Eating more fruits and vegetables is a requirement for every healthy eater. But when you buy more fresh produce, do you end up throwing away more than you eat? You're not alone. Culinary Physics Blog consulted the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), food scientists/technologist, professional chefs, agriculturists, food manufacturers, and other experts—to establish these storage guidelines. The first consideration was safety. But because you want your food to be delicious, too, for some products, Culinary Physics Blog chose the conservative storage time for optimum freshness. http://culinaryphysics.blogspot.com

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Complete Guide to Storing Fruits and Vegetables at Home
Find out how to keep fruits and vegetables fresh.
*Culinary Physics Blog consulted the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), food
scientists/technologist, professional chefs, agriculturists, food manufacturers, and
other experts—to establish these storage guidelines. The first consideration was
safety. But because you want your food to be delicious, too, for some products,
Culinary Physics Blog chose the conservative storage time for optimum freshness.
Eating more fruits and vegetables is a requirement for every healthy eater. But
when you buy more fresh produce, do you end up throwing away more than you
eat? You're not alone.
Based on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency research (EPA), Americans throw
away nearly 31.6 million tons of food every year. And a recent University of Arizona
study found that the average family tosses 1.28 pounds of food a day, for a total of
470 pounds a year. That's like throwing away $700.
Storing fresh produce is a little more complicated than you might think. If you want
to prevent spoilage, certain foods shouldn't be stored together at all, while others
that we commonly keep in the fridge should actually be left on the countertop. To
keep your produce optimally fresh (and cut down on food waste), use this guide
(download it for future reference- Storing Fruits and Vegetables).
Cold storage of fruits and vegetables was used extensively by our ancestors to keep
food after the harvest season. In modern times, the year round availability of fresh
produce in the supermarket has reduced the use of home storage. However, even
today there are benefits of home storage, which make it a good alternative to
buying produce from the store. Most importantly, home gardeners often have
excess fruits and vegetables that cannot be consumed immediately but would store
well. Even those without gardens can buy food ‘in season’ when it is fresh and
inexpensive and then store it at home until a later date. Both these options are
cheaper than buying food in the winter when it is often quite expensive. In addition,
stored food harvested at peak maturity from the garden usually has better flavor
and a higher nutritional value.
Storing Fruits and Vegetables at Home
Use of Packing Materials - Packing materials used in storage perform several
functions- insulation against fluctuating temperatures, moisture retention, and
reduction of disease transmission. In outdoor storages, clean straw, dry leaves,
corn stalks, hay, or sawdust are commonly used for insulation. These materials

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may be readily available or can be purchased relatively cheaply from local farms
and garden centers. A slightly more expensive alternative is peat moss. Use these
materials for a single storage season only, as they can become contaminated with
molds and bacteria. They often can be recycled as mulch in the garden. Moisture
retention of produce is usually achieved with moistened sand, sawdust or peat
moss. Plastic bags, lined boxes, crocks, metal cans with liners, or plastic garbage
cans are all items that retain moisture. Perforate plastic bags or liners at regular
intervals to allow air circulation and prevent condensation and you can buy this
easily at Amazon.com.
Vegetables requiring moist storage should never be left directly exposed to air.
Alternating layers of produce with packing materials reduces disease transmission.
Wrapping individual items of produce with newspaper aids moisture retention and
reduces the possibility of cross-transfer of odors and disease.
Use of Refrigerator Storage - One of the best ways to store small quantities of
vegetables requiring cold or cool moist conditions is to use an old or extra
refrigerator. The amount of current required to run a storage refrigerator is usually
low because they are opened infrequently and can be located in an out of the way,
cool location. For best storage, produce should be washed free of soil and
placed into plastic bags with 2 to 4 ¼” holes for ventilation. The 5 or 10
pound bag size is usually most convenient for the average family. Vegetables in
plastic bags do not wilt nearly so rapidly as those stored openly in the refrigerator.
Fruits and vegetables add color, flavor, vitamins, minerals, and fiber to your diet,
and the quality of the produce you buy directly impacts the quality of the dishes
you cook with that produce. Who wants to eat a wilted salad or a dingy bowl of
fruit? Always seek out the best sources for produce. If you have a local farmers’
market featuring seasonal produce, browse the stalls and choose what looks best.
You can plan a whole meal — or at least a memorable side dish — around a really
ripe carton of tomatoes and a dewy bin of fresh lettuce, or what about those
blushing peaches bursting with juice for dessert?
When choosing and storing fruits and vegetables, whether from a farm stand or the
supermarket, a few rules apply across the board. Avoid fresh produce with
brown spots or wrinkled skin or produce that doesn’t look… well… fresh!
Here are a few other produce rules to live by:
1) Grapes: Fresh, ripe grapes are full and juicy looking with a powdery bloom on
the skin. Keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.
2) Bananas: Eat them before they turn completely brown. You can refrigerate
them to slow down their ripening. Their peel continues to darken in the
refrigerator, but not their flesh.

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3) Apples: Should be crisp and firm. Refrigerate or store in a cool, dark place.
Keep for several weeks. Some varieties keep for several months. Apples release a
gas that makes other fruits ripen more quickly, so if you don’t want your fruit to
ripen too fast, keep it away from the apple bowl and don’t store it with apples in
the refrigerator.
4) Pineapple: It doesn’t ripen after it’s picked and is best if eaten within a few
days of purchase. Keep at room temperature, away from heat and sun, or
refrigerate whole or cut up.
5) Avocados: These tropical delights should yield just slightly to pressure when
ripe. Keep at room temperature until fully ripened. If you won’t eat them right
away, refrigerate them to keep for several more days.
6) Citrus fruits (such as lemons, grapefruits, and oranges): When
refrigerated, citrus fruits (which don’t ripen further after they’re picked and are
relatively long-storage fruits) keep for up to 3 weeks.
7) Cherries and berries: Keep refrigerated. For best flavor, consume them the
same day you purchase them. Cherries and berries get soft and moldy quickly.
8) Tropical fruits: Mangoes, papaya, and kiwi should be firm but yield slightly to
pressure and should smell fruity. Store at room temperature for more flavors, but
refrigerate when they are ripe and then return to room temperature before eating.
9) Unripe melons and tree fruits (such as pears, peaches, and nectarines):
Keep at room temperature so that they can ripen and grow sweeter. After they’re
fully ripe, you can store them in the refrigerator for several more days. Melons are
ripe when they smell melon-y at the stem end. And if we haven’t mentioned a fruit
or vegetable you want to try… try it anyway! There are many interesting produce
options out there in the world. The more you taste, the more you know.
10) Artichokes and asparagus: Refrigerate and use within 2 to 3 days of
purchase.
11) Cabbage: Keeps for 1 to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
12) Carrots: Best when firm, not rubbery, without a lot of little roots growing all
over them. They keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.
13) Broccoli and cauliflower: Refrigerate and consume within a week.
14) Celery: Fresh celery is crisp and firm. Old celery flops around like a rubber
pencil. Keeps for 1 to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
15) Bell peppers: Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

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16) Corn: Refrigerate and use the same day of purchase. After corn is picked, its
sugar immediately begins converting to starch, diminishing its sweetness.
17) Garlic: Garlic should feel firm, not soft, and should be without any green
sprouts. Once it sprouts, it turns bitter. Keep garlic at room temperature, in a
small bowl within reach of your food preparation area, to encourage you to use the
fresh stuff. Garlic will last longer in the refrigerator, however, so if you don’t use it
often, keep it chilled to inhibit sprouting.
18) Onions, potatoes, shallots, and hard-shelled winter squash (like acorn
and butternut): Keep at room temperature for several weeks to a month. Store
onions, potatoes, and winter squash in a cool, dry, dark drawer or bin. Onions,
shallots, and potatoes should be firm. If they are soft or rubbery, they are past
their prime.
19) Tomatoes: Store at room temperature for more flavors. Keep in a cool, dark
place or in a paper bag to ripen fully. Once ripe, eat them right away. If you
can’t, refrigerate them for two or three more days, although this can compromise
the texture, making them mealier. Return them to room temperature before eating.
20) Cucumbers and eggplant: The skin should be firm, shiny, and smooth,
without soft brown spots. Keep for up to 1 week in the cold crisper drawer of the
refrigerator.
21) Leafy greens (beet tops, collards, kale, mustard greens, and so on):
Very perishable. Refrigerate and consume within 1 to 2 days.
22) Spinach: Trim, rinse, and dry thoroughly before storing in the refrigerator for 2
to 3 days.
23) Green beans: Refrigerate and use within 3 to 4 days of purchase.
24) Salad greens: Rinse thoroughly, trim, and dry completely before storing
wrapped in paper towel or in plastic bags in the refrigerator crisper drawer. They
keep for 3 to 4 days. Do we have to tell you not to buy slimy lettuce?
25) Summer squash (zucchini and yellow squash): Store in the refrigerator for
up to a week.
26) Mushrooms: Store in a paper bag in the refrigerator. Use within a week.
Remember when harvesting your own produce for storage, or buying it locally
in season, there are certain guidelines to follow which assure maximum quality and
minimum spoilage of your stored food.
1. Harvest fruits and vegetables at peak maturity or as near as possible.
2. Only use produce that is free from all visible evidence of disease.

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3. Do not pick any fruit or vegetable that has severe insect damage.
4. Handle food carefully after harvest so that it is not cut or bruised.
5. Leave an inch or more of stem on most vegetables to reduce water
loss and prevent infection.
6. Use late-maturing varieties better suited to storage.
In general, use only the best food for storage. Damaged food is more likely to
suffer mold and bacterial decay during storage and thus should be used fresh,
processed, or discarded.
Once harvested, fruits and vegetables must be stored under proper conditions, the
most important of which are temperature and humidity. Each fruit or vegetable has
its own ideal set of conditions at which it will store most successfully for the
maximum length of time. These conditions can be classified into four groups:
1. Vegetables which require cold & moist conditions
2. Vegetables which require cool & moist conditions
3. Vegetables which require cold & dry conditions
4. Vegetables which require warm & dry conditions
The charts or tables below list temperature and humidity requirements for most
vegetables. In addition to proper temperature and humidity, all fruits and
vegetables must be kept in a dark, aerated environment. While most vegetables
like moist conditions, standing water must be avoided, as it will quickly lead to rot.
Produce must not be allowed to freeze and should be protected from animal pests
such as mice. It is important to remember that crops held in storage are still living
plants, capable of respiration and affected by their environment. The goal of
storage is to keep them in a dormant state.
One other note, fruits and vegetables should always be stored separately. Fruits
release ethylene, which speeds the ripening process of vegetables. Fruits are also
very susceptible to picking up the taste of nearby vegetables.
Storing Fruits and Vegetables Charts
Chart 1. Fruits and Vegetables that require cold, moist conditions.
VEGETABLE
TEMPERATURE
(
o
F)
RELATIVE
HUMIDITY
(%)
LENGTH OF
STORAGE
Asparagus 32-36 95 2-3 weeks

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Apples 32 90 2-6 months
Beets 32 95 3-5 months
Broccoli 32 95 10-14 days
Brussels Sprouts 32 95 3-5 weeks
Cabbage, Early 32 95 3-6 weeks
Cabbage, Late 32 95 3-4 months
Cabbage, Chinese 32 95 1-2 months
Carrots, mature 32 95 4-5 months
Carrots, immature 32 95 4-6 weeks
Cauliflower 32 95 2-4 weeks
Celeriac 32 95 3-4 months
Celery 32 95 2-3 months
Collards 32 95 10-14 days
Corn, sweet 32 95 4-8 days
Endive, Escarole 32 95 2-3 weeks
Grapes 32 90 4-6 weeks
Kale 32 95 10-14 days
Leeks, green 32 95 1-3 months
Lettuce 32 95 2-3 weeks
Parsley 32 95 1-2 months
Parsnips 32 95 2-6 months
Pears 32 95 2-7 months
Peas, green 32 95 1-3 weeks
Potatoes, early 50 90 1-3 weeks
Potatoes, late 39 90 4-9 months
Radishes, spring 32 95 3-4 weeks
Radishes, winter 32 95 2-4 months
Rhubarb 32 95 2-4 weeks
Rutabagas 32 95 2-4 months
Spinach 32 95 10-14 days
Chart 2. Vegetables that require cool, moist conditions.
VEGETABLE
TEMPERATURE
(
o
F)
RELATIVE
HUMIDITY
(%)
LENGTH
OF
STORAGE
Beans, snap 40-50 95 7-10 days
Cucumbers 45-50 95 10-14 days
Eggplant 45-50 90 1 week
Cantaloupe 40 90 15 days
Watermelon 40-50 80-85 2-3 weeks
Peppers, sweet 45-50 95 2-3 weeks
Potatoes, early 50 90 1-3 weeks
Potatoes, late 40 90 4-9 months
Tomatoes, green 50-70 90 1-3 weeks
Tomatoes, ripe 45-50 90 4-7 days
Chart 3. Vegetables that require cool dry conditions.
VEGETABLE TEMPERATURE
RELATIVE
HUMIDITY
LENGTH
OF

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(
o
F) (%) STORAGE
Garlic 32 65-70 6-7 months
Onions 32 65-70 6-7 months
Chart 4. Vegetables that require warm dry conditions.
VEGETABLE
TEMPERATURE
(
o
F)
RELATIVE
HUMIDITY (%)
LENGTH OF
STORAGE
Peppers, hot 50 60-65 6 months
Pumpkins 50-55 70-75 2-3 months
Squash, winter 50-55 50-60 2-6 months
Sweet Potato 55-60 80-85 4-6 months
Do you want to know the right way to sauté onions to get the most of its flavor?
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