Should
you wash your produce when you unpack your weekly groceries or at time of use? And how
should you store various other foods? Here’s a look at basic storage rules, from most to
least perishable. Seafood. Seafood is the most perishable item you’re
likely to handle. Ideally, seafood should be used on the day of purchase. A day or two
longer is okay, but past that point enzymes and spoilage bacteria begin to break down
amine compounds, resulting in that undesirable fishy odor. Fun science fact: Fish live in an environment that is roughly the
same temperature as your fridge. The specific activity of some enzymes is much higher in
fish than mammals at these temperatures. Putting seafood on ice buys a bit more time by
increasing the activation energy needed for these reactions. Meat is already far enough
away from the ideal reaction temperatures that the few extra degrees gained by storing it
on ice don’t change much. Meats. Follow the sell-by or use-by date. The
sell-by date is the point in time until which the store still
considers the product safe for sale. (Not that you should push it, but it’s not as if the
meat will suddenly turn green and smelly at 12:01 a.m. the next day.) The use-by
date, as you’d imagine, is the recommended deadline to cook the food. If you
have a package of chicken whose use-by date is today, cook it today,
even if you’re not ready to eat it. You can store the cooked product for a few more days.
If you can’t cook the fish or meat you’ve bought on or before its use-by date, toss it in
the freezer. This will affect the texture, but at least the food won’t go to waste. Freezing meat does not kill bacteria. It takes being zapped with
radiation AND over a month at 0°F / –18°C to render nonviable the bacteria in
salmonella-contaminated meats. Nice to know, but not very helpful unless you happen to
have a radiation chamber lying around. 
Fruits and vegetables. How you process and store
fruits and vegetables impacts their ripeness and flavor, and can also delay the growth of
mold. When it comes to ripening, there are two types of fruit: those that generate
ethylene gas, which causes them to ripen, and those that don’t generate it. For those that
do ripen when exposed to ethylene, you can speed up ripening by storing them in a paper
bag, which traps the gas. Store raw meats below fruits and vegetables in your refrigerator, because this reduces
the likelihood of cross-contamination. Any liquid runoff from the meats won’t be able to
drip onto other foods that won’t be effectively pasteurized by cooking. (Storing meats
below other foods is required by health code in commercial establishments.) Ripen in the presence of ethylene
gas
To speed up ripening, store these in a loosely folded paper bag out of direct
sunlight, at room temperature. Apricots, peaches, plums. Ripe fruits will be
aromatic and will yield slightly to a gentle squeeze, at which point you can store them in
the fridge. Don’t store unripe stone fruits in the refrigerator, in plastic bags, or in
direct sunlight. If you’re lucky enough to be gifted pounds and pounds of these fruits,
either freeze them or make jam before they have a chance to go bad. Avocados. Ripe fruit will be slightly firm but will
yield to gentle pressure. Color alone will not tell you if the avocado is ripe. Storing
cut avocados with the pit doesn’t prevent browning, which is due to both oxidation and an
enzymatic reaction, but does stop browning where the pit prevents air from coming in
contact with the flesh. Plastic wrap pressed down against the flesh works just as well, or
if you have a vacuum sealer, go for overkill and seal them. Bananas. Leave at room temperature until ripe. To
prevent further ripening, store in the refrigerator—the peel will turn brown, but the
fruit will not change. Blueberries. While blueberries do ripen in the
presence of ethylene, their flavor is not improved from this. See advice for blackberries
et al. Tomatoes. Store at temperatures above 55°F / 13°C.
Storing in the fridge is okay for longer periods of time but will affect flavor and
texture. If the ultimate destination for the tomatoes is a sauce, you can also cook them
and then refrigerate or freeze the sauce. Potatoes. Keep potatoes in a cool, dry place (but
not the fridge). Sunlight can make the skin turn green. If this occurs, you must peel off
the skin before eating. The green color is due to the presence of chlorophyll, which
develops at the same time that the neurotoxins solanine and chaconine are produced. Since most of the nutrients in a potato are contained directly below the skin, avoid
peeling them whenever possible. Unaffected or negatively impacted by ethylene gas
Store these separately from ethylene-producing produce. Asparagus. Store stalks, with bottoms wrapped in a
damp paper towel, in the crisper section or the coldest part of the fridge. You can also
put them in a glass or mug, like cut flowers. Eat as soon as possible because the flavor
diminishes with time. Blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries. Toss
out any moldy or deformed berries. Immediately eat any overripe berries. Return the other
berries to the original container, or arrange them (unwashed) in a shallow pan lined with
paper towels and store in the fridge. To absorb additional moisture, place a paper towel
on top of the berries. Wash them just prior to use; washing and storing them adds moisture
that aids the growth of mold. Broccoli, cabbage, collard greens, kale, leeks, Swiss
chard. Store in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator or in a plastic bag
poked with holes to allow for any excess moisture and ethylene to escape. Ethylene causes
florets and leaves to turn yellow. Carrots. Break off green tops. Rinse carrots, place
in a plastic bag, and store in the crisper section of the fridge. Storing carrots in the
fridge will preserve their flavor, texture, and beta-carotene content. Garlic. Store in a cool, dark place (but not the
fridge). You can still use cloves that have sprouted, but they will not be as strong in
flavor. The sprouts themselves can be cut up like scallions or chives and used in
dishes. Lettuce and salad greens. Check greens bought in
bunches for insects. Wash leaves, wrap in a towel or paper towel, and then store in the
fridge in a plastic bag. Onions. Keep in a cool, dry space away from bright
light. Onions do best in an area that allows for air circulation. Do not place onions near
potatoes, because potatoes give off both moisture and ethylene, causing onions to spoil
more quickly.
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