Fruit & Vegetable Loss Prevention

Since Mike and I started shopping weekly at the farmer’s market, we’ve learned quite a bit about different vegetables that we’ve never bought before. There has been quite a lot of trial and error when it comes to how we’re storing our produce, how long it lasts, and how quickly we can consume or preserve it.

So I thought since I’ve learned so much from this experience, I thought I’d share my newfound knowledge to all of you who find yourself digging out rotten produce from your crisper drawer or out of your fruit bowl because you had no idea it would go badly that quickly!

1. Not all fruits and vegetables need to be kept in the fridge. Don’t refrigerate the following: Tomatoes, onions, pears, plums, nectarines, peaches (and if you’re lucky enough to live in an area where you get fresh, local avocadoes, don’t refrigerate those either). Refrigerating these items makes them lose their flavor and in some cases, break the fruit down more quickly. If you find that your produce is going bad on the counter, the refrigerator might lengthen their lives, but bring them back up to room temp before consuming.

2. What you don’t put in the fridge, put them in a bowl where they can get plenty of air circulation. We found that with our big bowls we keep everything in, the tomatoes that didn’t get the most air circulation went bad faster. Wire bowls are fabulous if you can get them.

While our tomatoes were beautiful in the bowls we registered for, the tomatoes at the bottom and sides of the bowl would go bad more quickly than the ones on the top, even if they had all been picked the same day.

3. If you buy too much of something or if your garden explodes with too much produce for you to handle, preserve it quickly. It takes time, and you usually have to sweat it out in the kitchen while your stove and oven are working in the heat of the summer, but trust me, having homemade salsa and sauces later when the growing season is over will make you ridiculously happy.

4. If you’re like us and are buying fruits and vegetables that are relatively new to your kitchen, it can be hard to know exactly how long you can keep each one around. If you don’t know how long each vegetable keeps, you might find yourself throwing an unnecessary amount of produce away. Here’s a guide for when you should eat your produce after you buy it:

1-3 days after purchase: Asparagus, cherries, basil, broccoli, strawberries, green beans, mushrooms, eggplant, corn. Of course, not all of these will “go bad” after this time period, but they’ll quickly decline after this–especially in taste.

4-5 Days after purchase: grapes, lettuce, other leafy greens

6-7 Days after purchase: Bell peppers, hot peppers, tomatoes, watermelon, stone fruits, pears, blueberries, cauliflower, most herbs if stored correctly, zucchini, cucumbers (if you’re pickling cucumbers, do it as soon after they’re picked as possible)

Beyond: Beets, apples, carrots, celery, potatoes, squash, garlic, onions

I hope this was helpful! Every time I’ve had to throw away something that came from our garden or the farmer’s market that I just didn’t use in time, I want to kick myself. It’s definitely a challenge to keep up with all of the produce in our garden and household, but I get so much satisfaction out of having beautiful, fresh and local meals that it’s worth it!

Do you accidentally let produce rot in your crisper? Do you have any additional storing tips to share?