Keeping Vegetables Fresh
My garden is starting to gear up into full swing here and I am finding that I am harvesting or picking something nearly every day now. This brings me to an important topic for this time of year when fellow gardeners are dealing with an abundance of fresh produce that must be kept fresh. What is the best way to do this?
Here are some guidelines.
Asparagus - keeps 2 – 3 days in the refrigerator (don’t wash before refrigerating and keep in the crisper)
Broccoli – keeps 3-5 days in the refrigerator (wrap and keep in the crisper)
Celery – keeps 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator (Keep in crisper)
Cauliflower and Snap Beans – keeps 1 week in the refrigerator (wrap and keep in crisper)
Carrots, Parsnips, Beets, Radishes & Turnips – keeps 2 weeks in refrigerator (remove tops, wrap and keep in crisper)
Green Peas – keeps 3-5 days in refrigerator (leave in pods and keep in crisper)
Lettuce and Salad Greens – keeps 1 week in refrigerator (wash, drain well, wrap keep in crisper)
Green onions – keeps 3-5 days in refrigerator (wrap and keep in crisper)
Peppers and Cucumbers – keeps 1 week in refrigerator (wrap and keep in crisper)
Fresh vegetables stay the freshest when in a moist environment. They should usually be stored in vegetable crispers. If there is a crisper setting, set it to the “vegetable” setting. If space in crispers is limited, store them in plastic bags to reduce moisture loss. Store most vegetables in the refrigerator to preserve freshness. Do not refrigerate potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, hard-rind squashes, eggplants and rutabagas. Tomatoes may be refrigerated only after they are ripe and then only for a limited time.
