This page was updated on Monday March 17 2008
Harvesting and Storing
To get the most out of your vegetables, harvest them
when they are at the best stage for eating and store them under conditions
that will keep them as nearly garden fresh as possible. Vegetables
will be crisper and cooler if harvested in the early morning. It is
best to consume fresh vegetables soon after harvest or purchase. However,
this is not always possible and you may want to store fresh vegetables
for a while before using them. It is usually not practical to store
most fresh vegetables for long periods at home.
Store fresh vegetables at the right temperature and relative humidity
to maintain quality and nutritive value. With few exceptions, fresh
vegetables keep best in the refrigerator. Most home refrigerators
maintain a temperature of about 40oF to 45oF
in the main storage space and a slightly cooler temperature in the
hydrator (crisper). The door storage areas are warmer.
Preparing Vegetables for Storage. Discard any part that shows evidence
of decay. Immediately use any bruised or soft vegetables. Most home-grown
vegetables require cleaning before storage. Remove tops of root crops,
such as carrots. Wash-to remove dirt, then drain excess water thoroughly.
If you store any vegetables in the refrigerator, but not in the crisper,
place them in plastic bags or plastic containers.
Do not put ripe fruits together with vegetables in the crisper. Many
ripe fruits produce ethylene gas, which causes yellowing of green
vegetables, russet spotting on lettuce, toughening of asparagus, sprouting
of potatoes, and a bitter taste in carrots. Cole crops (cabbage, broccoli,
and others) give off strong odors which may be absorbed by other commodities;
only keep them for a few days in the refrigerator. Root crops, such
as radishes, may cause off-flavors in fruits and leafy vegetables;
do not store them next to these commodities or store in plastic bags
in the refrigerator. Do not store celery with onions or carrots.
Fresh vegetables are grouped in four groups according to storage requirements.
Because it is not always possible to provide all these different conditions,
make compromises if the storage time is short (a few days).
Group 1
Keep under cold, moist conditions (32o to
41oF and 85 to 95% relative humidity). Store in the refrigerator
crisper and maintain high humidity by keeping the crisper more than
half full. Wash and drain vegetables well before storage.
| beet greens | green onions | mustard greens |
| chard | kale | spinach |
| collards | leeks | turnip greens |
| endive | lettuce | watercress |
| escarole |
Store the following vegetables in a crisper separate from the above vegetables
or in plastic bags or containers in the main compartment of the refrigerator.
| artichokes | celery |
| asparagus | lima beans |
| beets | mushrooms |
| broccoli | parsnips |
| brussels sprouts | peas |
| cabbage | radishes |
| carrots | rhubarb |
| cauliflower | sweet corn (unhusked; keep close to freezer compartment) |
| turnips |
Group 2
Ideally, it is best to store these vegetables at 45o
to 55oF and 85 to 90% relative humidity because of sensitivity
to chilling injury. Because this is not possible in most homes, store
in the refrigerator for no longer than 5 days. Use soon after removing
from the refrigerator.
| bell peppers | cucumbers | snap beans |
| chili peppers | ripe melons | summer squash |
Group 3
Store-in a cool place (50o to 60oF);
lower temperatures cause chilling injury. Pantries, basements, or
garages can provide a cool place during most of the year. However,
noninsulated garages may be too warm in summer and too cold in winter.
If you do not have such a space available, store eggplant and okra
as described for the vegetables in Group 2. Store ripe tomatoes,
hard rind squashes and pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and potatoes as
recommended for the vegetables in Group 4.
| eggplant | potatoes (protect from light to prevent greening) |
| okra | tomatoes (ripe) |
| sweet potatoes | hard-rind squashes and pumpkins |
Group 4
Store-these vegetables at room temperature (65o
to 70oF). Store them so they are away from direct sunlight.
| garlic, dry | onions, dry (in open-mesh container) |
| melons (unripe or partly ripe) | tomatoes (mature green, partly ripe, and ripe) |
