22 Jul How to Make the Most Out of Your Produce

I always tell people not to waste their money on fruit. And, after they look at me like I’m the worst nutritionist in the world, I explain.

If you’re not going to store fruit properly, you’re just throwing your money down the drain. How many times have you had to toss an overripe pear or orange. Too many, right? Just think of it as throwing money in the trash.

But this isn’t a blog about finance. Of course, you should consume fruit regularly. Just follow these tips to store it properly and you’ll get more out of each dollar spent.

1. Store fast-ripening fruits on the top shelf of the fridge. I know how it is; out of sight, out of mind. When I toss a bag of peaches into one of those drawers, they’re dead to me. When I finally remember them a week later, they’re ready for the compost heap. Storing fruit on the counter is okay too as long as you’re going to eat it within a day or so.

2. Store stone fruits stem down. Stone fruits, like peaches, plums and nectarines ripen from the bottom up to the top of the stem, so if you store them right-side up, the bottom will get mushy and flat. Store them with stems down to maintain freshness.

3. Shop at your local farmers market. When you buy from the local farmer’s market, produce is more likely to be fresh. Why? Well, because it doesn’t have to spend as much time in transit. It goes from the farm to the market, and then to your pantry or fridge.

4. Use your crisper the right way. I spent most of my life in the dark about this one. Am I alone here? Who really knows how to use your crisper? Okay, well now I do. I’ll share. One is for high humidity and the other is for low humidity. The should either be marked or there should be a dial you can adjust. High humidity is for greens and herbs. Low humidity is for apples and harder veggies without as much water content.