Veggies and Fruit – What foods to store and where for ripening and freshness

With special thanks to:

Meals Matter.org http://www.mealsmatter.org/

Food Marketing Institute http://www.fmi.org/

Self Magazine http://www.self.com/

Apples

Store on your kitchen counter. If you haven’t eaten them in 7 days, move to the refrigerator but don’t store apples near most other uncovered fruits or vegetables — as the ethylene gases produced by apples can ruin these other foods (for example, making carrots taste bitter).

Apples are great if you want to ripen plums, pears and other fruits quickly: Simple put an apple with them for a day or so.

Artichoke

Refrigerate whole for up to two weeks.

Asparagus

Store these standing upright in the refrigerator in a plastic bag with either 2-3 cms of water or with a damp towel wrapped around the base – in the same way you’d have flowers in a vase. They’ll last three to four days.

Avocados

Ripen on the counter. To ripen quicker, wrap in newspaper. They can be stored in the refrigerator for three to four days once they have ripened.

Bananas

Store on the counter. Refrigerate only when ripe and they’ll last for another two days or so.

Berries

Refrigerate berries, unwashed and in their original container. Blueberries and strawberries should keep for five to seven days; more fragile raspberries and blackberries up to two days.

Broccoli

Refrigerate in a sealed plastic bag. It’ll keep for three to five days.

Carrots

Refrigerate in a sealed plastic bag for up to three weeks.

Cauliflower

Refrigerate, with the stem side down, in a sealed plastic bag and it should last three to five days.

Celery

Refrigerate one to two weeks in a sealed bag. This tends to freeze – so place in the front of the refrigerator, where it’s less likely to freeze.

Citrus fruits

You can store oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruit on the counter. They can last up to two weeks.

Corn

Refrigerate ears still in the husk. They’ll last up to two days.

Cucumbers

Refrigerate in a plastic bag and they should last four to five days.

Garlic

Store in the cupboard or pantry, away from heat and light. It’ll last up to four months.

Green beans

Refrigerate in a plastic bag for three to four days.

Green onions

Refrigerate for up to two weeks.

Herbs

Fresh herbs can last 7 to 10 days in the refrigerator. Place them in air-tight containers with a damp paper towel on the top and bottom - This keeps them fresh and stops them from going soggy

Green leafy vegetables

Refrigerate unwashed. Full heads will last five to seven days that way, instead of three to four days for a thoroughly drained one. Avoid storing in the same refrigerator drawer as apples, pears or bananas, which release ethylene gases that act as a natural ripening agent.

Kiwifruit

Kiwifruit should be ripened on the counter then refrigerate, they should last 2 to 3 days

Mangoes

Place in a paper bag in a cool place to ripen and then refrigerate them. They’ll last another two to five days.

Mushrooms

Take out of the packaging and store in a paper bag in the refrigerator, or place on a tray and cover with a wet paper towel. They’ll last two to three days.

Onions

Store these in the kitchen cupboard or pantry - away from light and heat and they’ll last three to four weeks.

Papayas and pineapples

Ripen on the counter and eat straight away.

Peaches / Plums / Nectarines

Ripen outside of the fridge but away from sunlight in a cardboard box (or in paper) that is punched with holes. After they ripen, refrigerate and they’ll last another three to four days.

Pears

Store on the counter, ideally, in a bowl with bananas and apples, and then refrigerate after ripening. They’ll last another three to four days.

Peas

Refrigerated in a plastic bag perforated with holes, they’ll last three to five days.

Peppers

Refrigerated, they’ll last four to five days.

Potatoes

Store them in the pantry away from sunlight and heat, and they’ll last two to three months. Toss potatoes that have a skin that has turned green

Radishes

Refrigerate. They’ll last 10 to 14 days.

Summer squash

Refrigerate in a perforated plastic bag. They’ll last four to five days.

Tomatoes

Let them ripen on the counter (no direct sunlight. After ripening, store stem side down in the refrigerator and they’ll last two to three days.

Tropical fruit

Mangoes, papayas, pineapples and kiwifruit should be ripened on the counter. Kat Bretcher of Cottonwood, Ariz., ripens mangos in a paper bag in a cool place, and then refrigerates them for another two to five days.

Watermelon

Kept at room temperature on the counter, it’ll last up to two weeks, Bretcher says.

Winter squashes

Store on the counter for up to two weeks.