Here is a little ‘food for thought’ –Are you wasting food because it spoils too fast before you can prepare a meal and eat it? Storing fresh produce the correct way can change the way you grocery shop and organize the food in your kitchen. Temperature plays a role, as well as how and where the fruits or vegetables are stored. There’s a satisfying pleasure in the snap of leafy greens or the crunch of raw carrots and cucumbers fresh from the store. It’s all about keeping those perishables crisp once you get them home. Minimize food waste and enjoy your produce longer!

     •Cucumbers, tomatoes and onions don’t go in the fridge and should be stored at room temperature on the counter. This         tip also includes eggplants and squash.

     •Make sure you treat asparagus, celery and carrots like flowers because they stay riper, healthier in about an inch of                 water.

     •Basil needs warm temperatures –covering in a zip plastic bag will help extend its shelf life.

     •Tomatoes like some breathing room and should be stored at room temperature with some room in between each one. 

     •Onions make potatoes and sweet potatoes sprout, which means they need to be kept separate in the kitchen while               waiting to be used.

     •Parsley and cilantro will keep for a good 5 days in the fridge.

     •Vegetables like the high humidity, and fruit like it dry (less humidity)

     •Excess moisture to leafy greens will cause them to wilt sooner, so store them unwashed in the refrigerator until ready.          Greens ought to be stored in an airtight container or zip lock bags.

     •Citrus fruit (orange and grapefruit) can be stored at room temperature for about a week and should be refrigerated              after that so they will stay fresher, longer.

     •Mangoes, peaches, melons and avocados can be stored on the counter, but moved to the fridge when they’re ripe.

www.pairadiceproduce.com

(239) 466-4464

By Alyssa Stoner

04/07/2023