh.
Fresh fruits and vegetables should definitely be part of your diet, but it's easy to rack up half of your grocery bill before you ever leave the produce section. And when you've spent that much money, you'd hate to waste it by tossing out fruits and vegetables that spoiled before you had a chance to eat them. Proper food storage is the key to saving your fresh produce — and your money.
"How you store fruits and vegetables will impact how fresh your produce will stay," says Erin Palinski, RD, a registered dietitian in private practice in northern New Jersey. For instance, it’s important to quickly get vegetables that tend to wilt into the refrigerator. Storing vegetables at room temperature can make them softer than you may like.
Plus, fresher produce simply tastes better. "Produce that begins to decay will have a different, less-pleasant taste than fresh produce," says Palinski.
Food Storage: Basic Rules
"Produce that tends to last for a long period of time, such as potatoes and onions, is usually best stored in a cool, dark place," says Palinski. Produce that spoils quickly should be refrigerated to help extend the shelf life and should be washed only before eating, since additional moisture may speed the spoiling process.
It’s also best to refrigerate produce at about 38 degrees Farenheit and store it in the produce drawers, says Palinski. "If you are going to wrap produce, use paper bags instead of plastic bags." Another storage trick is to use perforated plastic bags for refrigerated produce.
If your vegetables are nearing their “expiration dates,” but you won't have a chance to make use of them, you don't have to throw them away. Palinski suggests blanching (a quick boiling process), then freezing them in a plastic wrapping.
Food Storage: Tips for Common Foods
Follow these guidelines for storing vegetables and fruits:
Food Storage: Plan Ahead
Storing fresh produce properly helps it last, and planning before you go food shopping can help you maximize your fresh produce costs. "Make a plan of what you're going to eat over the next few days, and then buy only the produce you need for that plan," says Palinski. "Also, try shopping for produce twice a week — every three to four days — to select the freshest produce and avoid buying too much since some will inevitably go to waste."
At the store, make the fresh produce section one of your last stops before checkout. "This way, there will be less time between the grocery store and the refrigerator," adds Palinski.
Plan your meals to use the fruits and vegetables that are most perishable first. Vegetables that spoil relatively quickly include tomatoes, broccoli, asparagus, and mushrooms. Vegetables that last a little longer are peppers, squash, spinach, and most types of lettuce. Root vegetables like onions, carrots, potatoes, and garlic can last much longer.
Plus, fresher produce simply tastes better. "Produce that begins to decay will have a different, less-pleasant taste than fresh produce," says Palinski.
Food Storage: Basic Rules
"Produce that tends to last for a long period of time, such as potatoes and onions, is usually best stored in a cool, dark place," says Palinski. Produce that spoils quickly should be refrigerated to help extend the shelf life and should be washed only before eating, since additional moisture may speed the spoiling process.
It’s also best to refrigerate produce at about 38 degrees Farenheit and store it in the produce drawers, says Palinski. "If you are going to wrap produce, use paper bags instead of plastic bags." Another storage trick is to use perforated plastic bags for refrigerated produce.
If your vegetables are nearing their “expiration dates,” but you won't have a chance to make use of them, you don't have to throw them away. Palinski suggests blanching (a quick boiling process), then freezing them in a plastic wrapping.
Food Storage: Tips for Common Foods
Follow these guidelines for storing vegetables and fruits:
- Apples: At room temperature for up to seven days or refrigerated in a plastic bag if you won't eat them that quickly.
- Bananas: At room temperature, both ripe and unripe.
- Grapefruit: At room temperature for one week or refrigerated for up to two or three weeks.
- Peaches: At room temperature in a paper bag if unripe; remove from the bag when ripe and eat within a day or two.
- Strawberries: Refrigerated for one to three days without washing.
- Oranges: At room temperature for a day or two or refrigerated for up to one or two weeks.
- Broccoli: Refrigerated for three to five days.
- Carrots: Refrigerated, stored in a plastic bag with the green tops cut off.
- Iceberg lettuce: Refrigerated in a plastic bag after rinsing and drying.
- Tomatoes: At room temperature, out of direct sunlight — they quickly lose their taste if refrigerated.
Food Storage: Plan Ahead
Storing fresh produce properly helps it last, and planning before you go food shopping can help you maximize your fresh produce costs. "Make a plan of what you're going to eat over the next few days, and then buy only the produce you need for that plan," says Palinski. "Also, try shopping for produce twice a week — every three to four days — to select the freshest produce and avoid buying too much since some will inevitably go to waste."
At the store, make the fresh produce section one of your last stops before checkout. "This way, there will be less time between the grocery store and the refrigerator," adds Palinski.
Plan your meals to use the fruits and vegetables that are most perishable first. Vegetables that spoil relatively quickly include tomatoes, broccoli, asparagus, and mushrooms. Vegetables that last a little longer are peppers, squash, spinach, and most types of lettuce. Root vegetables like onions, carrots, potatoes, and garlic can last much longer.
