Produce Storage

FRUIT

Apples                                                                                         
If kept in the refrigerator apples will usually keep crisp for 3 to 4 weeks.  

They will usually stay crisp for ~ 1 week when stored outside of the refrigerator in a cool, dry

place.                                                                                                  

Tip: Store apples in the refrigerator in a plastic bag.  Apples give off ethylene, a natural gas, which will make lettuce and other produce turn brown. The plastic bag will prevent that.

Avocados                                                                                                                          

Store avocados at room temperature for up to 1 week until they are ripe.  

Once they are soft to the touch, move them to the refrigerator, where they can keep for up to another week.                                                                                                                                   

Tip: If the avocados you bought aren’t soft enough to eat yet, you can ripen them in a jiffy: Just throw them into a paper bag with a banana (bananas produce the most ripening-inducing ethylene of any fruit). They'll be guacamole-ready in about a day.

Berries                                                                                                                              

Store in the refrigerator to keep fresh for up to 10 days.  How long depends on the variety of berry, but blueberries will stay fresh the longest.                                                       

Tip: Berries are one of the most perishable fruits because they’re so thin-skinned. Washing them and leaving them on the counter will cause them to mold within hours, so don't wash them until you intend to use them. The dusty covering you see on berries is called the "bloom," a natural preservative that keeps them fresh. When you wash any fruit or vegetable, you’re removing its natural outer layer, which will cause it to ripen even faster.

Citrus (grapefruits, oranges, etc.)                                                                                     

Store in the refrigerator to keep fresh for 2 weeks, or store at room temperature to keep fresh for seven to 10 days.  Because citrus fruits have a tougher skin, they will last longer than most other fruits.                                                                                                        

Tip: Meyer lemons and limes have a shorter shelf life, only 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Grapes                                                                                                                              

Store grapes in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Grapes also have a bloom, so it’s best not to wash them until you’re ready to eat them.

                                                                                                                               

Pears

Store unripe pears at room temperature for approximately 5 days.  Once ripe, refrigerate for up to 

week.                                                                                                              

Tip: To check for ripeness check the “neck” right next to the stem for a slight softness. If you want to speed up ripening, put pears in a paper bag. 

Pomegranates                                                                                                                  

Store pomegranates in the refrigerator, where they will last 2 to 3 weeks depending on how ripe they are.

Tomatoes                                                                                                                           

Tomatoes should be stored in a cool, dry place and enjoyed within 1 week once they’re fragrant and soft to the touch. You want to avoid refrigerating tomatoes because it puts the fruit into cold shock and inhibits the taste.                                                                 

Tip: Avoid storing them in plastic, because the trapped ethylene will cause them to ripen more quickly.

VEGETABLES 

Bell Peppers                                                                                                                 

Refrigerate peppers for up to 2 weeks or store them at room temperature to keep fresh for about a week.

Broccoli and Cauliflower                                                                                               

Keep cauliflower and broccoli in their wrapping and place in the refrigerator, where they will last 3 to 5 days.  Use them before the ends turn brown.

Greens (lettuce, spinach, etc.)
All leafy greens should be stored in the refrigerator and will last 3 to 7 days. If leaves aren’t prebagged, wash and wrap loosely in a paper towel (to keep the water from rotting the leaves), then put in a plastic bag.                                                                               

Tip: Keep heads of lettuce whole. When you cut up lettuce, you’re cutting the pores, which will produce more ethylene.

Mushrooms                                                                                                                      

They should be stored in their packaging in the refrigerator and used within 5 to 7 days. Like other produce, mushrooms will perish faster if they’re presliced.

Root Vegetables (onions, potatoes, etc.)                                                                       

Store in a cool, dry place—ideally in an open basket away from the oven. While most last approximately a month, baby potatoes have a shorter shelf life of about 10 days.           

Tip: Keep these items away from light, which causes them to sprout and turn green.