Keep broccoli, and celery, and lettuce
their crispest by wrapping them in tin foil before storing them in
the refrigerator. Celery will stay crisp for four weeks or more,
lettuce heads up to six weeks, and broccoli up to seven weeks.
To store carrots, cut off the greens and place them in a plastic bag
before sticking them in your crisper drawer. Carrots will keep for
up to two weeks. BTW - Carrots do not improve your eyesight and will
not help you see better at night.
Cherries should be refrigerated in a plastic bag, but not washed
until ready to eat, because moisture hastens mold where stems meets
the fruit.
In warm weather, avocados will ripen fast, but don’t store avocados
in the refrigerator unless they are cut, otherwise the cold will
turn them black inside. To keep them at their most palatable state,
spritz a bit of lemon or lime juice, or another acidic agent, and
place in an air-tight container or tightly covered clear plastic
wrap.
Apples are a year-round delight, but some the most flavorful kinds
(e.g. Gala, Ginger Gold, Pink Lady) make their appearance during the
summer. During the warmer months, apples should be stored in the
fridge, while in the fall; they can be stored on the counter. When
storing apples in the fridge, drape a damp paper towel over the
container of apples instead of a top. Do not put them in a drawer or
air-tight container. Both the cold temperature and the moisture will
help them stay their freshest for up to several weeks.
What's a summer BBQ without some grilled corn? When storing corn,
keep the husks on, but cut away the shank (this part of the grain is
a magnet for worms). Put your corn in a plastic bag and place it in
your refrigerator's crisper. The corn will remain at its freshest
for two days. While the corn will start to dry out after day two,
but will still remain edible.
Melons will keeps for about 10 days in the cold temperature, but are
most flavorful at room temperature. Take your melon out of the
fridge and allow it to warm for about 30 minutes before serving.
Peaches and nectarines should be bought firm, but stored at room
temperature once you have them home. Do not put them in the fridge
before they are ripe, as chilling them before that will result in
fruit that is mealy and flavorless. They should keep for a few days
before they begin to lose their flavor.