How To Store
Storage & Use
We all need and love handy dandy reminders. These storage tips will help to keep your fruit and vegetable purchases fresher longer so you get your money's worth.
General Storage Tips: It is important to know where to store fruits and vegetables, and which foods to keep separate from each other. Some fruits give off ethylene gas, which can make other produce ripen or rot faster. Produce stored in the refrigerator should be at 40°F. Refrigerate all produce that is purchased pre-cut or peeled (NOTE: All produce sold as whole). Most F/V should not be washed until ready to eat.
Black eyed peas - Store dry BEPs in an airtight container and keep them in a cool, dry place. To preserve, store cooked BEPs in a shallow (3 inches deep) airtight container and use within 6 months - in the freezer or refrigerator.
Cucumbers - Store at room temperature. Can be kept in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 days if they are used soon after removal from the refrigerator.
Eggplant - Store at room temperature. Can be kept in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 days if they are used soon after removal from the refrigerator.
Green beans - Store at room temperature.
Leafy greens - Leafy greens such as lettuce greens and spinach stay fresher longer if rinsed, wrapped in a paper/tea towel, and refrigerated in a container or sealed plastic bag. For hearty greens such as mustards, collards, bok choy, Swiss chard, and kale, DO NOT wash/rinse before storing. Seal leaves in gallon-sized storage bags and store 1) up to 10 days in a refrigerator crisp 2) for 2 or more months via the freezer/pressure canning/drying.
Onion family - Store garlic and onions in a cool, dark and dry space but separate from other foods because of their strong odors.
Root vegetables - Store carrot, beets, and radishes in the refrigerator. Store potatoes, sweet potatoes, and winter squashes in a cool, dark and dry place like a pantry or cellar.
Melons - Store cantaloupe and honeydew loose in the refrigerator, even before they are cut. Watermelon can be kept in a dark, dry place away from all other produce. Keep cut melon in the fridge.
Stone fruit - Keep nectarines, peaches, and plums in s paper bag on the counter until they are ripe, then move to the refrigerator where they will last a few more days.
Summer squash - Store by gently wiping the fruit clean with a damp cloth and then placing it in a perforated plastic bag (to maintain humidity) - in the crisper of the refrigerator for no longer than 4 days.
Tomatillos - Can be refrigerated or frozen. Store in their husks for 2 to 3 weeks in a paper bag - in the refrigerator. To freeze them, peel the husk, rinse and dry the fruit, and store on a baking tray - in the freezer.
Tomatoes - Always store at room temperature as the refrigerator will make them rot quickly. Keep loose in a bowl away from sun or heat (like the stove).
Herbs - For immediate use, rinse gently in water, drain, and pat dry with paper towels to blot away any excess moisture.
Store hardy herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage, savory, chives) single-layered on a slightly damp paper towel wrapped in plastic bag/wrap - in the refrigerator.
Store special herbs (basil) by snipping off the bases of the stems and placing the bunch in a Mason jar with 1-2 inches of water (like a bouquet of flowers) OR at room temperature in a light area (but not in direct sunlight) - in the refrigerator.
Store tender herbs (parsley, cilantro, dill, mint, tarragon, chervil) by snipping off the bases of the stems, removing discolored/wilted leaves, transferring to a large Mason jar with an inch of water in the bottom, covering the top of the jar with an overturned plastic bog sealed with a rubber band - in the refrigerator.