I’m so excited that soon we are going to have lots of local fruits and vegetables available. The beauty of eating locally and seasonally is that our fruits and vegetables are not harvested early and left to ripen in transit. They get optimal growing time which means their nutrients are plentiful. You can most definitely taste the local difference. I can’t wait to stock my fridge in the coming months!
Does It Really Matter Where You Store Your Fresh Produce?
Have you wondered if you’re storing fruits and vegetables optimally once you get them home? I recently bought a new fridge. Before, I never paid much attention to those humidity gauges you see on the drawers. I figured there must be good reason for them. It turns out they are quite helpful in retaining the freshness of your produce.
After some research, a cool HGTV video, and time experimenting in the kitchen I’d like to share my findings with you.
Where Should They Go?
- Cucumbers, asparagus, tomatoes, and onions are best kept on the counter:
- Treat asparagus like a flower, chop the ends and store in a glass of shallow water.
- Tomatoes like room to breathe so don’t crowd them.
- Whole onions on the counter, cut onions go in the fridge.
- Onions make potatoes sprout so store them separately.
- Potatoes and garlic like it dark so place in a brown paper bag or store in a dark cupboard.
- Basil is best kept on the counter in a glass of shallow water with a clear plastic bag over top to maintain a warm temperature.
- Parsley and cilantro will keep for 5 days stored in water with a clear plastic bag over top in the fridge.
- Vegetables like it humid so use the humidity control on the drawers of your fridge.
- Fruits like it dry so turn down the humidity on the fruit drawer.
Why Is It a Good Idea to Store Fresh Produce Properly?
By storing our fresh produce in the proper places, we can extend not only its shelf life, but also maximize the amount of nutrients in the food when we consume it. We’re getting the best bang for our buck, eliminating food waste, and eating healthier food. It’s a good idea all around!
Have any storage tips you’d like to share?
Our Power Up Mission is simply to educate our customers on the importance of using quality food as fuel. For all your Power Up news make sure you check out Vince’s Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Make sure you follow @VincesMarket and #powerupwithvinces, sign up for our Power Up Newsletter and keep an eye out for nutrition tips and tricks from me, our in-house nutrition expert!
To our health & wellbeing,
Danielle
In-House Holistic Nutritionist (R.H.N.),
Natural Chef., R.M.T.
