10 Ways to Store Your Produce
1. Start With The Freshest Produce
Well this part is our job, we are nuts about quality control and strive to only pack the freshest produce we can. If we ever miss something don't ignore it, please let us know and we'll refund the value.
2. Be Gentle
Be careful not to drop, cut or bruise your veggies, as this causes damage to their cell walls and allows the cheeky microbes to get in and speed up breakdown. Once you have 1 rotting piece of veg, nearby ones will catch it quicker, so it's best to throw out any bad pieces.
3. Dirt Is Your Friend
We are big fans of leaving dirt on our potatoes. Unscrubbed potatoes last longer than washed. Although if your the efficient type and like to scrub them so their ready for cooking, they will still last a good week in the fridge.
4. Avoid Trimming Or Cutting
Leaving broccoli, pumpkin and celery whole where possible will increase the life of them. The skins on fruit and vegetables protect against air and microbes. So leave your trimming and chopping until you're just about to cook.
5. Darkness Beats The Light
Sunlight causes certain things to sprout like potatoes so unless you’re ripening your veg, store them in the dark (ie fridge).
6. The Right Temperature
Fridge temperature is a balance between 2 interests, minimising bacteria and avoiding loss of flavour. The warmer the fridge, the higher the chance of bacteria growth, but the colder the fridge, the more you risk your veggies losing flavour. Vegetables from warmer climates like beans, capsicum, cucumber, eggplant, tomatoes and squash can lose their flavour if stored too cold.Generally, the ideal temperature for keeping vegetables fresh and keeping away bacteria growth is between 2หC - 4หC.
7. Minimise Moisture Loss
Loss of moisture is the main factor in ageing of your veggies. The air in your refrigerator tends to be very dry unless you have one of those fancy fridges that minimises dry air. Higher moisture content vegetables like lettuce, herbs, celery spinach and other greens are best stored in plastic bags or containers to minimise moisture loss and wilting.
8. Avoid Sweating & Condensation
The flip side of moisture is that too much of it can cause things to go slimy. It's good not to completely seal bags/containers for greens and high moisture content, a small gap is all thats needed to avoid sliminess. Otherwise paper bags do a great job of allowing a little moisture to escape while keeping enough in the vegetables to extend their life. Mushrooms are a great example of this. Store these in the brown paper bag we send them in.
9. Banana's Ripen Avo's
Bananas give off stacks of ethylene gas when they are ripening which stimulates the ripening of anything they are cuddling up to. So if you cant wait for your avocado to ripen, hitch it up in a paper bag with a banana. Conversely, if things are over-ripening, banish the ripe bananas.
10. DON'T Refrigerate your tomatoes!
If there’s one thing you take from this page, let it be this. Of all vegetables, tomatoes are the most harmed by chilling. The fridge destroys their beautiful fragrance, and the flesh texture turns floury. Test this yourself by putting some of your tomatoes in the fridge and some on the bench and test the difference after a few days.
Individual Vege Points
- Avocados - Store on the bench until slightly soft, then move to fridge.
- Pawpaws - Store on the bench until slightly soft and yellow, then move to fridge.
- Tomatoes - Leave on the bench, optimises flavour and texture.
- Mushrooms - Store in paper bag in fridge.