Storage Tips to Keep Produce Fresh

Getting the most out of your fresh produce starts as soon as you unpack your farm box. With a few storage methods, you can extend the life of your fruits and vegetables, reduce waste, and guarantee every bite tastes as good as when it was first picked.

Storage temperature can make or break how long your produce stays fresh. Leafy greens, herbs, berries, grapes, apples, carrots, celery, broccoli, and cauliflower thrive in the refrigerator. Give delicate items like lettuce and spinach a spot in the crisper drawer, where controlled humidity helps maintain their crisp texture. Tomatoes, avocados, bananas, stone fruits, and citrus develop their best flavor at room temperature, though they can move to the fridge once ripe. For items like peaches and nectarines, let them come to room temperature before enjoying—it makes all the difference.

Controlling moisture is another trick to prevent food from spoiling too quickly. We recommend wrapping leafy greens in clean kitchen towels before placing them in reusable containers. This absorbs excess moisture, and the towels can be washed and reused. For herbs like basil, treat them like fresh flowers by trimming the stems and placing them in water on your counter. Hardier herbs such as rosemary and thyme should be wrapped in a slightly damp paper towel and stored in the refrigerator.

Similarly, mushrooms need proper airflow to stay fresh. Keep mushrooms in their original packaging or use linen produce bags rather than sealed plastic. Sealed bags will trap moisture and turn them soggy faster than you’d like.

Potatoes and onions also prefer cool, dark spaces, but store them in your pantry rather than the refrigerator. The fridge can convert their starches to sugars or cause unwanted sprouting. Here’s the catch: don’t store potatoes and onions together. Onions release moisture and gases that cause potatoes to sprout and spoil faster.

Keep in mind that some fruits and vegetables don’t play well together. Like onions, other produce can release ethylene gas, which speeds up ripening in nearby items. Keep ethylene producers like apples, bananas, tomatoes, and avocados away from sensitive neighbors like lettuce, carrots, potatoes, and herbs.

Summer’s delicate produce—like corn, zucchini, and berries—needs to be used quickly for the best flavor. Winter brings heartier vegetables like squash and root vegetables that can handle longer storage periods. When storing carrots and beets, remove their green tops first to prevent the leaves from drawing nutrients away from the root. Spring vegetables, such as asparagus, do best stored upright in water. When using this method, remember to change out the water every couple of days.

These small changes in storing your produce can add up to fresher produce that lasts longer and tastes better. Start with one or two techniques that work for your routine, and before you know it, proper produce storage will become second nature.

How To Add Farm Stand Products to Your Delivery:
Full Circle members – head on over to our online Farm Stand Market to customize your upcoming delivery. Market is open from noon on Thursday until 6pm on your cutoff date. After you confirm your produce items, click the orange button “Confirm and Continue To Other Farm Products” to add farm products to your delivery.

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