Storage of fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator is the most common and inexpensive option, given that we have access to fresh produce all the year round. How many times have you loaded your refrigerator with your weekly trip to the market or supermarket and then forgot all about it, only to find them deteriorated in the fridge drawers, days later? Here are some tips to keep fruit and vegetable produce stay fresh longer.

Each fruit and vegetable can be used successfully for a maximum length of time, if you store it under ideal conditions.

 

Fruits

As a thumb rule, never store fruits and vegetables together. Since fruits emit ehtylens (ripening agent), it can ripen and spoil other surrounding vegetables prematurely. Fruits are susceptible to pick up the taste of the nearby vegetables.

It is best to leave fruits such as plums, mangoes, banana, melons, pears, peaches, and apples on a countertop. Once they ripen, they can be refrigerated.
 

Apples

Wrap the ripened apples in airy bags and place them inside the crisper drawer of the fridge. If you have a bruised apple, keep it aside as apples give off a lot of ethylene gas and can quickly rot and ripen other apples too.

Berries

Berries are fine if you leave them at room temperature. However, you should always try to refrigerate them as soon as you get home since they don’t ripen after they are picked. Leaving them at room temperature for more than three days will speeden their decay. Clean the berries and store them in a sealable container lined with paper towels. Keep the lid partly open to allow moisture to escape. This method extends the shelf life of berries.

Lemons

Leaving lemons at room temperature will last a week before they harden. However, if you store them in the refrigerator in plastic bags, they last for over three weeks!

Tomatoes

are also best left at room temperature until they are fully ripe. Chill temperature makes the flavor-producing enzymes of the tomatoes stop working. You will have a taste-less tomato. Once they are ripened, keep them in the fridge to extend its life for two to three days.
 

Herbs

If you want to store herbs such as parsely, cilantro (coriander leaves) and other fresh herbs, remember to snip their stems. Make sure the leaves are completely dry and you can clean just before use. Keep them loosely in a plastic bag, if you want to store them in the refrigerator. You can also partly fill a jar or glass with water and place the ends of the herbs into the jar. This way, it can last up to two or more weeks.

Part 2…How to Store Vegetables in Refrigerator