How to properly store fruits and vegetables

Psalm 145:8

                 
      Have you ever had trouble keeping those good fruits and veggies you bought from the farmer's market fresh and crisp for at least a week? Well, you are not alone. I myself have faced such situations often. In know that feeling when you reach out for potatoes only to find roots all over it.                             
                     

          Keeping fruits and vegetables fresh for a long time is actually possible by properly storing them. Freshness and ageing of fruits and vegetables depend mainly on moisture and the Ethylene gas that they produce. Lack of moisture dries them out where as excess moisture causes decay. Ethylene gas helps to ripen and sweeten the fruits. Exposure to too much Ethylene gas causes faster ripening of fruits there by reducing the shelf life. Certain fruits like apple produce a good amount of Ethylene gas. So, if you don't want your bananas to ripen too quickly, keep them away from apples. 

How to store some of the commonly used fruits and vegetables:

Apples : Keep them on counter top if you would use them within a week. Make sure you keep them protected from ants and cockroaches. To store them for more than a week place them in the refrigerator.

Oranges : Oranges usually stay fresh on the counter top for a week provided they are not too ripe. They can stay fresh in the refrigerator longer.

Grapes : Do not remove grapes from the stem. Put them in a zip lock bag and place them in the refrigerator.

  

Watermelon : Watermelon can stay in the room temperature for three to four days. Place it in the refrigerator to keep it fresh for two to three weeks. Cut watermelon can be wrapped in the plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for three to four days.

Tomatoes : Tomatoes should better be stored at room temperature so that it retains it's good taste. Again, ants love tomatoes. Fill a tray with water. Put the tomatoes in a bowl and place it in the water filled tray to keep the ants away.

Banana : Store bananas at room temperature. In case you want to keep the ripe banana for two more days, refrigerate it.

Mangoes : Store mangoes in room temperature until they are ripe. When ripe, eat it or refrigerate to keep it fresh for two more days.  

Lemon :  I store lemons in refrigerator. Another option is that you can squeeze out the lemon juice and fill it in the ice tray and freeze it. You can use these lime cubes for cooking or making juice.

Mushrooms : Take mushrooms out of the box that they come in and put them in paper bags. Store them in the refrigerator.

Capsicum : Cover each capsicum with a plastic wrap and refrigerate it. It can stay fresh for a week.

Cucumber : Cover the cucumber with a plastic wrap and refrigerate it.

Carrots : Put carrots in a zip lock bag or any airtight container along with a paper towel and refrigerate it. This keeps the carrots fresh for at least three weeks. Keep changing the paper towel every week.

Onion and Garlic : Onion and garlic should be stored at the room temperature in a dark place. This prevents sprouting.

Potatoes : Put potatoes in a paper bag and store them away from onions in a dark place to prevent sprouting.

Ginger : Put ginger in a zip lock bag or any airtight container along with a paper towel and refrigerate it to keep it fresh for at least three weeks. 

Chilly : Put chilly in an air tight container along with a paper towel and refrigerate it.

Ladies finger :  Keep it in a zip lock bag along with a paper towel and refrigerate.

Coriander leaves : First remove any bad leaves. Cut the roots off from the rest and wrap it in a paper towel. Place it in an airtight container or a zip lock bag and refrigerate it. Make sure it is always dry. Keep changing the paper towel if necessary.

Curry leaves : Take all the leaves off the stem and put them in a container along with a paper towel and refrigerate it.

Broccoli and Cauliflower : Cover them with a plastic wrap and refrigerate. 

Spinach : Like all other greens, wrap spinach in a paper towel and put it in a container and refrigerate.

                               Let me know in the comment section how you store these fruits and veggies or if you want to know how I store other fruits and vegetables.