Stock Your Kitchen with These 14 Long-Lasting Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Xsandra/Getty
1. Trim & Separate Tops
Before you refrigerate anything that grows underground like radishes, carrots, beets and turnips, cut off the green leafy tops (if attached)—they draw out moisture and will make vegetables go limp and lose flavor faster. Store those greens separately for salads, sauces or to cook later.
2. Treat Herbs Like Flowers
I love this tip. For delicate herbs like cilantro and parsley: trim an inch off the stems and arrange them in a jar of water in your fridge, covered loosely with a plastic bag. (Asparagusand scallions do well with this fresh-bouquet treatment too.)Basilis the one herb to keep in a glass of water on your counter—it hates cold!
3. Use Crisper Drawers Right
Store vegetables in one drawer and fruits in another. Why? Because many fruits give off high levels of ethylene. This natural gas helps them ripen, but can cause most veggies (which produce less ethylene) to spoil faster. Note: not all produce should get the cold treatment. SeeThe Best Way to Store Fruits and Veggiesfor a handy chart that covers which fruits and veggies to keep in the crisper and which should stay on the counter.
4. Give Bananas Space
5. Keep Onions Out of the Fridge
Onions should be stored in a cool dry and dark place, like a pantry, to keep them from sprouting. Put them on a separate shelf away from other produce likepotatoes, which will grow eyes faster with onions around (that ethylene again). Find out about more types offresh produce you shouldn’t refrigerate.
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!Tell us why!OtherSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Tell us why!OtherSubmit
Tell us why!
