Keeping Food Fresh Longer

Most vegetables should be stored in the refrigerator to preserve freshness. Exceptions include the following: potatoes, sweet potatoes, mature onions, hard-rind squashes, eggplant and rutabagas, which keep well in cool rather than cold storage, as well as tomatoes. Tomatoes should be refrigerated only after they are fully ripe and then only for a short time.
Note: I have been keeping my tomatoes out of the refrigerator because I read that they taste much better that way, and I find that they keep as long as they do refrigerated. And, they DO taste better. – Marcie

Wrap Certain Vegetables:
Storage in the crispers slows the dehydration of most other fresh vegetables. In addition, leafy vegetables, such as lettuce and spinach, should be placed in plastic bags or airtight containers (Tupperware, Rubbermaid*, etc.) to reduce moisture loss. Odorous foods such as peppers and cabbage should always be wrapped to contain odors. Mushrooms should be stored in paper bags rather than plastic. (See how I store lettuce further down page)

Remove Excess Moisture:
Vegetables need a certain amount of moisture to remain fresh as long as possible. However, too much moisture can shorten the storage of vegetables, especially lettuce. Brown spots may develop with excess moisture. It is important that lettuce be well drained before storing. It may be helpful to place a layer of paper towels in the bottom of the bag to absorb any excess moisture; replace the toweling occasionally. Some storage containers feature a special drainage device to raise the lettuce off the bottom and keep it from sitting in accumulated moisture.

Maintain Proper Refrigerator Temperatures:
The fresh food compartment of a refrigerator should be kept between 34 and 40 degrees F., with an optimum temperature of 37 degrees F. Refrigerator temperatures can be checked by using an appliance thermometer. Lower than recommended refrigerator temperatures could cause vegetables to freeze. Freezing damages cell structure and vegetables can turn brown and become limp.

Note: after researching this section I found that there seems to be controversy in some quarters about storing vegetables in airtight plastic containers or bags, but the majority says to seal airtight. And, when you seal, most say to remove all the air possible from the bag. However, from what I read, you are ideally trying to maintain a good balance between reducing air and maintaining the optimum moisture (humidity) for preservation. What I’ve been doing is this: Since most produce sections keep the produce so wet it rots easily I attempt to dry it some on purchase, then wrap it in a paper towel and store in it’s same plastic bag in most cases, in the crisper drawer of the fridge. Below are some special treatments for fruits and vegetables I’ve learned about… Marcie

Bananas: After bananas have ripened, store in the refrigerator to help slow down ripening. The skin will turn dark brown, but this does not damage the fruit inside.

Celery: I just saw this, so I’ve not tried it, but think it might work very well. It said to completely seal celery in aluminum foil and refrigerate and it would keep for weeks. I would think you should clean it first, but remove excess moisture.

Green chilies: While storing green chilies remove the stems.

Lettuce: I saw someone about five years ago on TV who showed this trick – he removed outer leaves, cored and tore the head into several pieces and rinsed thoroughly, then drained in a clean sink, and dried on cloth kitchen towels. After this he used a plastic container shaped like a shoebox for storage. He first tore off about three paper towels. He lay one layer of towel in the bottom, up over one side and out onto the counter. He put leaves of lettuce on that flat paper towel in the container, to cover the bottom (but not deeper than one layer), folded the paper towel back over to the other side, and added more lettuce, making sure it was fairly dry, not dripping. He continued on, layering paper towels and lettuce until it was full, then replaced the lid and refrigerated. I found when I did this myself that you can get a whole head in almost all the time and sometimes more than that in one container if the heads are not too large. I’ve been using this method of storage ever since, because I was amazed at how much longer it stored, and when I needed it, it was all ready. Although you really don’t feel like doing this after shopping, putting things away, etc., it really turns out to be a big timesaver, and is especially nice when everyone is making sandwiches and it doesn’t have to be completely cleaned and made ready at that time. I have had lettuce keep for a month when stored this way if it’s really fresh, and that’s amazing!

Potatoes: Do not store potatoes in refrigerator, and do not store near onions; they’ll rot more quickly. Store in cool, dark, dry place – a pantry is ideal. In one document I read where it said “to keep them from budding, place an apple in the bag with your potatoes.” In the next document it said that if stored together, the ethylene gas produced in apples will make potatoes sprout… go figure.

Onions: Peel onions under water to avoid "crying". Another option is to refrigerate onions before cutting. A paste of raw onions would turn bitter after a while. For longer storage life, fry onions in a little oil before grinding.

Wax Coatings:
Wax coatings are added to some fruits and vegetables to protect the skin and preserve color and freshness. Only tiny amounts (1-2 drops) are used to place a thin film, and they are not harmful to your health. While you can buy uncoated ones, they are sometimes more expensive; another alternative would be to peel the skin. Waxes may turn white on the surface of fruits or vegetables if they have been subjected to excessive heat and/or moisture. This whitening is safe and is similar to that of a candy bar that has been in the freezer. Consumers do have choices. Waxes generally cannot be removed by regular washing. If consumers prefer not to consume waxes — even though the waxes are safe — they can buy unwaxed commodities or can peel the fruit or vegetable, thereby removing any coating.

Commodities that may have these coatings applied include apples, avocados, bell peppers, cantaloupes, cucumbers, eggplants, grapefruits, lemons, limes, melons, oranges, parsnips, passion fruit, peaches, pineapples, pumpkins, rutabagas, squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips and yucca. However, all of these are not always waxed.

Washing your produce:
Wash all whole fruits and vegetables before preparing them to eat or use in cooking – even if the skin or rind will not be eaten. This prevents pathogens from being transferred from the rind or skin to the inside of the fruit or vegetable when it is cut. Remember, you don’t know who has been handling the fruit, or what else they’d been doing with their hands before it was handled! To prevent spoilage and mold growth during storage, it is best to wash fresh fruits and vegetables immediately before preparing (not prior to storing) them. It’s best to store almost all of them unwashed. Wash all bagged produce before using, even if the bag says ‘pre-washed’.

How to wash: Wash fruits and vegetables under clean, running water in a clean sink. Fresh fruits and vegetables should not be soaked in water. Do not use detergents, soaps or bleach to wash produce. These products may change the flavor and could be poisonous. If the fruits and vegetables are firm (such as potatoes or melons), scrub them with a clean, sanitized fruit/vegetable brush. For soft fruits and vegetables (tomatoes), gently rub them with your hands to loosen the dirt. Also remove the outer leaves of lettuce and cabbage before washing them.

To wash berries, parsley and greens, put them in a clean colander and spray them with a kitchen sink sprayer. Or, gently turn the produce as you hold it under running water. Be sure to turn and gently shake the colander as you wash the produce. Fresh produce harvested from a home garden can be rinsed with clean, running water before storage to remove excess dirt and debris. However, dry these fruits and vegetables thoroughly before storing them, and wash them properly before preparing them.

Better way to clean vegetables? “To clean vegetables & make them germ-free, add some salt or vinegar drops while washing them.” Note: I have not tried this yet, but did find it on several websites. One of them also suggested using lemon juice in place of vinegar.

Produce washes:
There are several products on the market today called “produce washes.” These products usually include substances such as phosphates, baking soda, citric acid, or citrus oils. Some of these products may help remove additional dirt, pesticides and bacteria from fruits and vegetables. However, these products are expensive and they are not recommended by any federal agency to clean fresh produce.

"Better Veggies" Tips:
Make leafy vegetables crunchy again: Remove stem and separate stalks. Add 3/4 cup granulated sugar to a vessel filled with cold water. Place vegetables in it, soak 4 to 5 hours, drain well and refrigerate.
Maintain bright green color of peas, green beans, asparagus, etc.: Place veggies in boiling water and let boil 30 seconds or so. Remove with slotted spoon and place in bowl of ice water to chill. Remove and drain.

Prevent discoloration of green leafy vegetables: Add a pinch each of common salt and sugar to cooking vegetable to avoid discoloration of green leafy vegetables.

Avoid potato/cauliflower discoloration: While boiling potatoes and cauliflower add just a few drops of vinegar to the water to keep their original white color.

Skin whole tomatoes easily: Put tomatoes in boiling water, cover and keep aside for a few minutes. Remove and peel off the skin easily.

Make over-ripe tomatoes firm again: Dip tomatoes in cold water, add some salt and leave overnight.

Enhance natural flavor of vegetables: To naturally enhance the flavor of vegetables, add salt while boiling them; it will bring out more flavor.

Freshen up raw vegetables: Add a little lemon juice to cold water; soak vegetables in this water to "re-fresh."

Juicier lemons: Soak lemons in hot water for 15 minutes before extracting juice or, heat in microwave 10 seconds.

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