STORING VEGETABLES

VEGETABLES

Asparagus:    keep in refrigerator 7-10 days after harvesting.  Break off the rough ends and stand upright in 1 inch of water.

Avocado:      Do not store unripened avocado in the refrigerator. Ripen avocado in a paper bag.  Ripe avocado may be stored in the vegetable drawer in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. To freeze avocado, puree flesh with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice per 2 avocados, and place in a tightly-closed container with the air removed. Frozen avocado can be kept three to six months at 0 degrees F.

Beets:             Roots will keep up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator and the leaves for up to a week if stored in an airtight plastic bag.  Store without tops.

Green

Beans:            Keep in fridge up to a week.

Carrots:          Store without tops.  Carrots will remain crisp in the refrigerator for 4 week or so if protected in plastic bags.

Cucumber:   Keep in refrigerator for 7-10 days.  The flesh turns soft and translucent  (and inedible) at very cold temperatures. 

Kale &

Lettuce:         Keeps 7-10 days in the                                           crisper bin of the refrigerator.

Squash &

Zucchini:        Handle carefully and do not wash or brush skin of fruit before usage.  Keeps up to a week in the refrigerator; best if used within 4 days.

Tomatoes:     Tomatoes will keep 2-4 weeks in the refrigerator although they tend to lose flavor over long periods.  Best flavor if not refrigerated.

STORING FRUITS

FRUITS

Wash fruit just before use, as water enables spoilage and mold. If fruit is excessively dirty, wash and dry thoroughly before storing in refrigerator.

Write dates on the plastic bags so there's no guessing if the fruit is spoiled.

·    Determine ripeness.  Fruit should already be  ripe before placing in the refrigerator since lower temperatures slow down ripening. Allow to ripen at room temperature for a few days before placing in the refrigerator.

·         Remove spoiled fruit.  Packaged strawberries can be crushed and a few       can turn rotten quickly. Discard any rotten fruit before placing it in the refrigerator.

·         Bag up fruit. Place ripe, unwashed grapes, peaches, apricots, pears, apples and all berries separately in plastic bags and put in the crisper drawer.

·         Leave specific fruit at room temperature. Refrigeration can ruin the flavor of tomatoes, most citrus fruits and melons, as well as shorten their shelf life to two days. Store away from sunlight at a cool temperature and eat when fully ripe. Citrus fruits can be stored at room temperature for up to two weeks.

·         Time it. Apples can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month while                berries only about three days. Peaches, pears, nectarines, grapes and most exotic fruits can last up to five days in the refrigerator. Add some time to the shelf life by cutting up ripe melon and storing in an air-tight container for up to 4 days.

·         Throw it out. Discard any rotten fruit immediately.