Tips for Fresh Produce

Before preparing produce for consumption make sure hands are clean. This may seem like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised at how often that simple step goes unheeded. FoodSafety.gov recommends washing your hands for 20 seconds with warm water and soap before handling fresh produce.

Next, wash the fruit or vegetables under running water before eating, cutting, or cooking – even if you plan on peeling it. Using a special wash is optional, although evidence of the effectiveness of these products is inconclusive. However, drying produce after washing may help to reduce bacteria levels.

Use a separate cutting board when slicing and dicing other types of food such as meat or seafood to avoid cross contamination.

Produce that is normally kept at room temperature will need to be refrigerated after being cut or peeled. Refrigerators should be kept at 40 degrees F or lower to ward off bad cooties (aka pathogen growth).

Knowing how to properly store fruits and vegetables is also important. Recently, some of our readers were kind enough to share some of their tips for prolonging the life of fresh produce:

• Tomatoes: No need to refrigerate tomatoes until they are cut. Store them at room temperature away from direct sunlight. Denise says to place tomatoes with the stem side down on the counter or a plate.

• Apples: Apples need to be kept cool and can be stored in a root cellar, basement, or refrigerator. Carefully check them for bruising and decay because those will spoil the whole bunch. Apples also give off a natural ethylene gas when ripening so make sure you do not have them next to oranges or other types of produce because it will cause them to go bad. Hilda buys their apples in the fall and stores them in plastic baggies in the refrigerator to enjoy all winter long.

• Bananas: Bananas are tricky. Several of our readers said they buy their bananas green because they ripen so fast. You can prolong their life by a few days if you put ripened bananas in the fridge. The skin will turn a dark brown, but the inside fruit will still be white. On the other hand, if you need the bananas to ripen more quickly put them in a paper bag with an apple. Loretta often peels bananas, cuts them in half, and flash freezes them before sticking them into a freezer baggie.

• Strawberries: It’s a good idea to check your strawberries as soon as you get home to pull out any over ripe ones that may contaminate the others. However, if you wash your strawberries at the same time, make sure they are completely dry before storing them. Wet berries will go bad very quickly. It’s recommended to just wait to wash them when you’re ready to eat them.

• Lettuce: Fill a clean, sanitized sink with cold water. Remove the head or core of the lettuce and the outer leaf layers before immersing. Let the lettuce soak for about 5 minutes. Swish it around to dislodge sand and grit; repeat if necessary. Remove from the water and let thoroughly dry before storing in the crisper. This same process can be used for other types of leafy greens such as spinach, kale, cabbage, etc.

• Carrots: Store in a plastic bag with a few holes punched in it. Do not wash until ready to use. Wet carrots will rot and dry carrots will wilt.

• Potatoes: The best case scenario is to store potatoes in a brown or burlap bag in a cool, dark, dry space. Do not store potatoes near the onions and don’t wash them until they are ready to be used. Nancy A. said that she stores her potatoes in a brown paper sack that is placed in a large basket and put out of the way on top of her refrigerator. However, I live in Florida so there are not too many “cool, dry” places to be found. Potatoes can be stored in the fridge, although they will “sweeten” when the starch turns into sugar after getting too cold. I get around this by taking the potatoes out a day or two in advance and letting them warm up to room temperature to get the flavor back.

Copyright 2010 Charlene Davis. All rights reserved.