Storage tips Veggies and fruits taste best when fresh. That’s when they have their highest levels of nutrition. It’s also why people in some countries often shop for produce daily. But even if you shop weekly, you can enjoy vegetables at peak nutrition if you store themproperly.
Consider the vegetable You should eat greens and lettuces within three or four days of purchase, and corn within a day or two of buying it. You can store root vegetables such as carrots or beets in the refrigerator up to two weeks. Cabbages last a week in the refrigerator, and mature onions can go up to two weeks in a cool, dark place.
Wipe off the water
Use counter intelligence
Many grocery stores spray vegetables with water. When you get them home, wipe down the veggies, empty water from their bags, and add a paper or cloth tea towel to absorb moisture. Baby the berries Not planning to eat berries right away? Store them in the fridge and rinse before eating. If you’ve stocked up on them, rinse, dry, and freeze themon a cookie sheet before storing in plastic bags in the freezer.
Not all produce belongs in the refrigerator. Bananas, potatoes, onions, and squash prefer loose storage outside the refrigerator. Use the counter to ripen fruits like pears or mangoes, then move to the fridge.
Separate fruits and veggies
Fruits such as apples or pears produce ethylene gas. And that can make vegetables like cabbages or greens age quickly.
Mary Lahr Schier is the author of The Northern Gardener, From Apples to Zinnias (Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2017). She also hosts a gardening podcast, Grow it, Minnesota .
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