Inside no-time brown bananas or mouldy tomatoes? Phoebe, then you haven't been paying attention. But ho, sometimes that happens so fast - guilty! And so at thegreenlist.nl like to know how best to preserve the most common fruits and vegetables. And we have come up with a fun assignment for that. Will you do it too?
Checklist to store fruit and vegetables properly
Cucumber, tomato, lettuce, carrot and onion are the most wasted fruits and vegetables. That's what I learn from the Nutrition Centre's website. Well, at my house something more goes wrong. Suddenly I find myself with unasked avocado smash. Funny, yesterday it was still rock hard. Or a cauliflower that starts getting grey spots within a day of purchase. And summer fruit can also go insidiously hard. Hello family fluff! Fortunately, I am not the only one, as research by Milieu Centraal shows that an average Dutch person throws away 34 kilos of food and 45 litres of drink a year. That must include a lot of fruit and vegetables. Super sin! We really need to do something about that. In the spirit of a better environment starts with yourself, I dive into the vegetable drawer for a short assignment with myself.
Where do you store fruit and vegetables?
I have to be honest: as a busy little bee, unpacking groceries does not usually have my full attention. Hup, just quickly put everything in the (fridge) cupboard. How do I know which fruit and vegetables should go in the fridge and which in the fruit bowl? Well I don't. I do it by feel, because I think I know. Apples in the fruit bowl, aubergine in the vegetable drawer... right? Well not quite so, I now know!
I got to work on my ‘storage habits’ and instructed myself to check where it belongs: in the fridge or outside with every fruit and vegetable purchase. So it turned out that very often I was wrong and my gut feeling was not correct. In the list below, I show in bold see which fruit and vegetables I was therefore storing in the wrong place. I consulted help in this regard: the Food Centre's storage guide is ideal. What about your gut feeling?
Storage tip for fruit and vegetables
Fruit and vegetables are best kept in their original packaging. Many people are against plastic, but plastic packaging can actually help food stay fresh for longer. Check out this interesting article: the truth about plastic packaging. If you buy fruit and vegetables unpackaged, you can extend their shelf life by wrapping them in old newspaper or in a good sealable box to do. Or to vacuum!
Vegetables in the fridge
Which vegetables do you keep in the fridge?
- Celery
- Cauliflower
- Kale
- Spring onion
- Broccoli
- Mushrooms
- Chard
- Save
- Green beans, mangetout & sugar snap peas
- Kale
- Spinach and other leafy vegetables
- Sprouts
- pak choi
- Leek
- Chicory
- Carrots (winter carrots outside the fridge)
- Bags of (stir-fry) vegetables
Which vegetables do you store outside the fridge?
- Aubergine
- Beets
- Courgette
- Cucumber and other fruit vegetables
- Cabbage, kohlrabi & turnips
- Pepper
- Parsnips
- Pumpkin
- Tomato
- Winter carrots
- Onion
Fruit in the fridge
Which fruit do you keep in the fridge?
- Apple
- Strawberry
- Grape
- Raspberry
- Kiwi
- Peer
Which fruit do you store outside the fridge?
- Avocado
- Banana
- Lemon
- Orange
- Mandarin
- Melon
- Nectarine
- Tomato
A few more handy fruit and vegetable storage tips
- So some fruits are best stored on their own. These include apple, pear, banana, tomato, but also kiwi, melon, passion fruit, apricot, mango, nectarine, peach, plum and avocado. Due to the gas ethylene, nearby varieties ripen faster and thus will spoil sooner.
- Do you have vegetables with leafy greens? Then the tip is to cut off the greenery. The leaves draw moisture from the vegetables, reducing their freshness.
Do you store fruit and vegetables in the right place?
I am very curious to see how you will fare. Will you take up the challenge? During my own challenge, I came across another handy mnemonic: fruit and vegetables from warm countries - think pineapple, banana, melon - are usually kept outside the fridge. Fruit and vegetables from colder regions (such as the Netherlands) are generally kept in the fridge. Hence apple and pear in the fridge!
More handy kitchen tips from thegreenlist.nl
- Also see: the best fridge layout to keep your food fresh.
- Also see: a fresh fridge in a few steps.
- Also see: spice tips!
Sources: Milieu Centraal, the Nutrition Centre. Photo credits: Karolina Grabowska (Pexels).
