How to store fruits and vegetables
How to store fruits and vegetables:
Some tropical fruits cannot be stored in refrigerator, such as bananas, tomatoes and potatoes etc. Some fruits and vegetables need to be kept in dark, cool places.
Ideal Ways to Store Fruits and Vegetables:
Have you opened your refrigerator’s crisper drawer lately? If not, chances are that the fruit and veggies you’ve stored in there may be moldy. Perhaps, according to the Unclutterer weblog, it’s better to look for more ideal options to store your perishables. For example, you should put tomatoes in an aerated basket out of direct sunlight, but not in a refrigerator because refrigeration causes tomatoes to lose their smell and taste. Additionally, you can store corn in the freezer, but lettuce should never be frozen. Contrary to popular belief, you can refrigerate bananas too. The skin might darken but the fruit within is safe to eat. It’s much better to put apples on the refrigerator shelves rather than in the crisper drawer so there is proper air circulation around the fruit. In the end, the Unclutterer blogger decided to do without the refrigerator crisper drawer altogether.
The first place most people will choose to store fruits and veggies is in the crisper drawers. The crisper is so-called because food placed there loses its moisture more slowly than food placed on refrigerator shelves. Therefore a piece of celery broken in two will have a much crisper pop! to it than celery placed on the shelf. Because of the slower loss of moisture, the crisper is much more humid than the rest of the fridge. Foods that need the humid atmosphere should be placed in the crisper, but not necessarily without an added bit of storage prep.
Proper storage of fresh produce can affect both quality and safety:
To maintain quality of fresh produce:
Certain perishable fresh fruits and vegetables (like strawberries, lettuce, herbs, and mushrooms) can be best maintained by storing in a clean refrigerator at a temperature of 40° F or below. If you’re not sure whether an item should be refrigerated to maintain quality, ask your grocer. All produce that is purchased pre-cut or peeled should be refrigerated to maintain both quality and safety.
The right way to store fruits and vegetables:
Different vegetables need to be stored different ways if you want to keep them fresh the longest time possible.It color codes different fruits and veggies to different storage methods so you can see at a glance how a particular food is best kept.
Always remember that, in general, fruits (and tomatoes) do not ripen under refrigeration! Putting fruits in cold storage before they are fully ripe will backfire. Although 32°F (0°C) is a favourable spoilage-slowing temperature for most fruits and vegetables, some items don’t do so well at 32° (0°C), and keep much better at 45° or 50° (7-10°C).
Apples can be stored in a cool dry place for weeks. Wrapping them in newspaper will help increase their shelf-life. They can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month or more without covering. Tip: Apples that have exceeded their shelf life, becoming less crisp, can be stewed or baked, using seasonings like cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, making a healthy side dish for most any meal.
