Keeping Produce Fresh

I buy produce like it's going out of style.  I buy large amounts pretty much every time we go grocery shopping.  I've found a local Hispanic market that makes doing this easy and economical.  I can get literally almost six times the produce that I can from the grocery store for the same price.  We generally manage to go through it all before it goes bad too.  One of the things that has helped a lot is that I learned how to properly store it to best extend its life.

When storing produce in the refrigerator, keep fruits and vegetables in separate drawers.  They both spoil faster if you keep them together.  This is because of the ethylene that builds up.  Keep your produce in perforated plastic bags in the crisper drawers.  There's no need to buy fancy bags; you can perforate your own by poking them with something sharp.  Store everything unwashed.  Wash it as you go.

The following items should be stored in the refrigerator:

• Apricots
• Artichokes
• Asparagus
• Beets
• Blackberries
• Blueberries
• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Cabbage
• Cantaloupe
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Cherries
• Corn
• Figs
• Grapes
• Green beans
• Green onions
• Herbs, with the exception of basil
• Honeydew
• Lima beans
• Leafy vegetables
• Leeks
• Lettuce
• Mushrooms
• Okra
• Peas
• Plums
• Radishes
• Raspberries
• Spinach
• Sprouts
• Strawberries
• Summer squash
• Yellow squash
• Zucchini

Store these things on the counter top:

• Apples
• Bananas
• Basil
• Cucumbers
• Eggplant
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Grapefruit
• Jicama
• Lemons
• Limes
• Mangoes
• Oranges
• Papayas
• Peppers
• Persimmons
• Pineapple
• Plantains
• Pomegranates
• Tomatoes
• Watermelon

There are several items that should be ripened on the counter top and then stored in the refrigerator:

• Avocados
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears
• Plums
• Kiwis

And lastly, these foods should be stored in a cool, dry place:

• Acorn squash
• Butternut squash
• Onions
• Potatoes
• Pumpkins
• Spaghetti squash
• Sweet potatoes
• Winter squash

Potatoes and onions must be stored separately, also because of ethylene build up.

There you have it.  If you store things in the proper manner, you'll get the longest life possible for your produce, and it will be money well spent instead of money tossed away.