How long does produce last

Ginger is especially hardy and can handle a decent amount of abuse. I usually toss loose ginger roots in my vegetable crisper drawer, where they keep well for a few weeks. If you buy carrots, beets, or turnips with their greens still attached, remove those tops down to the root before storing, since they pull moisture out of the vegetable.

The roots will stay fresh for at least a few weeks sealed in zip-top bags or airtight containers in the refrigerator. Beet and turnip greens are delicious in soups or stir fries. Store them separately as you would other leafy greens, and they should stay fresh for about a week. Radishes, while technically part of the cabbage family, act a lot like other root vegetables. They stay fresh for a long time in the fridge—sometimes up to three weeks—when stored in an airtight container, and they keep longer without their leafy greens attached you can eat these, too.

You can find typical red radishes year-round, but also keep an eye out for daikon radishes , watermelon radishes , and breakfast radishes. Common onions and garlic, members of the allium family, are easy to keep fresh if you keep them away from moisture, which makes them spoil faster. First, choose firm, unblemished bulbs with dry skins.

Second, store them in a cool, dry, dark place with air circulation—never in a plastic bag or airtight container. I keep my garlic and onions in a dry food storage container without the lid. You can store onions and garlic together, ideally not near the stove or other appliances, but keep them separate from potatoes: Onions and garlic thrive in low humidity 65 to 75 percent , while potatoes love cool, humid 85 to 90 percent air.

Refrigerate leftover cut onions wrapped in plastic or beeswax wrap or sealed in a food storage container.

Both the bulbs and shoots are safe to eat, but you can also cut away the green parts and proceed as normal. It shines in soups, braises, salads, slaws, and stir fries. And it lasts for what seems like an eternity in the fridge. Although a whole head is bulky, you can store one naked in your crisper drawer. If space is an issue, you can store it quartered in a zip-top bag. For the best-tasting tomatoes, store them at room temperature away from direct sunlight. This will help them ripen evenly.

Once they are ripe they can be placed in the fridge. The guidelines below are for vegetables at their best quality. They still may be safe to eat after the stated times as long as they are not mouldy or rotten. Most vegetables, like carrots, potatoes, broccoli, cabbage and celery should be stored in a plastic bag or container in the crisper of your fridge. Mushrooms are best stored in a paper bag. Vegetables should be stored in a different part of the fridge than fruit. This will prevent them from ripening too fast.

Canned vegetables can be kept for years. Label the can with the date to help you keep track of how long it has been in your cupboard. Take the Challenge: Learn easy ways to waste less food and save money. Photo: swong via Flickr. Share This. Also subscribe me to: Food Roundup.

If you want your apples to last for weeks, keep them in a plastic bag in your fruit crisper drawer, away from vegetables the ethylene gas they emit will cause other vegetables to ripen faster. Use them to make: Apple Nachos.

Beets can last between months in the refrigerator. First, cut off the greens if they're still attached, and then store them in a perforated plastic bag in your vegetable crisper. Use them to make: Charred Greens with Shaved Beets.

Cabbage tastes best when it's fresh, but it can last for up to 2 months wrapped in plastic in your fridge. Use it as a stand-in for lettuce or other delicate leafy greens in salads, since most salad greens wilt within days due to their high water content.

Use it to make: Cabbage, Bacon, and Pear Salad. The key to making carrots last is keeping them dry, as they give off a lot of moisture, which causes them to rot more quickly. If you buy carrots in a plastic bag, place a paper towel in the bag to absorb any moisture and change it whenever it gets saturated.

This can keep them fresh for a few weeks to a few months. Use them to make: Sweet Carrot Pumpkin Bars. A root vegetable available mostly at farmers' markets, celeriac is the root of celery plants and has a mild celery-like flavor. Celeriac likes moisture, so store it wrapped in plastic on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator.

Even after it's cut, celeriac will keep for a full week if wrapped well. Use it to make: Celeriac Soup with Thyme.