21/09/2018 These Simple Tips For Storing Fruits And Vegetables Will Help You Keep Them Fresh

les Will Help You Keep Them Fresh Longer

HEALTH

These Simple Tips For Storing Fruits And

Vegetables Will Help You Keep Them Fresh
Longer
You might be doing it wrong.
CANDY SAGON, THE WASHINGTON POST
19 SEP 2018

You bring home fresh fruits and vegetables, stash them in the
refrigerator and then wonder what the heck happened to make them
shrivel, rot or go limp a few days later.

Much of the time, the culprit is the way you're storing them. To keep
your produce fresher longer, remember these tips.

Fruits and vegetables don't play well together. So don't store them
together in a refrigerator drawer or next to each other on the counter
or in the pantry.

Why? Many fruits produce ethylene gas, which acts like a ripening
hormone and can speed spoilage.

Vegetables need to breathe. Poke holes in the plastic bags you store
them in, or keep them in reusable mesh bags.

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21/09/2018 These Simple Tips For Storing Fruits And Vegetables Will Help You Keep Them Fresh Longer

An airtight plastic bag is the worst choice for storing vegetables,

according to Barry Swanson, professor emeritus of food science at
Washington State University.

And don't pack veggies tightly together, either; they need space for air
circulation or they'll spoil faster.

Don't clean produce until you're ready to use it. Washing fruits or
vegetables before storing them makes them more likely to spoil,
because dampness encourages bacteria growth, says food research
scientist Amanda Deering of Purdue University.

1. Garlic

Store at room temperature in an open container, to allow air

circulation.

Don't take o a clove's protective papery husk until you're ready to

prep. And it's ne to store garlic next to its buddy, the onion.

2. Onions

Find some (clean) pantyhose. Add onions to each leg, tying knots
between each one. Hang at room temperature.

If that doesn't appeal to you, onions can be stored like garlic at room
temperature on a countertop. Just keep them away from potatoes.

And don't put them in the refrigerator: The humidity and cold
temperature will cause onions to turn mushy. Storing them away from
light also helps keep them from becoming bitter.

3. Potatoes

Keep them in a dark and cool place, but don't refrigerate. The cold,
damp air in the refrigerator causes their starches to turn into sugars,
which can a ect taste and texture.

Store them in a paper bag - more breathable than plastic - in a coolish

spot, such as a pantry. Keep them away from onions or fruits like
apples that exude ethylene gas, which can make your spuds begin to
sprout.

4. Asparagus
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21/09/2018 These Simple Tips For Storing Fruits And Vegetables Will Help You Keep Them Fresh Longer

Cook's Illustrated tested four ways of storing asparagus; the best one,
hands down, was to trim a half-inch o the end of the stalks and then
stand them up in a small amount of water (covered loosely with a
plastic bag) in the refrigerator, like a bouquet.

They stay fresh for about four days. Re-trim the ends before using.

5. Carrots

First, trim o any green tops; they draw out moisture and cause
carrots to go limp pretty quickly. Trimmed, unpeeled carrots can be
refrigerated in an unsealed zip-top bag in the crisper drawer for about
two weeks.

Trimmed carrots (such as baby-cut carrots or carrot sticks) will last

longer when kept submerged in a tightly covered container lled with
water.

Change the water frequently, Deering advises.

6. Brussels sprouts

They last longer on the stem. Refrigerate the stem end in water and
break o sprouts as needed.

If you bought them as loose sprouts, refrigerate them unwashed and

untrimmed in an unsealed zip-top bag in the crisper drawer. Trim o
outer leaves before cooking.

Keep in mind: The longer they're stored, the stronger their avor will
be.

7. Cucumbers

They hate to be cold. Anything below 50 degrees will cause them to

spoil faster, according to researchers at the University of California at
Davis. If you must refrigerate them, do it for no more than three days.

Cucumbers also are sensitive to ethylene gas, so keep them away from
bananas, melons and tomatoes.

8. Celery

To keep it crisp, refrigerate it wrapped tightly in aluminum foil, not

plastic wrap, so the ethylene gas it produces can escape.
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21/09/2018 These Simple Tips For Storing Fruits And Vegetables Will Help You Keep Them Fresh Longer

Re-wrap tightly after each use. Store celery sticks like carrot sticks:
submerged in water in a tightly covered container.

9. Tomatoes

Stem side up or down? Refrigerator or countertop?

The debate continues, but North Carolina tomato expert Craig

LeHoullier, author of "Epic Tomatoes," says the evidence in favor of
storing standard-size tomatoes stem side down, which Cook's
Illustrated magazine advised in 2008, is scant at best.

It might help keep moisture from collecting around the stem and
causing spoilage, he concedes, but "it really depends on the type of
tomato: A thin-skinned, delicate heirloom will have a di erent result
than a thick-skinned supermarket variety."

More important: Cook's Illustrated and others have done an about-

face when it comes to tomato refrigeration. As long as tomatoes are
fully ripe, a few days in the fridge won't ruin their avor - and it will
extend their shelf life. So let whole tomatoes ripen on the counter,
then store them stem side down on a plate in the refrigerator.

Cut tomatoes do better in an airtight container so they don't pick up

any o - avors. Let tomatoes come to room temperature before
serving.

10. Bananas

Break up the bunch, as charming as it might look. Then wrap each

stem in plastic wrap. That will reduce the emission of ethylene gas,
and the bananas will ripen more slowly.

Once a banana reaches the desired amount of ripeness, you can

refrigerate it; the cold will keep it from ripening further.

2018 © The Washington Post

This article was originally published by The Washington Post.

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