Produce Storage

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I absolutely LOVE grocery shopping! In fact, one of my favorite things to do with clients is broaden their food selection horizons by taking them on a guided grocery tour. Whether it’s Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Fairway a local grocery store or farmer’s market, I am in heaven. Perusing the aisles, reading nutrition labels, checking out the latest and greatest new products or simply buying some wonderfully fresh and nutritious produce.

In my opinion there is nothing like keeping fresh produce on hand. Selecting the highest quality items is extremely important as is at-home storage. There are some things to keep in mind when you are storing fresh produce which will help enhance flavor and also longevity. The three areas of storage are the refrigerator, counters and pantry. Apples (after several days on the counter-top) artichokes, asparagus, beets, berries, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cherries, corn, cucumbers, dark leafy greens, figs, grapes (green or red), green onions (scallions), leeks, radishes, snap or sugar peas, squash and string beans. All fresh produce stored in the refrigerator should be kept in perforated plastic bags, preferably in the storage drawers. Garlic, onions and potatoes, should be kept away from light in a pantry or cupboard. What’s left, the counter-top! This can be anywhere in your kitchen that is away from direct sunlight, possibly in a bowl or other container which allows air to circulate, enabling produce to continue to ripen. Apricots, avocado (store in refrigerator after ripening), bananas, citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruits), eggplant, kiwi (store in refrigerator after ripening), mango, nectarine (store in refrigerator after ripening), papaya, peaches (store in refrigerator after ripening), pears (store in refrigerator after ripening), peppers, pineapple (store in refrigerator after ripening), plums (store in refrigerator after ripening), tomatoes and watermelon.

A couple of guidelines to keep in mind when at the store selecting fresh produce:

1. See how the piece of produce feels in your hands. Is it soft, form or just right? Compare it to the other choices.
2. Avoid buying produce with any visible soft or bruised spots on it.
3. Many times the freshest produce are kept in the back row or bottom of the pile, so make sure you search around.

Rachel Lerner is a holistic health coach and founder of Personal Web Nutrition, a company devoted to empowering individuals and corporations to find the right food and lifestyle choices that best support their lifestyle. She has run several successful weight loss contests and published an e-book weight loss program. She has led seminars for several corporations, including Starwood Hotels and YMCA, written articles for numerous publications and ehow.com. Rachel also hosts her own radio show on blogtalkradio.com called Healthy Bits and Bites. In addition, Rachel was the nutrition expert for Joan Lunden’s Camp Reveille, a unique summer camp for women. You can contact Rachel at [email protected]. You can follow Rachel on twitter: www.twitter.com/anutritionista or become a FAN on facebook: Personal Web Nutrition.

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