Food Storage 101

You’ve just returned home from the market with a load of beautiful organic veggies. So, how do you keep them looking “just picked” until you are ready to cook them?

Vegetables need moisture and the best way to provide that moisture is by storing them in your refrigerator’s vegetable bins. If the bins have moisture control knobs set them so you get the most moisture possible. Then, line each bin with a moist dishtowel. This way the veggies stay fresh and the bins stay clean! When the towel dries, simply rinse and replace.
When you are ready to load the bins take the veggies out of the plastic bags to increase air flow. Mushrooms can be left in the bag but only if it’s a paper bag. (Hint: Don’t buy mushrooms in plastic unless you are going to cook your mushrooms the same day you purchase them.) If you have the room, put lettuces, kales and herbs in one bin and the harder veggies like carrots and peppers and cucumbers in the other.

So, which veggies go in the fridge and what stay out?
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The way you buy your food, especially from a grocery store, can give you some hints on how to store them after you get home, though there are some exceptions.

• Yellow, red, and white onions should be stored in a cool (not cold) dark place; a brown paper bag works well. The same goes for potatoes only do not store onions and potatoes together. If you do, they will both start sprouting prematurely.
• Un-cut winter squash can be stored on the counter, as well as garlic and ginger but use them quickly.
• Tomatoes of all varieties need to be stored on the counter and used within a few days of purchase. The flavor is much better when they stay warm.
• Bunch carrots need to be refrigerated but take the leafy tops off, pronto! In fact take the tops off at the market. The faster you chop the tops, the crisper your carrots will stay. The same goes for beets, though you can eat the beet greens.
• Leafy greens might wilt on the way home. You can refresh them by re-cutting the end of the stems and soaking them in cool water before putting them into the produce drawer.