Store your fresh produce safely

We are in the middle of prime farmers’ market season. The tables are full of a dazzling variety of tomatoes, peaches, herbs, radishes, and beets. They all look (unless maybe it is yet another 95 degree day in Connecticut) fresh and bright, crisp and ripe.

It is really easy to overbuy. Everything looks so good. How can you keep it that way, once you get it home?

Before you bring it home

When buying fresh produce from the market, we rarely think about food safety. Yet, we are likely to eat much of what we bring home raw, whether in a creative salad, a fresh peach out-of-hand or as crudités and dip. All raw, all with the potential, if not handled well, of harboring some kind of microorganism…

Produce is grown in nature, in soil that contains microorganisms, fertilized with manure or compost (which may contain microorganisms if not composted properly), sometimes watered with water from a rain barrel, pond or stream, sometimes with well or “city” water. Birds fly, deer feed, rabbits hop, and all of them poop on or near the tomatoes, lettuce and apples. While this has always been so, the bugs are changing, we know more about the bugs, and it appears that more people are getting foodborne illness from fresh produce.

Ask your farmer if they are using practices that help to minimize the foodborne illness microorganisms on the produce they sell. Do they handle produce with clean hands? Are sick farmworkers allowed to harvest? Do they irrigate using methods that minimize contact of water with edible plant parts? Are farm animals kept away from the fields?

Then, do your part. Buy only what you need for a few days to a week. While many blemishes are cosmetic, seek out tomatoes that are not overripe, bruised or cut; choose lettuce and greens that are bright, crisp, with no sign of decay; do not buy overripe fruit unless you plan to use it that day. In general, pick out the best, especially if you are planning to eat it raw.

And, if you are too shy to ask about safe produce handling on the farm, when you get the produce home, lessen your risk by washing your hands well before handling produce, storing produce safely and always washing fruits and vegetables before eating.

Storing produce at home

Some fruits and veggies are best stored in the refrigerator, some can stay on the shelf, and others need a cool, dry, dark space to keep their quality the longest.

One of the first questions consumers have is whether to wash, or not to wash before storage. Even the experts disagree when giving advice on washing garden produce.

Some tell you not to wash before storage, and some will tell you to wash off any garden dirt before bringing produce into the home. At issue is this: If you bring in fresh produce loaded with garden dirt, you may also bring pathogenic microorganisms into your kitchen. However, if you wash your produce before storage, it may mold and rot more quickly. (Just don’t ever wash berries before storing…they are even more likely to mold or rot when washed before storing, even if stored in the fridge.)

If you choose to wash fruits and vegetables before storing, be sure to dry them thoroughly with a clean paper towel. Also, think about the temperature of the water you are using.

The temperature of the wash water can affect the safety of some fruits and vegetables. If the water is much colder than the produce, pathogens may be pulled into some fruits or vegetables through the stem or blossom end as the fruit cools.

So, when washing produce fresh from the warm outdoors, the water should not be more than 10 degrees colder than the produce. If you are washing refrigerated produce, use cold water.

When washing, simply use potable (drinkable) water and a scrub brush. There is no need for special veggie washes, detergent, or vinegar in the water. These products will not help make your produce any safer and may even contribute to poor quality and taste.

Chlorine bleach should not be used rinse vegetables. Basically, it is the mechanical activity of scrubbing and rinsing that is doing the job of minimizing surface microorganisms.

If you choose to store without washing, shake, rub or brush off any garden dirt with a paper towel or soft brush while still outside. If that is not possible, do it at the kitchen sink and clean the area carefully (sink, surrounding counters, faucets, and handles) afterwards.

Store fresh produce in plastic bags or containers so they don’t contaminate other foods in the refrigerator. Keep fruit and vegetable bins clean.

Fruits and vegetables needing refrigeration should be stored at 40° F or less. If your refrigerator has a fruit and vegetable bin, use that. Unfortunately, these bins are usually located at the bottom of the refrigerator. This makes it hard to follow another rule for safe produce, which is storing it away from (preferably above) raw meats, poultry or fish. So just be sure that if you have raw meat or fish in your fridge that it is placed on a rimmed tray or plate so that juices do not find their way to your produce drawer.

Some fresh produce (onions, potatoes, tomatoes) keeps better when not refrigerated. Fruits and vegetables stored at room temperature should be in a clean, cool, dry, pest-free, well-ventilated area separate from household chemicals. All stored produce should be checked regularly for signs of spoilage such as mold and slime. If spoiled, toss it out.

Would you like to have a chart that tells you how to store fresh fruits and vegetables that are commonly grown in Connecticut? Call or email the Home and Garden Center and we will send one along. Here are some examples of the information that appears on the chart. Keep in mind that the storage times that are provided are for best quality – not necessarily for safety. But, when fruits and vegetables begin to decay, mold, get slimy or too soft and limp, it is time to toss them in the compost bin.

Storage guidance for fresh fruits and vegetables

FRUITS

Apples: Store at room temperature for1-2 days; or in the refrigerator crisper up to 1 month. Ripen apples at room temperature, if needed. Once ripe, store apples in plastic bags in the crisper. Wash before eating.

Berries (blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries): Before storing berries, remove any spoiled or crushed fruits. Store berries unwashed in plastic bags or containers in the refrigerator crisper for 2-3 days. Do not remove green tops from strawberries before storing. Wash gently under cool running water before using.

Melons (watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe): For best flavor, store melons at room temperature until ripe; once cut, store in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Wash rind before cutting.

VEGETABLES

Beans, green or yellow: Store in the refrigerator crisper for up to 3 days in plastic bags. Do not wash before storing. Wet beans will develop black spots and decay quickly. Wash before preparation.

Beets, Carrots, Parsnips, Radish, Turnips: Store in the refrigerator crisper for 1 to 2 weeks. Remove green tops and store vegetables in plastic bags. Trim the taproots from radishes before storing. Wash before using.

Cabbage: Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, after removing outer leaves, in perforated plastic bags.

Lettuce, spinach and other delicate greens: Store in the refrigerator crisper for 5 to 7 days for lettuce; 1 to 2 days for greens. Discard outer or wilted leaves. Store greens in plastic bags in the refrigerator crisper. Wash before using.

Onions (red, white, yellow, green): Dry (cured with dry outside skins) onions can be stored at room temperature for 2 to 4 weeks; green onions, leeks or other fresh onions can be stored in the refrigerator crisper for 3 to 5 days. Store dry onions loosely in a mesh bag in a cool, dry well-ventilated place away from sunlight. Wash green onions carefully before eating.

Tomatoes: Store at room temperature; once cut, store in the refrigerator crisper for 2 to 3 days. Fresh ripe tomatoes should not be stored in the refrigerator. Refrigeration makes them tasteless and mealy. Wipe clean and store tomatoes at room temperature away from sunlight. Wash before eating. (Refrigerate only extra-ripe tomatoes you want to keep from ripening any further.)

Source: http://goo.gl/CPNSH