Summer is synonymous with fresh, mouth watering produce – and lots of it. Whether you’ve purchased a few too many herbs, or have a thriving tomato garden, below are some tips for keeping produce fresh.
8 ways to keeping produce fresh
1. Always give your greens a quick rinse before storing. Keep them in a plastic bag lined with paper towel.
2. Do not wash herbs, berries or mushrooms until you are ready to use them.
3. Store fruit separate from vegetables. Ethylene gas from the fruit will ripen your veggies too quickly.
4. Some fruits’ ripening process comes to a halt once it’s put in the fridge. Allow melons, mangos, stone fruits, apples, pears, avocados and tomatoes to ripen, then refrigerate.
5. Don’t let ugly soft spots scare! Brown spots are perfectly safe to eat. Whip up a quick smoothie using mushy fruits – along with some yogurt and ice!
6. Don’t buy a bunch of green bananas or unripe avocados. Select foods at varying degrees of ripe-ness so you have the perfect selection throughout the week.
7. Slice and freeze as much as you can. To freeze produce, spread it out on a cookie sheet, throw it in the freezer, then transfer to a storage container and return to the freezer. Don’t forget to label!
8. Prep and chop veggies so they are ready to top a healthy salad. You will be more inclined to both eat a salad and use up your well-intentioned produce.
If all else fails, compost!