Any smart shopper would want their fresh produce to last as long as possible. If it doesn’t go bad fast, it means you can save more money because fresh fruits and vegetables can be pretty expensive. Having to throw away rotten ones and restock again can hurt your food budget and is also wasteful.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, around 94% of food thrown away end up in landfills. This could be lessened just by knowing the right way to purchase, store, and prepare your fruits and vegetables so they will last for as long as possible. But you can also opt to stock up on these products that could last for longer than you would expect, as long as you store and use them correctly.
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Potatoes
It’s ideal to store potatoes in 40 degrees Fahrenheit. These veggies don’t like light, so the perfect storage conditions for potatoes is in the basement or a cellar. Light can also make them turn green.
Storing potatoes in this condition keeps them from rotting for around 2 to 4 months. However, keep them away from apples and onions as both of these food items emit gases that could make potatoes ripen faster.
Cabbage
Although cabbage tastes best when it’s fresh, it can also last for up to 2 months if you plan to stock up on it. However, it should be placed inside the fridge and wrapped in plastic. Since cabbages can last longer than lettuce or other delicate leafy greens, it can be used as a stand-in as an ingredient of your salads. Most greens that are frequently used in salads wilt in a matter of days because of their high water content.
Apples
According to the University of Maine, no other tree fruit could last longer than apples and pears. Under the right conditions, these could last up to 4 months. Apples could thrive in a storage temperature of around 32 degrees Fahrenheit, except for the Honeycrisp variant that should be stored at 36 degrees Fahrenheit because it tends to get a chilling injury.
Among your bunch of apples, consume the largest one first since these are usually the first ones to go bad. Store apples inside a plastic bag and stow it inside the fruit crisper drawer of your refrigerator to prolong it for weeks. Just make sure that you keep them away from veggies. Other vegetables ripen faster when exposed to ethylene gas, which apples emit.
Beets
Beets can be used in a variety of ways. You can slice them up for salads or snack on baked beet chips. It’s a good thing that these veggies can last between 2 to 4 months in your refrigerator if stored properly. If there are still greens attached to the beets, make sure to remove them. After that, place it in a perforated plastic bag and inside the vegetable crisper.
Garlic
These kitchen staples can last the longest when stored at around 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit. These should be okay to store inside a dark kitchen cabinet.
A whole bulb could last for months stored inside a paper bag in the fridge. However, all your other food items might taste like garlic if you store them with already cut ones. Once you refrigerate the garlic bulb, you should keep it inside until you are about to use it. Days after it has been taken out from the cold and into room temperature, it will start sprouting.
Carrots
Carrots give off plenty of moisture, so you have to keep them dry if you intend to use it much later. This is because the moisture makes the carrots rot quicker. If they came in a plastic bag when you bought them from the grocery store, just put in a paper towel inside so it can absorb any moisture from the carrots. Once the paper towel gets saturated, replace it with a new one so you can keep your carrots fresh for up to a few months.
Onions
Onions can last up to a year as long as these are stored in a dry area with a temperature between 30 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. If you don’t have the proper storage place, just keep it in mesh bags, like the ones used to pack onions sold by the grocery stores. If you store them inside a dark cabinet, they can last to a month or even longer.
Winter Radish
The white-colored daikon variety you see in your local grocery store is more pungent than the red ones you use for spring salads. So, if you’re looking for a healthy supply of fresh produce, don’t store too many of these. Storage for winter radishes is similar to that of carrots. After you remove the greens, place the radishes inside a plastic bag with a paper towel to absorb moisture. That way, these could last for about a month.
Winter Squash
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Varieties of winter squash, including pumpkins and butternut squash, can last around 2 to 6 months if stored inside a dark cabinet. Just make sure that you arrange them in a single layer so that air can circulate better. Stocking up on these versatile vegetables is a smart choice since these are packed with nutrients and can be used in a number of recipes.
Frozen Vegetables
Aside from your fresh produce, also hit the frozen foods aisle and stock up on a couple of packs of frozen vegetables. It may be healthier than fresh asparagus, spinach, peas, and other veggies with a short shelf life as these were frozen just hours after being harvested. Plus, you don’t have to worry too much about expiration as long as you keep it inside your freezer.
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