Today I will tell you What alternatives are there to plastic bags for storing perishable foods like fruit and vegetables?.
STORE VEGETABLES & FRUIT WITHOUT PLASTIC : STORAGE TIPS
You've got all this wonderful fruit, and we're here to help you keep it as fresh as possible. The Berkley Farmer's Market is a Zero Waste market, so they have some great advice for you! Click here to get a PDF version of their original guide for printing.
Washington's Green Grocer is working towards using exclusively recyclable paper and reusable cloth bags, as opposed to plastic bags (although we use as few as we can get away with, while still preserving your food from getting pummelling on the way to you).
STORING VEGETABLES WITHOUT PVC PIPE
Seal the artichokes in a jar with a little bit of water and set them in the fridge.
Arrange asparagus spears loosely in a glass or dish and fill it with room-temperature water. (Can sit on the counter for up to a week)
Put avocados in a paper bag and let them at room temperature. Put an apple in the bag with them to hasten the ripening process.
Arugula‐ arugula, like lettuce, should not be wet! Wash in cold water, spin dry, or dry flat. Cover the arugula with a dry cloth and store it in an open container to prevent it from getting soggy.
Basil is notoriously hard to keep fresh. Basil hates the rain and the chill. The most effective technique here is to leave a jar or other airtight container out on a chilly counter with a little piece of moist paper inside.
When you get around to shelling beans, store them in an open container in the fridge and eat them as soon as possible. If you aren't intending to consume them immediately, freezing them is suggested.
If you want your beets to stay crisp, take off the greens and the stems, but save the roots for cooking. Leaving the tops on root vegetables causes them to wilt and become soft. Beets need to be cleaned and stored in an open container with a moist cloth on top.
Beet greens should be stored in an airtight container with a small amount of water.
If you want to store broccoli in the refrigerator, you may either leave it in an open container or wrap it with a moist towel.
Broccoli rabe should be utilised as soon as possible after being stored in an open container in the crisper.
Leave the stem on your Brussels sprouts if you purchased them that way. The stalk should be refrigerated or stored in a cool location. If you buy them unpackaged, put a moist cloth over the top of the container to keep them fresh.
Cabbage may be stored for up to a week on a cold counter or in the crisper. If the outer leaves begin to wilt, peel them off. After a week, cabbage may start to dry up, so it's better to eat it as soon as possible.
Carrots, remove the greens to preserve them crisp for longer. Store them in a sealed container with lots of moisture; a wet cloth or a few dunks in cold water every couple of days should do the trick.
Cauliflower will keep for a while if stored in a sealed container in the fridge, although experts agree that it tastes best when it is just purchased.
When you want your celery to thrive, all you have to do is set it in a shallow bowl or cup of water and leave it out on the counter.
Wrap the root in a moist cloth and store it in the fridge's crisper until ready to use.
You may store unhusked corn in an open container if necessary, but corn tastes best when it's eaten fresh.
Refrigerated cucumbers stored in a wet towel. They can be left out in a cold area if you plan on consuming them within a day or two after purchase.
If you leave an eggplant in a cool environment, it will survive just well. Don't bother washing it; the leaves will wilt if exposed to water. Store in a single layer in the crisper if you need to keep it for a while.
Put the fava beans in a container that will keep out the air.
Fennel may be kept on the counter for a couple of days if it is kept upright in a cup or bowl of water (like celery). If you wish to store it for more than a few days, put it in a sealed container with a little water and store it in the refrigerator.
Keep garlic in a cold, dry, dark area.
Storing green garlic in the fridge for a day or two, or at room temperature in an airtight container, is OK.
Take off any bindings, twist knots, etc., from the greens. If you want to prevent your greens from drying out, store them in an airtight container and cover the opening with a moist towel. Greens like kale, collards, and chard can survive in a cup of water on the counter or in the fridge.
Humidity, but not dampness, is ideal for green beans. a wet washcloth covering a jar or other storage container with the lid off or just partially in place.
Keep green tomatoes cold and out of direct sunlight to maintain their colour, and consume fast before they turn brown.
Herbs can be stored for up to a week in the refrigerator in an airtight container. For much longer, there's a chance of mould growth.
Keep lettuce wet in an airtight container in the fridge.
Keep leeks in a shallow cup of water on the counter or in a shallow container of water in the crisper (just so the very bottom of the stem has water).
Humidity is bad for okra. Hence, a dry towel stored in an airtight container. Best consumed soon after purchasing because it doesn't keep well.
Onions should be kept in a cold, dark, and dry environment with enough of space between each bulb to allow for proper air circulation.
Parsnips can be stored in the refrigerator's crisper drawer or, like a carrot, in a plastic baggie or moist paper towel.
Like garlic and onions, potatoes are best kept in a cold, dark, and dry location, such a box in a corner of the cupboard or even a paper bag.
Radicchio—store in the refrigerator in a paper bag or open container with a moist towel on top.
Remove the greens off radishes (and keep them separately) so that they don't dry out the roots when you refrigerate them; then, drape a damp cloth over the top of the container.
Refrigerate rhubarb in an open container after wrapping with a moist towel.
For best results, store your rutabagas in a cold, dark, humid root cellar or a sealed container in the crisper to preserve their moisture.
Storage instructions: store snap peas in an open jar in the fridge
Spinach should be kept in the crisper drawer at room temperature in an open container. To keep spinach happy, keep it in the fridge.
Take the spring onions out of their packaging and store them in the fridge's crisper.
Summer Squash is perfectly good to be kept out on a cool counter for a few days after being chopped.
Peppers, sweet Be careful not to wash them until just before you use them, as this will reduce their shelf life. Keep in the refrigerator's crisper if you won't be using it within a few days, or in the fridge's coolest spot.
Purple Sweet Potatoes Keep in a dry, cold, and dark location. Sweet potatoes should not be stored in the refrigerator.
Never put tomatoes in the fridge. Tomatoes may keep on the counter for up to two weeks, but only if they are fully ripe. Putting it in a paper bag with an apple will speed up the ripening process.
Turnips should be stored in an open container with a wet towel, just like radishes and beets, but the greens should be removed first (and stored separately).
Keep your winter squash in a cold, dark, and dry area. Several farmers claim that if you preserve winter squash for a week or so before eating, the flavour improves and it becomes sweeter.
You may leave a chopped zucchini on the counter for a few days without worrying about it going bad. Keeping it in the fridge after wrapping it in a cloth will extend its shelf life.
STORING FRUIT WITHOUT THE USE OF PLASTIC BAGS
Apples will keep for up to two weeks if kept on a cold counter or shelf. If you want to keep it in the fridge for a while, put it in a cardboard box.
Keep citrus in a cold, dry environment, and never in an airtight container.
Place apricots on a counter top to ripen at room temperature, or in the refrigerator if they are already ripe.
Keep cherries in a jar with a tight lid. Cherries may easily get mouldy if you wash them before eating.
Be careful with berries; they're easily broken. If at all feasible, store items in a single layer. It's best to store them in a paper bag and wash them right before eating.
Dry dates (such as Deglet Noor) may be left out in a bowl or the paper bag they came in indefinitely without becoming bad. If you want to keep wet dates (like Medjool) for more than a week, you should refrigerate them and store them in a cloth or paper bag that is permeable enough to allow air to circulate and keep the skins dry.
Figs can't tolerate closed containers because of the humidity they trap. A paper bag will soak up some of the moisture, but an unstacked plate will keep its shape in the fridge for a week.
Melon may keep for a few weeks when stored uncut in a cool, dry area out of direct sunlight. Keep your melon slices in an open container in the fridge once you cut them.
If your nectarines are ripe, you can put them in the fridge like you would an unripe apricot, but they'll taste much better at room temperature.
Don't put unripe peaches or any other stone fruit in the fridge. You can ripen fruit on the counter even faster if it's still rather firm.
Pears are best kept in a paper bag in the refrigerator for up to a week, but they can last longer if stored in a cold cabinet. Adding one apple will speed up the ripening process.
Fuyu persimmons, which are shorter and more pumpkin-shaped, should be kept at room temperature.
-Hachiya (the longer, slanted end): at room temperature until soft and mushy. When perfectly ripe, their astringency disappears. You may speed up the ripening process by placing them in a paper bag with a few apples for a week; check on them every so often, but don't stack them, since they become rather delicate towards full ripeness.
The shelf life of pomegranates kept in the refrigerator is around a month.
Strawberry plants are very sensitive to moisture. Paper bags work well for storing food in the refrigerator for up to a week. Every day, you should inspect the bag for signs of dampness.
| Vegetable | Look for vegetables that are… | How to Store/Maximum storage time |
| Artichokes | Compact, plump, heavy globes with tight, fleshy scales and good green color. | Refrigerate, 2-3 days. |
| Asparagus | Tender, bright green, compact tips. | Refrigerate, unwashed, in plastic bag. 1-2 days. |
| Beans, Lima | Well-filled, crisp, dark green pods. | Refrigerate, in plastic bag. 2 days. |
| Beans, snap | Firm and crisp pods that snap easily. | Refrigerate, in plastic bag. 2-3 days. |
| Beets | Medium size, smooth and blemish-free with no soft spots. | Cut off tops 2 inches above crown. Refrigerate, in plastic bag. 3-4 days. |
| Broccoli | Compact and green clusters with no show of yellow flowers. | Refrigerate, in closed plastic bag. 4-5 days. |
| Brussel Sprouts | Firm, compact and bright green with no signs of worms or lice damage. | Trim damaged leaves. Refrigerate in closed plastic bag. 3-4 days. |
| Cabbage | Solid, hard, and heavy for size. | Refrigerate in closed plastic bag. 1-2 weeks. |
| Carrots | Firm, clean, of good shape and color. | Remove tops, wash. Refrigerate in closed plastic bag. 1-2 weeks. |
| Cauliflower | Heavy and compact with clean, white color and no smudgy spots indicating lice. | Refrigerate in closed plastic bag. 2 days. |
| Celery | Crisp; clean, of medium length with fresh looking leaves. | Wash, refrigerate in closed plastic bag. 1-2 weeks. |
| Corn | Fresh green husks and cobs filled with milky kernels. | Refrigerate if unable to use immediately. Do not husk until ready to cook. |
| Lettuce | Clean, crisp, tender, free from brown areas. | Wash, drain, refrigerate in closed plastic bag lined with paper towel. |
| Mushrooms | Young, plump, small to medium, clean, white, with closed caps. | Refrigerate on shallow tray covered by moist paper towel. 2-3 days. |
| Okra | Tender, fresh, small to medium pods that snap easily. | Cool, moist area or refrigerate. |
| Onions (all kinds) | Firm, well shaped with dry skins and no sign of sprouting. | Keep dry. Refrigerate or store in pantry. 1-2 months. |
| Parsnip | Smooth, well shaped, small to medium size | Refrigerate in plastic bag. 1-2 weeks. |
| Peas | Young, tender pods with bright green color. | Refrigerate unshelled. 1-2 days. |
| Peppers | Mature, firm, well shaped of bright green and/or red color. | Refrigerate or store in cool, moist area. 1-2 weeks. |
| Potatoes, sweet | Smooth, firm and bright yellow (sweet potatoes) or reddish orange (yams). | Do not refrigerate. Keep cool, dry arid dark. Very perishable. |
| Potatoes, white | Reasonably smooth and clean with no signs of green or sprouting. | Do not refrigerate. Keep cool, dry and dark… |
| Spinach | Crisp, crinkly, and un-bruised with good green color and no spindly or overgrown stalks. | Refrigerate in plastic bag. 1-2 days. |
| Squash, summer | Firm and heavy for size with tender rind. | Refrigerate in plastic bag. 7-8 days |
| Squash, winter | Mature and heavy for size with hard, dry rind. | Keep cool and dry in pantry. If cut, refrigerate in plastic bag. |
| Tomatoes | Firm and of good color but not over ripe. | Store at room temperature (stem end down) until ripe. Then refrigerate. |
| Turnips | Firm, smooth of medium size with few fibrous roots. | Remove tops. Refrigerate in plastic bag or store in cool pantry. |
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