Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Keeping Produce Fresh Longer


A big part of losing weight is eating right, and what better way to eat right than to fill up on lots of fresh fruits and veggies! But..if you are anything like me, sometimes it's hard to keep a variety of fruits and veggies without them going bad before you go through them all.


Here's some tips to keep your produce fresh longer!


Bananas- store on counter... to slow ripening, pull bunch apart.

Celery- store in a sealed bag towards front of fridge to prevent chance of freezing. (I've made the mistake of storing them in the back of the crisper a couple times and they freeze..not good since they turn rubbery when thawed!)

Grapes- store in ziploc bag to prevent air from drying out the skins. Grapes bruise easily, so be careful not to "stuff" them in the crisper drawer.

Lettuce- I've always had good luck with rinsing my lettuce well, wrapping it with a couple paper towels and storing it in a ziploc bag.

Mushrooms- store in paper bag in fridge, but avoid storing in crisper.

Tomatoes- I've heard some say they are best to store stem side turn in the crisper drawer, but mine have always lasted longer and tasted fresher when left on the counter, out of direct sunlight.

Keep fruits that produce ethylene, such as apples, cantaloupe, figs, honeydew melons, tomatoes and bananas, away from other fruits and vegetables.

Most fruits and veggies are best stored unwashed. Pay attention to how items are stored at the grocery store, if they are stored room temperature there, store them the same at home. For example, I made the mistake of leaving some peppers out on the counters with my tomatoes. Peppers need to be stored in the fridge, which you can see in the store they are stored in the cooler part of the produce section, whereas tomatoes are not. My peppers started to wilt and turn rubbery after a day or two on the counter. :(

Store herbs and asparagus by cutting off the ends and placing the remaining produce in a cup of water. Cover the top with a plastic bag.

We go through grapes and carrots like crazy in our house, and so I'll wash and cut carrots, or wash and remove grapes from the vine and will store them in containers with a little water. This works well for us if I know we'll be using them within a few days..which we almost always will!

Looking for ways to save on produce? Check out bountifulbaskets.org.

Do you have any tips on keeping produce fresh longer? I'd love to hear it!


4 comments:

  1. awesome tips!! Thank you. Rinsing berries in a water & white or cider vinegar solution keeps them fresher much longer :)

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  2. I just got introduced to a product called Nature Seal which allows you to preserve cut apples like they do in pre-packaged bags. It makes is so much easier to cut up a bunch of apples at once and store them in snack bags!

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  3. We like to buy a bunch of veggies at the start of the week and cut them up; then we divide them into a bunch of ziploc bags. We eat a bag with our lunches every day. It's a great way to have the veggies prepared and get a variety at lunch! They usually last a week and a half.

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  4. I eat a LOT of fruits and veggies. I have trouble keeping mushrooms fresh - I'm going to try the tip - thanks!

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