Diet
The Food Coach's A-Z guide to storing spring fruits and vegetables (continued)
By Judy Davie
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Food Coach Judy Davie gives you the lowdown on how — and how long — you can best store fruit and veggies in the warmer months...
To read more about storing fresh produce, see
part one of
The Food Coach's A-Z guide to storing spring fruits and vegetables.
Judy's guide to storing spring fruits
Spring fruits | Storage method | Ideal storage timeframe (days) |
| Avocados | Ripen in a fruit bowl away from direct sunlight. Ripe avocados should be stored in the fridge and eaten within 1-2 days. To speed up the ripening process, place an avocado in a paper bag with a banana. | 2 |
| Bananas | Store at room temperature until ripe. To extend shelf life, ripe fruit can be wrapped in a few layers of newspaper and refrigerated. Even though the skin discolours, the flesh will remain fresh and firm. Watch out though — a ripe banana will speed up the ripening process of the other fruit on your fruit bowl due to their emission of the gas ethylene. | 2-4 |
| Blueberries | Blueberries are one of the most antioxidant-rich fruits you can get eat, but they can mould easily. To store, remove them from the punnet and arrange in a single layer on a plate or tray in the fridge. Cover with a layer of absorbent paper. | 2 |
| Cherries | Leave the stalks on the cherries and store them in a plastic storage bag in the vegetable crisper section of your fridge. | 5 |
| Mangoes | Store unripe mangoes at room temperature away from direct sunlight. Once ripe, they can be stored in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Mangoes need to breathe so they must never be stored in plastic. | 2-3 |
| Melons | Store ripe melons in the refrigerator. Wrap cut pieces tightly in plastic wrap to prevent them drying out. | 2 |
| Oranges (Valencia) | Valencia oranges may have a green tinge on the skin but don't be put off from buying them — the green is not an indication of ripeness, it is simply an indication of the fruit protecting itself against the harsh sunlight while it's on the tree. Store at room temperature for up to two weeks, or longer in the fridge. | 14-21 |
| Passionfruit | Store at room temperature for about a week or keep in the fridge for several weeks. | 7-21 |
| Pineapple | Pineapples will only maintain their taste for one day when kept at room temperature. Otherwise they can be stored whole in the fridge for 3 days in a plastic bag or peeled for up to 5 days. Once peeled place them in an airtight container in a layer of their own juice. | 3-5 |
| Raspberries | Like blueberries, raspberries should be stored in a single layer on a plate or tray in the fridge. Cover with a layer of absorbent paper. | 2 |
| Red papaya | Store unopened at room temperature for up to a week — opened it can be wrapped in plastic and kept in the fridge. | 2 |
| Strawberries | Remove them from the plastic punnet and lay on a sheet of paper towel in a single layer. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. | 3 |
| Tomatoes | Store at room temperature to ripen over a few days. Ripe tomatoes should also be kept at room temperature and used in a couple of days. If very ripe, store in the fridge but use as soon as possible. Rest refrigerated tomatoes at room temperature for 1 hour before using. | 4 |
| Yellow papaw | Papaws can be ripened at room temperature and are ready to eat when the skin is yellow and slightly soft to touch. They can be stored in the fridge for a few days once ripe. | 3 |
Judy's guide to storing spring vegetables
Spring Vegetables | Storage method | Ideal storage timeframe (days) |
| Artichoke | The flavour of artichokes diminishes as soon as they are cut from the stalk. For maximum taste and tenderness, cook as soon as possible. Do not stock up on artichokes. Refrigerate unwashed, in a plastic bag. | 7 |
| Asian greens | Store in a plastic vegetable bag in the crisper of the fridge. | 5 |
| Asparagus | Remove any elastic bands or ties around the asparagus and wrap it in a dampened tea towel. Place the wrapped asparagus in a plastic bag in the crisper section of the fridge. | 2-3 |
| Broad beans | Fresh broad beans can be stored in vegetable bags in the crisper section of the fridge. | 3 |
| Beetroot | Bulbs store in the crisper for up to two weeks and don't forget to use the leaves. Cook them as you would silverbeet within 2-3 days of purchase. | 14 (bulbs)
3 (leaves) |
| Cucumber | As they do not like excessive cold, wrap the cucumbers in plastic to protect them and store in the crisper section of the fridge for up to a week. | 7 |
| Chillies | Chillies can be hung up to dry if you buy too many. They will keep fresh in an airtight container in the crisper section of the fridge. | 14 |
| Garlic | Store garlic in a cool, dry place, or in a paper bag in the crisper section of the fridge. | 14 |
| Lettuce | Store in an airtight container in the fridge. | 4 |
| Mushrooms | Never store in plastic. Store in paper bags, unwashed, the crisper section of your refrigerator. | 4 |
| Onions | Store with the skin on in a place with plenty of air circulation. Onions will keep for at least a month. Peeled onions should be wrapped in plastic and stored in the fridge for 24 hours. | 30 |
| Peas | Buy them the day you plan to eat them or the day before. Store them in a plastic bag in the crisper section of the refrigerator. | 1-2 |
| Potatoes | Old potatoes will keep for weeks in a paper bag with plenty of ventilation. Never store potatoes in plastic bags. New potatoes should be used within a week. | 30 (Old)
5 (New) |
| Silverbeet | Remove the string and the ends of the stalks and store in a plastic bag (unwashed) in the crisper section of the refrigerator for up to 4 days. | 4 |
| Spinach | Remove and string from around the bunch and store unwashed in a plastic bag in the crisper section of the fridge. | 4 |
| Watercress | Remove the string wrapped around the bunch and store in a plastic bag in the crisper section of the refrigerator. Watercress can also be wrapped in damp paper towels to retain freshness. | 3 |
| Zucchini | Store in a plastic bag in the crisper section of the fridge. | 4 |
To read more about storing fresh produce, see
part one of
The Food Coach's A-Z guide to storing spring fruits and vegetables.
