Vegetable Storage
- Asparagus
Freshly harvested asparagus is very similar to cut flowers - it needs to be kept in cool, humid conditions. Some people stand the fresh spears upright in a container with 1/2 inch cold water and store it in the refrigerator. Others wrap the spears in a paper towel, or a clean damp tea towel, then store in a plastic bag in the crisper section of their refrigerator for up to 4 - 5 days. Choose the method that suits you.
- Avacados
Avocados do not ripen until picked, so fresh ones will be as hard as rocks. Look for an even and unblemished texture, uniformly hard or soft over its entire surface. The flesh of ripe fruits will yield when pressed gently. It's best to ripen your own at home. To ripen, place the avocado(s) in a brown paper bag and store at room temperature for 2 to 5 days, away from direct sunlight. Do not store unripened fruit in the refrigerator. Ripe fruit may be stored in the vegetable drawer in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
- Beets
To store beets, trim the leaves 2 inches from the root as soon as you get them home. The leaves will sap the moisture from the beet root. Do not trim the tail. Store the leaves in a separate plastic bag and use within two days. The root bulbs should also be bagged and can be stored in the refrigerator crisper drawer 7 to 10 days. Cooked beets may be refrigerated up to one week.
- Cabbage
Store the whole head of cabbage in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to a week, two weeks if it is fresh from the garden. Cabbage will lose freshness rapidly once the head is chopped, so plan on using it within a day. If you only need half a head, place the remaining half in a plastic bag and shake a few drops of water onto the cut side. Close the bag and refrigerate. The cut half should last another few days if it was fairly fresh when you cut it. To freeze cabbage: Cut into coarse shreds and blanch for 2 minutes in boiling water. Remove, drain, and chill. Pack into airtight containers and freeze up to one year. Once thawed, frozen cabbage will only work well in cooked applications. Cooked cabbage may be refrigerated in a covered container for up to four days.
- Carrots
Before storing carrots, remove their green tops, rinse, drain, and put the carrots in plastic bags and store them in the coldest part of the refrigerator with the highest humidity. They'll last several months this way. To keep the carrots crisp and colorful add a little bit of water in the bottom of the plastic storage bag; this will keep the carrots hydrated. Carrots should be stored away from fruits such as apples and pears, which release the ethylene gas that cause carrots to become bitter.
- Celery
Trim, wash and dry the celery. Wrap in aluminum foil and keep in the refrigerator crisper. The celery will keep for about 2 weeks.
- Chives
Wrap fresh chives in a paper towel, put in a plastic bag and store in the refrigerator for up to a week. Do not wash until ready to use, as excessive moisture will promote decay.
- Cucumbers
Refrigerating cucumbers extends their life for about a week, especially if you store them unwashed and loosely wrapped in a plastic bag. If possible, try to use them right away — it's the bursting juiciness of crisp cukes that makes them so special.
- Garlic
Store garlic at room temperature in a dry, well-ventilated place and it should keep for at least 3 months.
- Leeks
Store leeks unwashed in a dark, cool, dry, well-ventilated place and they can keep for 1 to 3 months. Or store them in the refrigerator, where they should keep for about 2 weeks.
- Lettuce
Direct contact with plastic produce bags causes lettuce to go bad quickly. To preserve the life of leaf lettuce, try wrapping it in paper towels, then place them into plastic bags and put them in the refrigerator crisper. They will keep for 2 to 3 days.
- Mushrooms
Store mushrooms in your refrigerator crisper where they can benefit from cool air circulation. Keep partially covered to prevent them from drying out, but never store packaged mushrooms without venting. Paper bags are a good storage alternative. Most fresh mushrooms should be used within three days.
- Onions, and Shallots.
Store your onions in a dark, cool place that is well ventilated – not in the refrigerator. Do not store whole onions in plastic bags. Lack of air movement reduces storage life. Chopped or sliced onions can be stored in a sealed container or plastic wrap in your refrigerator for up to 7 days.
- Potatoes
Do not refrigerate potatoes, as they will have a waxy consistency when cooked. Move onions and garlic away from the place you place you store your potatoes. Potatoes should be stored in a dark, cool place that is well ventilated.
- Radishes
Store without the leafy tops and place in the refrigerator to keep fresh for four to seven days if they are the spring varieties, or two to four weeks if they are winter radishes. The larger varieties, such as the watermelon, are similar to turnips for storing and can be kept longer or stored in a cool dry area.
- Scallions
Place unwashed scallions in a plastic bag and store in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. They should keep for up to a week.
- Spinach
This green retains its crispness for up to 4 days if kept in the coolest part of the fridge. Store unwashed in a perforated plastic bag.
- Squash
Squashes are a great winter staple because they keep so well, as long as you store them in a dark, cool and well-ventilated spot, preferably between 50 and 60 degrees. Most squashes will keep for 1 to 3 months stored this way.
- Tomatoes
Store at room temperature to ripen. Do not refrigerate, as it will turn the tomatoes mealy and flavorless. As soon as tomatoes are ripe, they should be used. When shopping, pick tomatoes that are firm and not quite ripe, unless you are going to use them immediately.
- Zucchini
Zucchini will keep for 4 or 5 days when stored in a plastic bag in your refrigerator's vegetable drawer.
