We are always asked about how to take care of the fruits and vegetables we sell. I have been in the produce business all of my life and I would like to offer my tips on keeping produce as fresh as possible for the best taste and best shelf life. Ultimately, nature grows our produce, so what it taste like and how long it keeps depends on factors such as weather conditions, variety and where it is grown. These guidelines should help you keep your produce fresher longer. Remember, the reason for refrigeration is to preserve the freshness of our foods. Most fruits and vegetables need to be kept cool.
The fruits and vegetables that do not require refrigeration are :
Tomatoes ( cold storage destroys the flavor of tomatoes), bananas, onions and sweet potatoes.
Other fruits and vegetables should be kept cold to maintain freshness.
The exception is when you are trying to ripen some items such as peaches, cantaloupes and pears. The best way to ripen these is to leave them out at room temperature.
It is best not to judge any produce based on aroma or a lack of aroma. The ripeness of an item has much to do with whether it has an aroma, also the surrounding temperature influences this. Some varieties of produce have more of an aroma than others. The best way to judge most produce quality is where it is from and what variety it is.
Case in point: Even a bad cantaloupe or peach may smell good.
The flavor and sweetness of fruit will depend on the variety and the weather conditions during its growing season, such as to much or to little rain.
Almost every part of our country grows certain items better than somewhere else. Never turn down produce just because it did not grow near by. It also depends on the time of the year for an item. You don`t want to miss out on the best our country has to offer.
