Where to store popular fruits and veggies?

[chave982]

I was wondering what the best way is to store the following foods, whether in the refridgerator or the pantry. I just find it strange that some stores will store these items in a refrigerated section, while others will leave them out in room temperature. Thanks for the help!

onions
garlic
potatoes
lemons/limes
tomatoes
bell peppers

 

[Uncle Bob]

I do this:

Onions and potatoes in a cool, dark, un-refrigerated area, but not together.
Garlic on the Kitchen counter.
Lemons/Limes/Peppers in the crisper of the fridge..
Tomatoes on the counter most times.

 

[GrillingFool]

Ditto here.

 

[GotGarlic]

I was wondering what the best way is to store the following foods, whether in the refridgerator or the pantry. I just find it strange that some stores will store these items in a refrigerated section, while others will leave them out in room temperature. Thanks for the help!

Hi. Here's how I do mine.

onions - in a hanging basket with large openings
garlic - in a small Mexican dish on the counter
potatoes - in a drawer/basket built in to my kitchen peninsula
lemons/limes - crisper drawer in the fridge
tomatoes - in a basket on the kitchen peninsula - tomatoes lose flavor if refrigerated (one reason why homegrown taste so much better)
bell peppers - crisper drawer in the fridge

 

[chave982]

So how come I can't put all this stuff in the fridge? Doesn't it last longer that way? I can understand tomatoes losing their flavor, but what about onions and garlic?

 

[GotGarlic]

So how come I can't put all this stuff in the fridge? Doesn't it last longer that way? I can understand tomatoes losing their flavor, but what about onions and garlic?

According to the National Onion Association, onions need to be kept in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place - moisture (the fridge is usually a humid place) and lack of air movement promote spoilage. Garlic is a close relative of onions, so it needs the same treatment.

About Onions: FAQ

HTH.

 

[Smylietron]

Huh. And here I've been storing my garlic in the empty egg cups in the fridge door! :/

 

[buckytom]

garlic and onions together in the least accesible corner of the kitchen, in a ventilated shelf. potatoes just below them in a ventilated drawer.

fruit and peppers in the crisper in the fridge. tomatoes on the counter, as uncle bob recommended. never in the fridge.

ok, what about unpopular veggies? (and do they know of their caste?)

 

[strawberry]

onions and garlic - in the fridge, refrigerating onions keeps the tear factor down
potatoes - cool, dark corner of the kitchen (but then I never have many around at one time)
lemons/limes and bell peppers - crisper in the fridge
tomatoes - counter

 

[Fisher's Mom]

ok, what about unpopular veggies? (and do they know of their caste?)

The unpopular ones stay at the grocery store - life's too short!

 

[MsAnya]

This makes me curious. I've always kept my tomatoes on the counter until they are cut and after I cut them if I dont use the whole tomato it goes into a ziplock bag into the fridge. Shoud I leave it out on the counter as well?

 

[lyndalou]

I leave the cut ones out on the counter if I know I'll be using them within a short period of time. Usually, I may have a tomato sandwich for lunch and then use the rest in a salad for dinner. Into the refrigerator if it's going to be the next day when I use it.

 

[MsAnya]

Great! Thanks for the response!

 

[AllenOK]

What I learned from my Health Department Food Handler's classes was that ALL fruits and vegetables, as long as they are whole, and unblemished, can be left out of the refrigerater. Once they're cut or punctured (breaking the skin of the vegetable), they need to be refrigerated.

That said, most veggies stay in my fridge, just to prolong shelf life. I leave potatoes in a dark, well-ventilated spot. Tomatoes I refrigerate. Yes, I know they loose flavor. However, my kids will eat tomatoes out-of-hand like apples if they see them. So, in the fridge; out-of-sight, out-of-mind. I also refrigerate my onions, to keep the tear factor down. Onions get used really fast around here, so they rarely, if ever, spoil.

From personal experience, fresh broccoli needs to stay refrigerated. If you leave it out, it will either start to bloom, or will discolor very rapidly.

 

[Claire]

I keep whole onions, bananas, tomatoes and garlic in a basket in the kitchen. Potatoes in my pantry (it is very cool and dark). All else in the fridge, and anything once cut in the fridge.