It is essential for every person to include at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables in his diet to ensure that he leads a healthier life. What is more important is to ensure that you are eating fresh produce. We often shop for the entire week and then store them to be used later. But when you buy more than what is required, you quite often end up disposing of a portion of the same as they turn inedible. And one of the key reasons for this throwing away is the improper storage of the fruits and veggies.
Before I take you through a short guide on how to store the veggies and fruits properly to keep them fresh, here are some reasons as to why you should store them the right way.
Storing The Fresh Produce Correctly Is Essential To:
- Ensure that the nutrients are not depleted
- Allow fruits to ripen completely
- Extend their shelf life for a longer time
- Prevent yourself from falling sick
Improper storage of the fruits and vegetables could lead to deterioration the taste and nutritional profile. Storing the fresh produce is little tricky. You should take special care to ensure that you are not storing certain foods together to prevent them from spoiling. There are many that could be stored on your countertop; there are others that you need to refrigerate; and then there is another set that should be stored in a paper or plastic bag and then refrigerated.
Read on to know more about the storing the healthy produce the right way to ensure a better shelf life.
How To Store Vegetables And Fruits On A Countertop
Those crispy red apples stuffed into a large crystal bowl and kept on the countertop does more good than just enhancing your home décor. They tend to remain crispy and crunchier for about a week without compromising on the nutrient profile. Just ensure that you keep them away from direct sunlight. You can easily apply the same rule to veggies such as potatoes and onions and fruits such as bananas and pineapples. However, you ought to refrigerate sliced pineapples and use the same within a day of refrigerating the same.
How To Store Fresh Veggies And Fruits In The Refrigerator
Here are some effective guidelines for storing the fresh produce in the refrigerator:
- Always use perforated and dry bags for storing the veggies and fruits. You could either use plastic bags or opt for fresh produce paper bags for the same.
- Store all the vegetables and fruits separately.
- Ensure that you store the fresh produce in the concerned compartment of the refrigerator.
- Keep veggies and fruits in different drawers to prevent ethylene-induced spoilage.
- Store the herbs after snipping off their ends in a glass filled with water. Keep them upright and then cover using a dry plastic bag.
Here Is A List That You Could Keep Handy For Storing The Fresh Produce!
Refrigerate these for a longer life:
- Apples (more than 7 days)
- Apricots
- Cantaloupe
- Figs
- Honeydew
Store the following ones on the countertop:
- Apples (if you will use them within one week)
- Bananas
- Tomatoes
- Orange
- Mango
- Papaya
- Plantain
- Pineapple (Refrigerate once sliced and use within one day)
- Pomegranate (Refrigerate once peeled and consume the seeds within 18 hours of peeling)
- Watermelon (Refrigerate once cut and use within 24 hours of slicing)
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Onions
- Potatoes
- Cucumber
- Eggplant
Refrigerate the following veggies and fruits, unwashed, in a clean and dry plastic bag:
- Carrots
- Lettuce
- Cauliflower
- Green Peas
- Radish
- Corn
- Broccoli
- Bell peppers
Store the berries including strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries as a single layer without washing them.
Store mushrooms, okra, cabbage, beets, kale, asparagus, artichoke, celery, grapes, leafy greens, plums, leeks, zucchini, and squash separately in a paper bag. Change the bag every second day to ensure that no molds appear on them. It is advisable to use them within 4 days of storing to ensure that they do not lose the nutrients.
As mentioned above, you can store potatoes, onions, garlic, and ginger on the counter-top, but make sure that you store them separately so that the flavors and aromas do not overlap.
So, how do you store your fresh produce? Do you use any special methods for the same? Share you tips and techniques with us also!