How do you keep your fruits and veggies lasting longest?

amother

Thu, Sep 29 2022, 10:54 am

I always find my fruits and veggies get moldy or gross so quickly! How do you keep them fresh for a week? I have the fruit and veggie drawers but still so confused about which is high humidity and which is low and what goes where. Unfortunately, after following some advice I found on Google about how to split it, the food seemed to deteriorate faster. Would love some tried and true info. Thank you!

Bnei Berak 10

Thu, Sep 29 2022, 11:10 am

Old rubber gaskets? Too high temp?frequently open fridge and keeping it open?
As previous poster said always remove plastic bags.
Wrap cucumbers in a single layer of newspapers. The same with apples.

Amarante

Thu, Sep 29 2022, 1:04 pm

Depends on the specific fruit or veggie.

I try to use up the most delicate items first. Citrus and apples will last a long time and berries won’t.

Some veggies actually need some moisture to stay fresh like parsley and some fresh herbs.

Some items like tomatoes should not be refrigerated.

Berries are very delicate and if I bought a lot, I will layer them on separate paper towels so no berry is touching another berry.

There are some containers that are specifically made for storing produce but I haven’t tried those personally.

amother

Thu, Sep 29 2022, 3:20 pm

Amarante wrote:

Wow! Thanks! I never realized you don’t need to refrigerate tomatoes. Also, I keep my potatoes out of the fridge in the pantry but they sprout so fast! Any ideas? I started putting my onions in the fridge just so they won’t be near the potatoes. How do you store these? Any tricks for cucumbers?

Thank you!

Edited to add: I see Bnei berak 10 answered the cucumber q above

Amarante

Thu, Sep 29 2022, 3:26 pm

amother OP wrote:

Potatoes need to be in a cool dark place which helps delay sprouting - years ago people had root cellars or even buried potatoes to keep them cool but not refrigerated. Same with onions and garlic in terms of keeping them in a dark cool place.

Yes - the quality of tomatoes declines if you refrigerate them. If they are going bad to quickly you can refrigerate but they won't be as good

Tomatoes contain an enzyme that reacts to cold temperatures and causes its cell membrane to break down, leaving you with a piece of fruit that's mushy and mealy. "You're essentially zapping flavor and texture from a tomato when you refrigerate it," says Gregory Lofts, deputy food editor at Martha Stewart Living.