Apples
Apples ripen quickly at room temperature, 10 times faster
than when stored at at 32°F. Store apples in a plastic bag in the refrigerator,
away from strong scented foods such as cabbage or onions to prevent flavor
transfer.
Bananas
Do not refrigerate bananas until they are ripe. Once they
are in the refrigerator they will turn black, but the insides will ripen more
slowly. To ripen green bananas, put them in a plastic bag, seal it and place
the bag in a warm place, such as the top of your refrigerator. This will cause
the bananas to heat up, which will speed up the ripening process.
Broccoli
Store broccoli in the high-humidity vegetable-crisper of your refrigerator for up to three days. Refresh broccoli in ice
water to maintain its bright green color if you're not using it right away or
are making a cold presentation.
Cabbage
Head cabbage will last at least a week when stored in a
plastic bag in the refrigerator's humid vegetable bin. Savoy and Napa cabbage
should be consumed within three or four days.
Carrots with tops
Before storing carrots, remove their green tops, rinse and
drain, then put the carrots in plastic bags. Store them in the coldest part of
the refrigerator with the highest humidity. They'll last several months this
way.
Cauliflower
Cauliflower should be placed in a plastic bag and stored in
your refrigerator crisper. When stored properly, cauliflower will last up to
five days; however, it is best when eaten within three days.
Celery
To store celery, trim the base and remove any leaves or ribs
that are damaged or bruised. Rinse, place in a plastic bag, and keep in the
refrigerator's humid vegetable bin; this will last about two weeks.
Chard
Refrigerate in plastic wrap up to two days. Rainbow Chard is
pretty colorful, with yellow, pink, orange, white and red veins.
Collards
Wrap unwashed greens in damp paper towels. Refrigerate in a
plastic bag, in the crisper section of the refrigerator, for up to five days.
Corn
Corn is best eaten immediately. However, it can be stored in
the refrigerator for a few days in plastic bags with the husk still on.
Grapes
Grapes are harvested only when fully ripe. Before storing,
remove any spoiled grapes with broken skins or browning from the bunch and keep
refrigerated; they should keep up to a week. During storage, continue to remove
any and all spoiled fruit. Grapes can also be frozen, which will extend their
storage life up to three months.
Green beans
Place green beans in a perforated plastic bag or paper bag
and store them in the refrigerator crisper for up to five days.
Kiwis
Very firm kiwifruit (also known as “kiwi”) can be kept in
the refrigerator for up to six months. Kiwis won't keep for nearly as long in
the refrigerator after they begin to ripen outside the refrigerator. To ripen
firm kiwis, keep them at room temperature but away from heat or direct sunlight
for a few days to a week. Hasten ripening by placing them in a paper bag with
an apple, pear or banana. Once a kiwi ripens, store it far from other fruits,
as it is very sensitive to the ethylene gas other fruits emit, and tends to
overripen even in the refrigerator. Ripe kiwis should keep for about one to two
weeks.
Lettuce
Refrigerate unwashed leaves in a plastic bag in the
vegetable drawer of the refrigerator. A plastic bag from the grocery store is
sufficient. Lettuce will keep for up to five days. Do not store lettuce with
melons, apples, pears or other ethylene gas-emitting fruits, as they will cause
the lettuce to turn brown.
Mangoes
Leave under-ripe mangoes at a cool room temperature for a
few days to soften and sweeten; very warm temperatures can cause an off-flavor
to develop. Place two mangoes in a paper bag to speed ripening. If you
don't have two mangoes, put another fruit such as an apple or banana in with
the mango. Ripe mangoes will keep for two to three days in the refrigerator.
Melons
Ripe whole or cut melons can be stored in the refrigerator
for about three days. Cut melons should be wrapped tightly in plastic. Leave
the seeds inside a cut melon until you're ready to eat it to help keep the
melon moist.
Onions
Store onions in a dry, dark, well-ventilated place other than the refrigerator.
Oranges
Store oranges in a cool place outside the refrigerator and
try to eat them within a few days. If you need to keep them longer, refrigerate
in a plastic bag or in the vegetable crisper section of the refrigerator.
Pears
To ripen pears, store them at room temperature in a sealed
plastic bag with a couple of ripe bananas. When the pear is ripe, refrigerate
until you are ready to eat it. Extremely hard pears will ripen best
at room temperature.
Peppers
Peppers can be stored for at least a week, if placed in a
plastic bag and kept in the refrigerator. The riper the pepper is when
harvested, the less time it will maintain its freshness.
Potatoes
Potatoes like cool (45°F to 50°F) and humid (but not wet)
surroundings, but refrigeration can turn the starch in potatoes to sugar and
may tend to darken them when cooked.
Spinach
When you get bunched spinach home, untie it, remove any
blemished leaves, trim off the stems and wash the leaves thoroughly in cold water.
Repeat if necessary until you're sure all the grit is gone. Spin dry in a salad
spinner or drain well. Then put into clean plastic bags, very loosely wrapped
with paper towels. Spinach will last only two to three days, so plan on eating
your rinsed spinach right away. Cold and moist surroundings, as low as 32°F and
about 95% humidity, are the best for storing spinach.
Strawberries
Strawberries are extremely perishable and should be
refrigerated immediately. To store unwashed strawberries in the refrigerator,
stack them on paper towel – between the layers as well – in a moisture-proof
container. Eat them within 48-72 hours, or freeze them. Wash them just before
eating.
Summer squash
Place in a plastic bag and refrigerate for three to five
days.
Tomatoes
Keep tomatoes at room temperature until ripened. Once
ripened, tomatoes will last for two to three days. If necessary, tomatoes can
be refrigerated in a vegetable bin for approximately one week. Try to avoid
refrigerating tomatoes whenever possible, because tomatoes will lose their
flavor once stored below 55°F.
Winter hard squashes
Store butternut, acorn and spaghetti squash in a cool,
preferably dark, well-ventilated area for up to one month. Wrap cut pieces in
plastic and refrigerate up to five days.
Be Well!
