How to Keep Your Fruits and Veges Fresh

When it comes to keeping your fruits and vegetables fresh, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Depending on the fruit/vegetable, they are either better off in the fridge, counter or both.

So let’s take a look at some of the fruits that are best kept where.

On the counter

Despite what people may believe, it really isn’t that good of an idea to store tomatoes in the fridge. While it doesn’t pose any health issues, refrigerating tomatoes actually causes them to lose their flavour and their texture to change. The better option is to store them in a paper-lined bowl with the stems top up (the stem is where most bruising occurs).

Other fruits and vegetables that are better on the counter include:

• Bananas
• Cucumbers
• Pineapple
• Watermelon
• Apples (as long as you intend to consume them within 7 days)
• Lemons
• Oranges
• Mangoes

Keep in mind that if you choose to store apples, bananas or tomatoes on the counter, keep these fruits separate from others. All three contain a gas known as ethylene that speeds up the ripening process in neighbouring fruits and vegetables. So if you want to ripen something quicker it’s fine, but if you want your ripe fruits/veges to last longer, keep these three fruits away.

Also keep in mind that once bananas ripen, it can be beneficial to then refrigerate them. Finally, wherever you decide to place your fruit on the counter, try your best to avoid any direct sunlight as this speeds up rotting.

Refrigerate

When it comes to refrigeration, a key form of fruit that should be kept in there are almost all forms of berries. Be it strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, etc. they’re all better off refrigerated and will stay fresher for much longer than if left out on the counter. Other fruits and veges that also have a longer life if refrigerated include:

• Carrots
• Spinach
• Leafy vegetables
• Brocolli
• Apples (if you intend to consume them 7 days or more after purchasing)
• Mushrooms
• Lettuce
• Zucchini

Others

For the likes of onions, potato, pumpkin and a variety of squashes, all of these should be stored away in cool, dry places. Onions and potatoes, however, should be kept away from one another.

There are also a few fruits and vegetables besides bananas that benefit from sitting out on the counter until ripe and then being refrigerated from then on. These include pears, avocados, peaches, nectarines, plums and kiwi fruit.

Of course, if necessary, you can substantially prolong the life of almost any fruits and vegetables by freezing them.

What methods do you use to maintain the freshness of your fruits and veges? Share your tips in the comments below.