When it comes to healthy eating, summer is our favorite time of year. We love the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables
One solution is to keep these culinary gems fresh and nutritious as long as possible. The benefit to the environment? Less food waste. The benefit to you? Cost savings and healthy food at your fingertips. Want to know more?
Here are our tips for keeping fruits and vegetables fresh:
- Get your produce as fresh as possible. The fresher your produce, the longer it will last. How can you tell if it's fresh? Inspect each piece for damage or signs that it may be past its peak, such as bruising, wilting or mold. If you aren't certain what to look for, ask for assistance. Farmer's markets and roadside stands are perfect for getting help with choosing produce at its peak, as well as learning more about the food you are buying, such as its variety and where and how it's grown.
- Most fresh fruits and vegetables need to be refrigerated as soon as possible to stay at their optimal freshness. Ideally produce should be stored in the crisper or in a suitable container in the refrigerator. There are exceptions though. Potatoes and onions should be stored in a cool, dark, dry location and never together. Why? Onions produce a gas which can cause potatoes to go bad faster.
- If you enjoy a particular type of fresh fruit or vegetable, such as lettuce for salads or fresh herbs for cooking, it may be worth the investment of a storage container designed specifically for that vegetable, such as a lettuce or herb keeper. Why? Not only do they add convenience to your kitchen, these containers can keep those foods at their peak freshness and nutritional value longer.
- Store each type of fruit or vegetable in its own bag or container, not mixed with other produce. Certain types of fruits or vegetables may emit gases which can accelerate the ripening of other produce. In addition, separating fruits and veggies by type can reduce the possibility of cross contamination from bad produce.
- Use quality produce storage bags designed to store fresh fruit and vegetables. Why? They use a specialized material for the bags that keep your fruit and vegetables fresher longer than standard bags, and an added bonus is that using produce bags versus containers can be a real space saver before and during use. While these can vary by brand, most of these bags can be washed and used over and over again, and some are even certified for use with organic produce.
