We’ve all been there, and we can all agree that opening a refrigerator to rotten produce you recently purchased is one of life’s biggest disappointments.
Even if you save money by buying fresh produce at the farmers market, that’s wasted nutrients your family won’t see at the dinner table.
Let’s take a closer look at what steps you can take to keep some of your favorite produce fresh.
How Can You Keep Farmers Market Produce Fresh?
While we can’t cover every piece of produce, we can give you some general information about how you can store some of your favorite fruits and vegetables. So, clear out your fridge, make some space in the fruit basket and get ready to enjoy your produce for weeks to come.
Keep Potatoes in a Cool, Dark Place
Potatoes should always be kept away from the refrigerator and room temperature settings. Refrigerated potatoes become extra starchy, sweet, and lose the nutrients you’d want from your spuds. However, left on the countertop, they’re sure to quickly sprout and decay.
How do you save your potatoes from rot and bad taste? Keep them stored in a cool, dark place like the bottom of your pantry. Here, potatoes will be able to thrive for weeks.
Keep Ethylene Producing Fruits Separated
Ethylene-producing fruits like bananas, citrus and apples should always be kept away from each other. Ethylene is a natural gas that ripens fruit and eventually leads to its demise. Room-temperature fruits that produce ethylene will feed off each other’s emissions and rot quicker.
While they can share the same countertop until you’re ready to eat them, keeping these fruits separate to avoid a premature trip to the trash can is best.
Always Keep Your Berries Cold
Berries are a fruit that completely thrive in the cold. Keeping them as cold as possible helps preserve their flavor and keeps them tasting fresh. Remember, even when stored in the refrigerator, these fruits have a short shelf life of 3 to 7 days. So, unless you are freezing them for a later date, make sure you plan to eat them before they go bad.
Cover Your Broccoli Up
Broccoli is a vegetable that is ripe for consumption during the winter. Warmer temperatures can make this vegetable go bad quickly. If you want to keep your broccoli cool for a couple of weeks, make sure to cover its top with a moist paper towel prior to storing it in your refrigerator’s crisper drawer. Doing this will keep your broccoli at a cold temperature and ensure a longer shelf life.
Remember, Citrus is Versatile
Citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes can be stored both at room temperature and in the refrigerator. It depends on when you plan to bring these fruits to your next dish.
Citruses stored in your refrigerator’s crisper can last weeks. Citruses stored on the counter can last up to a week when not in direct sunlight. So, keep these factors in mind after your next citrus shopping trip.
When in Doubt, Ask the Pros at Frisco Fresh Market
If we didn’t cover some of your favorite fruits or vegetables, that’s okay! Our produce vendors will gladly help you decide how to store your produce for the fall and winter seasons.
If you’ve never been to Frisco Fresh Market, we invite you and your family to come on out one weekend this fall. There’s never been a better time to take in the great outdoors, enjoy local foods, and support your community.