One of the biggest ways I've wasted money is by letting produce go to waste. Sometimes it's happened because of my poor planning and other times because of poor storing.
Today, I found this great Food Storing Chart from here. I've learned a few new things that will help me in my efforts to be a frugal P31 Wife.
Apples
Avoid washing apples before storing. Remove any spoiled apples. Put in a plastic bag in the coldest part of the fridge or store in a cool place no longer than 6 weeks.
Warning: storing apples next to broccoli, cabbage, cucumbers, greens or cauliflower will cause these veggies to spoil faster.
Apples give off ethylene gas, which causes faster ripening. (Or, put an apple in a bag with fruits such as peaches, plums and bananas to speed up ripening.)
Artichoke
Refrigerator life: 4 to 5 days. Add a few drops of water to a plastic bag.
Asparagus
Refrigerator life: 4 to 5 days. Wrap stalk bottoms in a damp paper towel and place in a loosely closed plastic bag in crisper section of fridge or Stand in 2” of water, store in fridge with plastic bag over tips.
Broccoli
Refrigerator life: 4 days. Store in an open plastic bag.
Butternut Squash
Store in a dry area with good air circulation up to 6 mos. Winter squash should not be refrigerated unless cut. Stored in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from light, it will keep for up to three months. Cut squash will keep 1 week when wrapped tightly and refrigerated.
Cabbage
Whole Refrigerator life: 1 to 2 weeks in a plastic bag.
Cabbage, Cut Refrigerator life: 1 to 2 days if wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.
Carrots
Refrigerator life: Very variable. Store in their original plastic bag.
Cauliflower
Whole Refrigerator life: Up to 5 days. Store stem-side up in a plastic bag.
Celery
Refrigerator life: Up to 2 weeks. Store in a plastic bag.
Cherries
Cherries are highly perishable; refrigerate ASAP. Sort carefully and place loosely in a shallow container so that air can circulate. Wash cherries just before using. For highest quality, fresh cherries should be stored only 1 or 2 days. Cherries make a guilt-free snack: they're fat-free, low in calories, and rich in vitamin C, vitamin A and beta-carotene.
Cilantro
Wash in cool water, remove dead stems/leaves, snip ends. Pat dry and place stems in cup with water but avoid submerging the leaves. Cover with a plastic bag/wrap and refrigerate. Change water if it becomes murky. Can also store, prepped as above, wrapped with a damp paper towel in a plastic bag. Most fresh herbs will last more than a week stored this way.
Corn
More than any other vegetable, sweet corn tastes best when it's fresh from the garden. The minute it's picked its sugar content starts turning to starch.
Cucumber
Refrigerator life: 1 week if waxed; less if not waxed.
Eggplant
Refrigerator life: 3 to 4 days. Store in a plastic bag.
Garlic
Shelf life: A few weeks to a few months, depending on size. Store in a dark, cool spot.
Grapes
Avoid washing grapes before storing them. Check through bunches for spoiled grapes and remove; put grapes in a plastic bag in your fridge and store for a week max. Wash under cold water just before serving.
Green beans
Refrigerator life: 3 to 5 days. Store in a plastic bag.
Jalapenos
Keep cool and dry. If you refrigerate them, first remove them from the plastic produce bag; otherwise they'll become soft and moldy. Generally they'll keep for 3-4 days. Once the skin begins to wrinkle, it loses potency, and if you're roasting or blanching them, the skins will be difficult to peel.
Leafy Vegetables
Refrigerator life: 3 to 5 days. Wrap in a damp paper towel and place in a plastic bag.
Leeks
Refrigerator life: Up to 1 week. Loosely wrap in a plastic bag.
Lettuce
Refrigerator life: Lettuce stored in sealed plastic bags in the crisper will last from a few days to 2 weeks. The firmer the lettuce the longer it will keep; iceberg up to 2 weeks, Romaine 10 days, butter and leaf lettuces for 4 days. Do not store with melons, apples, pears, or other ethylene gas-emitting fruits as they will cause the lettuce to turn brown.
Mangos
A few black spots on the skin are typical of ripe mangoes. Put in a paper bag to ripen at room temp (two will ripen faster than one) and keep in a cool place, such as a cupboard. Move to fridge when ripe and use within a few days.
Mushrooms
Prepackaged mushrooms can be stored, unopened in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days. Once opened, mushrooms should be moved to a paper bag and refrigerated. Good source of potassium!
Nectarines
Store at room temperature until fully ripe. Once fully ripe, store them in the fridge for no more than a 2 of days. Nectarines stored longer may lose their juicy flavor. Use a little lemon or other citrus juice on the cut areas to retard the browning affect.
Onions
Cut Refrigerator life: 2 to 3 days if tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.
Onions
Green Store green onions/scallions away from odor-sensitive foods such as corn and mushrooms, which will absorb the odor of the onions. Remove bands and damaged leaves and store in plastic bags in the crisper. They'll last up to 5 days.
Onions
Whole Shelf life: 3 to 4 weeks. Store in a cool, dry, open space.
Oranges
Store citrus at room temp if you'll eat it in a week or so, or it will keep in the crisper for 6-8 weeks. Citrus is ripe when picked. Surface marks usually do not affect the fruit inside.
Peas
Refrigerator life: 1 to 2 days. Store in a plastic bag.
Peppers
Refrigerator life: Up to 1 week. Store in a plastic bag.
Potatoes New
Shelf life: 1 week. Store in a cool, dark, dry place.
Potatoes, all-purpose and baking
Shelf life: Store in burlap, brown paper, or perforated plastic bags away from light, in the coolest, non-refrigerated, and well-ventilated part of the house. They can last up to 3 months, but more realistically, 3-5 weeks. Don't store onions and potatoes together, as the gases they each give off will cause rot.
Pumpkin
Shelf life: Up to 1 month in a cool, dry place.
Scallions (green onions)
Refrigerator life: Up to 3 days. Store in a plastic bag.
Spinach
Untie, remove blemished leaves, wash thoroughly in cold water, spin dry, and refrigerate in plastic bag for 2-3 days. Rich in anti-oxidants, loaded with folic acid, vitamin K, magnesium, manganese.
Squash (Winter)whole
Shelf life: Up to 3 months. Store in a cool, dry place.
Squash (Winter) cut
Refrigerator life: Up to 1 week if wrapped tightly in plastic.
Squash (Summer)
Refrigerator life: Up to 1 week. Store in a plastic bag.
Strawberries
Strawberries are extremely perishable and should be refrigerated
immediately. Wash just before enjoying. Refrigerate in a single layer on a paper towel in a moisture-proof container. Eat them within 72 hours, or freeze up to 10 mos. Ideally, let come to room temp before serving to bring out best flavor. Nutritional powerhouses: vitamin C, fiber, folic acid, phytochemicals.
Sweet Potatoes
Shelf life: Up to 1 month if stored in a cool, dry place; up to 1 week if stored at room temperature. If refrigerated, their natural sugar will turn to starch and ruin the flavor.
Tomatoes
Shelf life: Up to 2 days once fully ripe. Store at room temperature for the best flavor. Tomatoes should never be in the fridge until they have been cooked, cut or put into a raw dish like a salsa, or are fully ripe and would spoil if left at room temp. Place tomatoes stem end up, in a sealed paper bag with or without ethylene-producing fruit such as bananas. Refrigerated ripe tomatoes will taste better if brought to room temp before eating.
Watermelon Uncut
Watermelons keep at room temp for up to 2 weeks. Store cut watermelons in fridge. Cover cut surface loosely with plastic wrap.
