What You Need To Know About Keeping Food Fresh

Do you ever feel the fruits and vegetable trays in your fridge is where good intentions go to die?

I realized this when I was dumping some old carrots throwing out a lot of bananas, and discarding rotting apples and tomatoes.

I feel like I lose lots of cash over this sort of stuff A LOT.

I’m always misreading when avocados are supposed to be eaten, or misjudging how long bananas will survive, and I’m frightened that meat has been in the icebox for too long. (a month, a year, a decade?)

I discovered action was needed and looked up everything I could to fix my bad habits and created this complete list. So before you do your meal planning, budgeting, or grocery shopping, get acquainted with this everything-you-need-to-know list.

I’ll give credit where credit is due, as always, and I found my greatest source in Christine Byrne. You can thank her in part for this all-inclusive list. Quite helpful!

 

VEGGIES

Leafy Greens:

• Storage: fridge drawer
• How: placed it in dry paper towel and then stored in a plastic bag
• Duration: About 1 week
• My Thoughts: works great

Salad Greens:

• Store: refrigerator drawer
• How: large plastic container with paper towel
• Duration: About 10 days
• My Thoughts: I’ve also had success with plastic bags and paper towels

Beets:

• Store: fridge shelf
• How: plastic ziplock bag
• Duration: About 2 weeks
• My Thoughts: Great!

Potatoes:

• Store: Put it in the dark pantry
• How: paper bag it
  Duration: About 1-2 months
• My Thoughts: leave it in the netted bag it comes in. (works just as great)

Asparagus:

• Store: refrigerator shelf
• How: stems in water and a plastic cover over the top. A plastic quart bag works well–loosely drape over them.
• Duration: About 4 days
• My Thoughts: In my experience it lasts longer than 4 days.

Celery:

• Store: refrigerator drawer
• How: wrap it in tin foil
• Duration: About 2 weeks
• My Thoughts: I never tried it in tin foil before. It really keeps it fresh and away from wilting

Cucumber:

• Store: fridge drawer

I kept them in the refrigerator in a bowl in vinegar and have also sliced them. It’s a delectable treat.

Winter Squash:

• Store: dark pantry
• How: unwrapped

After cut into (halved), you can wrap the rest in tin foil and keep it in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.

Broccoli:

• Store: fridge drawer
• How: plastic wrap

I’ll also cut the broccoli up and keep it in gallon size bags. Cuts down on some time once I prepare it

Cauliflower:

• Store: refrigerator drawer

I am going to also cut up the cauliflower and keep it in gallon size bags

Cabbage:

• Store: refrigerator drawer
• How: wrapped in plastic
• My Two Cents: additionally continues if skinned and stored in gallon size bags for simple use

Head of Lettuce:

• Store: icebox drawer
• How: dry paper towel and plastic bag
• My Two Cents: exactly this

Carrots:

• Store: refrigerator drawer
• How: plastic bag
• My Two Cents: keep them in a sealed bag. It keeps them fresh longer

Bell Peppers:

• Store: refrigerator ledge
• Duration: 1 week
• My Two Cents: maintains well though for less time stored in sandwich bags and if chopped up

Radish:

• Store: fridge ledge
• How: dry paper towel and plastic bag
• Duration: 2 weeks
• My Two Cents: this is great for me

Mushrooms:

• Store: fridge ledge
• How: paper bag
• Duration: 3 days
• My Two Cents: I tried doing this and they do keep well. However, I think it was just as great in the carton with plastic they normally come in. I’ve also kept them (when chopped) in plastic sandwich bags, which works adequate. So I think it’s best to keep them in a paper bag, perhaps if you’re purchasing them entire

Onion:

• Store: dark pantry
• How: unwrapped
• Duration: 1-2 months
• My Two Cents: I also keep chopped onions in the fridge in sandwich bags

Ginger:

• Store: fridge ledge
• How: unwrapped
• Duration: 1 month
• My Two Cents: though not as fresh, I also buy frozen ginger blocks to cook with which keep for quite a while and are very easy to handle

Ginger (cut):

• Store: fridge drawer
• How: dry paper towel inside plastic bag
• Duration: 1-2 weeks
• My Two Cents: I’m great with this

Garlic:

• Store: dark pantry/out of sun
• How: unwrapped and whole

I’m great with this. In addition , I purchase frozen garlic blocks to cook with

Parsnip:

• Store: refrigerator drawer
• How: plastic bag
• Duration: 2 weeks

HERBS

Basil:

• Store: counter
• How: stalks in water (glass jar) and drape a plastic bag over the top
• My Two Cents: thumbs up. Dry them out and keep them for longer use

Cilantro:

• Store: refrigerator shelf
• How: stems in water together with the top covered with plastic (bag)

Dry them out as well as store them for longer use

Parsley:

• Store: refrigerator ledge
• How: stalks in tops and water covered with plastic

Dry them out and store them for longer use

Rosemary/Thyme:

• Store: refrigerator ledge
• How: wrap in plastic
• Duration: 2 weeks

Dry them out and keep them for longer use

Chives:

• Store: fridge ledge
• How: wrap them in a moist paper towel and wrap them in plastic wrap
• Duration: 5 days
• My Two Cents: Dry them out and store them for longer use

FRUITS

Apples:

• Store: refrigerator drawer
• How: unwrapped
• Duration: 3 weeks
• My Two Cents: apples keep nicely in the refrigerator or on the counter. I prefer mine cold and they do last a little longer in the fridge

Citruses:

• Store: refrigerator shelf
• How: unwrapped
• Duration: 2 weeks
• My Two Cents: halved, they look to keep nicely in plastic quart bags for a couple days

Bananas (whole):

• Store: countertop
• How: unwrapped
• Duration: 3 days ripe
• My Two Cents: frozen bananas are also outstanding. Therefore, if you’re worried about losing some, stick them in the deep freezer. That or let them get so mature you can make banana bread

Bananas (half):

• Store: fridge ledge
• How: keep on the peel and wrap the uncovered part in tin toil
• Duration: 1-2 days

Berries:

• Store: fridge drawer
• How: uncovered in a container that is vented
• Duration: 3-5 days
• My Two Cents: they’re fantastic frozen overly

Grapes:

• Store: fridge drawer
• How: perforated plastic bag is greatest
• Duration: 1-2 weeks
• My Two Cents: I usually set half of them out on a plate, rinse them, and then keep them in the refrigerator uncovered at night although possibly it’s merely because we eat a lot of grapes…. I’m not sure of the duration that it lasts this way because we normally have it eaten in 2-3 days and repeat with all the other half.

Avocados (whole):

• Store: countertop until mature/fridge ledge if ripe
• How: unwrapped
• Duration: 4 days past ripe
• My Two Cents: I lose many avocados. I have gotten around this more days, so I ‘ve by buying them at different levels of ripeness

Avocados (half):

• Store: fridge shelf
• How: squeeze lemon on uncovered skin and wrapping in plastic. It’s better to possess the nut in the side that you keep
• Duration: 1-2 days
• My Two Cents: see previously

Tomatoes:

• Store: counter
• How: unwrapped
• Duration: 5 days
• My Two Cents: I actually find that tomatoes last longer in the fridge drawer (at least a couple of days more. Merely my opinion. And if they truly are grape tomatoes I generally keep those in the perforated container they come in and store them on a refrigerator shelf.

Melons (whole):

• Store: counter
• How: unwrapped
• Duration: 5 days after ripe
• My Two Cents: Make sure when you purchase it in order to gauge freshness and ripeness, you can smell the melon

Melons (half):

• Store: fridge shelf
• How: plastic wrap
• Duration: 7- 10 days
• My Two Cents: they keep well if cut into blocks and put in a bowl on the counter during the day, and then plastic wrap over the bowl in the fridge at night. This enables people to easily munch on it during the day but prolongs its life

Pears:

• Store: counter
• How: unwrapped
• Duration: 4 days past ripe
• My Two Cents: stick them in the refrigerator to get a bit more life out of them. If you’re unable to eat them all before they start going bad, the freezer is, in addition, a great choice

Peaches and Plums:

• Store: counter until ripe/refrigerator shelf once ready
• How: unwrapped
• Duration: 5 days past mature
• My Two Cents: also very good frozen and blended

DAIRY & BREAD

Cheese (fresh):

• Store: icebox cheese drawer
• How: in water, change out every two days

Cheese (soft):

• Store: refrigerator cheese drawer
• How: it ought to be wrapped in parchment and plastic over the top of that
• Duration: 2 weeks
• My Two Cents: thumbs up

Cheese (semi hard):

• Store: refrigerator cheese drawer
• How: parchment subsequently placed in zip lock bag—sealed
• Duration: 1-2 weeks

Cheese (hard):

• Store: fridge cheese drawer
• How: wrap in parchment then plastic
• Duration: 1 month
• My Two Cents: thumbs up. Cheese is pretty darn easy.

Bread:

• Store: One loaf for use, the others in the freezer on the counter
• How: A bag that is sealed is great but I also only utilize the plastic wrap-tie bag they come in
• Duration: 3 months
• My Two Cents: For home baked bread, I will store it in a gallon -zip lock bag to keep it from hardening in the atmosphere

MEAT & EGGS

Eggs:

• Store: refrigerator shelf
• How

Before you buy them • My Two Cents: check for broken or cracked eggs in the carton

Cold Cuts (pre-package):

• Store: fridge shelf
• How: package it came in
• Duration: unopened = 2 weeks, opened = 5 days
• My Two Cents: If the prepackage has a zip lock keep it in the package, if it does n’t transfer it to a tote which you can control air exposure.

Cold Cuts (deli):

• Store: refrigerator shelf
• How: sealed bag (no air)
• Duration opened = 1 week
• My Two Cents: have a sandwich party if you’re till they go bad, having difficulty getting through a bundle. Create sandwich sandwiches that are long and invite the neighbors over for a picnic

Smoked Fish:

• Store: fridge shelf
• How: sealed with no air
• Duration: unopened = 2 weeks, opened = 5 days
• My Two Cents: Drop it in the deep freezer (same kind of sealable bag to lock out atmosphere) and it can last for about 6 months

Raw Fish (scallops and shrimp as well):

• Store: fridge drawer (one designated for meat)
• Duration: 1 day
• My Two Cents: it doesn’t last long so only buy it for the special occasion. If you don’t throw it in the freezer…in which case it can continue 3-6 months (sealed bag with no air)

Raw Meat:

• Store: refrigerator meat drawer
• How
• Duration: 2 days
• My Two Cents: Until I use it I always put mine in the freezer to prolong life. Only set in a sealed bag with no air and it’ll last about 3-6 months

Uncooked Poultry:

• Store: fridge meat drawer
• How
• Duration: 2 days
• My Two Cents: I’ll put surplus in the freezer, though I normally use poultry quickly. It’s the same as raw meat—put it in a sealable bag with no atmosphere and it’s going to remain about 3-6 months

Bacon:

• Store: fridge drawer (use on specifically for meat to stop contamination)
• How: sealed bag (original packaging) where it can’t be exposed to atmosphere
• Duration: unopened = 2 weeks, started = 1 week