When I bring vegetables/fruit home from the supermarket, I never know
which should be stored in the fridge or outside, which should be
stored in the crisper drawer or which shouldnt be sealed in a plastic
bag. I am looking for the best ways to store vegetables for the short
term (not long term preservation) I have been searching for a good
book on this subject or even better, a chart that could be mounted on
the refrigerator. Until someone recommends a book/chart, perhaps some
of you have some advice for a few of the vegetables/fruit I buy
regularly.

potatos
onion
scallions
garlic
carrots
celery

banananas
lemon
oranges
strawberries

On Jun 12, 2:04*pm, wrote:
> When I bring vegetables/fruit home from the supermarket, I never know
> which should be stored in the fridge or outside, which should be
> stored in the crisper drawer or which shouldnt be sealed in a plastic
> bag. I am looking for the best ways to store vegetables for the short
> term (not long term preservation) *I have been searching for a good
> book on this subject or even better, a chart that could be mounted on
> the refrigerator. Until someone recommends a book/chart, perhaps some
> of you have some advice for a few of the vegetables/fruit I buy
> regularly.

The USDA or your county agricultural extension service might have
some information.

The rule of thumb is to store them the same way that the grocer stored
them.
The grocer does not want to waste money by throwing away vegetables.

However, the grocer has technology that you do not. I'm sure you
don't
want to install a sprinkler system to fluff up your lettuce.

In general, produce doesn't like to have water (including
condensation)
against its skin. It will rot quicker that way.

> potatos
> onion
> garlic

Root vegetables should be stored in a cool, dry place. Not the
refrigerator. A cupboard is better than the fridge. Air circulation
around the vegetables prevents mold and sprouting. Store potatoes
separately from onions and garlic.

> scallions

I usually wrap them in a paper towel and put that inside of a plastic
bag. Then into the refrigerator.

> carrots

If they came in a plastic bag, keep them in it. Otherwise, I like to
remove
the tops, wash them, wrap them in a paper towel, plastic bag, fridge.

> celery

In the packaging that it came in.

> banananas

Outside of the refrigerator. However, if you don't like them to get
overripe,
and don't want to bake a lot of banana bread, when they get to the
stage
that you like them, put them in the fridge. The skins will turn
black, but
the bananas won't ripen further. Too much time in the fridge and they
will
get soft, so don't buy a ton.

> lemon
> oranges

Lemons and oranges can be kept outside the fridge. Or you can put
them
in the fridge.

> strawberries

Strawberries are difficult. Under the best circumstances they won't
last
very long. Handle them as little as possible, make sure they don't
get water trapped between them and their container. Frankly, I
wash and hull mine, soak them briefly in water acidulated with lemon
juice, put them into a plastic bowl with a paper towel at the bottom
and
eat them quickly.

Cindy Hamilton

wrote:
> When I bring vegetables/fruit home from the supermarket, I never know
> which should be stored in the fridge or outside, which should be
> stored in the crisper drawer or which shouldnt be sealed in a plastic
> bag. I am looking for the best ways to store vegetables for the short
> term (not long term preservation) I have been searching for a good
> book on this subject or even better, a chart that could be mounted on
> the refrigerator. Until someone recommends a book/chart, perhaps some
> of you have some advice for a few of the vegetables/fruit I buy
> regularly.
>
> potatos
I keep potatoes in the crisper drawer in the fridge but I only buy two
russets at a time. Bagged potatoes I keep in the pantry in a wire basket
for air circulation but try to use them up quickly.
> onion
I keep one or two onions at a time in the pantry in a wire basket. The
pantry is generally dark.
> scallions
Grow my own year around and pull as needed. If I bring in a bunch I keep
them for a few days in the crisper drawer.
> garlic
In the pantry in a wire basket.
> carrots
> celery
Both of these are kept in the crisper drawer.
>
> banananas
On the cabinet top on one of those banana hangers.
> lemon
Grow my own and juice them as needed. Sometimes buy limes and keep them
in a crisper drawer in the fridge.
> oranges
Crisper drawer in the fridge.
> strawberries
In the fridge and wife eats them up quickly. I don't like strawberries
so there's no race to eat them.

You might do a Google search on storing fruits and vegetables and see
what turns up.

Cindy wrote on Thu, 12 Jun 2008 11:32:21 -0700 (PDT):

> On Jun 12, 2:04 pm, wrote:
>> When I bring vegetables/fruit home from the supermarket, I
>> never know which should be stored in the fridge or outside,
>> which should be stored in the crisper drawer or which
>> shouldnt be sealed in a plastic bag. I am looking for the
>> best ways to store vegetables for the short term (not long
>> term preservation) I have been searching for a good book on
>> this subject or even better, a chart that could be mounted on
>> the refrigerator. Until someone recommends a book/chart,
>> perhaps some of you have some advice for a few of the
>> vegetables/fruit I buy regularly.

> The USDA or your county agricultural extension service might
> have some information.

> The rule of thumb is to store them the same way that the
> grocer stored them.
> The grocer does not want to waste money by throwing away
> vegetables.

Those are some pretty good tips that I won't repeat but I'd add that
celery keeps very well in a plastic bag in a crisper. It may blanch but
I prefer white to green anyway. The leaves will turn brown long before
the stalks are unappetizing even if a small amount of cut end needs
trimming. In my experience, parsley and cilantro keep best in plastic
bags in the fridge if dry rather than damp even if stores tend to
sprinkle them with water.
--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

Cindy Hamilton wrote:
>
> Root vegetables should be stored in a cool, dry place. Not the
> refrigerator. A cupboard is better than the fridge. Air circulation
> around the vegetables prevents mold and sprouting. Store potatoes
> separately from onions and garlic.

Potatoes should be stored in total darkness,
to inhibit greening and sprouting.

James Silverton wrote:
>
> Those are some pretty good tips that I won't repeat but I'd add that
> celery keeps very well in a plastic bag in a crisper. It may blanch but
> I prefer white to green anyway. The leaves will turn brown long before
> the stalks are unappetizing even if a small amount of cut end needs
> trimming. In my experience, parsley and cilantro keep best in plastic
> bags in the fridge if dry rather than damp even if stores tend to
> sprinkle them with water.

Cilantro keeps longer if the stems sit in a glass or jar
of water in the fridge. Broccoli also benefits from
having the stem in water. I cut off the last inch or so
of the stem before putting it in water. Within a few
hours, the broccoli becomes very crisp.

> Strawberries are difficult. *Under the best circumstances they won't
> last
> very long. *Handle them as little as possible, make sure they don't
> get water trapped between them and their container. *Frankly, I
> wash and hull mine, soak them briefly in water acidulated with lemon
> juice, put them into a plastic bowl with a paper towel at the bottom
> and
> eat them quickly.
>
> Cindy Hamilton

Strawberries last longest if they are not washed until right before
using, and then dried as much as possible. Raspberries shouldn't be
washed at all- just dump them out of their container onto a paper
towel so any crawly things can just crawl away! I know raspberries
weren't asked about, but thought someone might find that info handy as
tis the season (somewhere).

On Thu, 12 Jun 2008 11:04:11 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

>When I bring vegetables/fruit home from the supermarket, I never know
>which should be stored in the fridge or outside, which should be
>stored in the crisper drawer or which shouldnt be sealed in a plastic
>bag. I am looking for the best ways to store vegetables for the short
>term (not long term preservation) I have been searching for a good
>book on this subject or even better, a chart that could be mounted on
>the refrigerator. Until someone recommends a book/chart, perhaps some
>of you have some advice for a few of the vegetables/fruit I buy
>regularly.
>
>potatos
>onion
>scallions
>garlic
>carrots
>celery
>
>banananas
>lemon
>oranges
>strawberries


Do not hull or wash strawberries before refrigerating. They last much
longer.
--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974)

James Silverton wrote:

> Those are some pretty good tips that I won't repeat but I'd add that
> celery keeps very well in a plastic bag in a crisper. It may blanch
> but I prefer white to green anyway. The leaves will turn brown long
> before the stalks are unappetizing even if a small amount of cut end
> needs trimming. In my experience, parsley and cilantro keep best in
> plastic bags in the fridge if dry rather than damp even if stores
> tend to sprinkle them with water.

The most recent issue of Cook's Illustrated covered this subject
and this is the one tip I found interesting, even though I think I've
heard it before. Storing tomatoes stem end down does cause
them to last longer. It reduces air and moisture transfering
through the scar.

nancy