Produce varieties we deliver

Apples ripen quickly at room temperature; ten times as fast as an apple kept at 32° Fahrenheit. Store apples in a plastic bag in the refrigerator away from strong odored foods such as cabbage or onions to prevent flavor transfer.

BANANA

Do not refrigerate bananas until they are ripe. When you put them into the refrigerator they will turn black, but the insides will ripen slower. To ripen green bananas, put them into a plastic bag, seal it and place the bag in a warm place like on top of your refrigerator. This will cause the bananas to heat up which speeds the ripening process.

Grapes are harvested only when fully ripe. Before storing, remove any spoiled grapes with broken skins or browning from the bunch and keep refrigerated; they should keep up to a week. During storage, continue to remove any and all spoiled fruit. Grapes can also be frozen, extending their storage life up to three months.

Very firm kiwifruit can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 6 months. Kiwifruit won't keep for nearly as long in the refrigerator after it begins to ripen. To ripen firm kiwis, leave them at room temperature, but away from heat or direct sunlight, for a few days to a week. Hasten ripening by placing them in a paper bag with an apple, pear, or banana. Once a kiwi fruit is ripe, however, store it far from other fruits, as it is very sensitive to the ethylene gas they emit, and tends to overripe even in the refrigerator. Ripe kiwis should keep for about one to two weeks.

Leave under ripe mangoes at cool room temperature for a few days to soften and sweeten--very warm temperatures can cause an off-flavor to develop. Place two mangoes in a paper bag to speed ripening (or, if you don't have two mangoes, put another fruit such as an apple or banana in with the mango). Ripe mangoes will keep for two to three days in the refrigerator.

Whole ripe or cut melons can be stored in the refrigerator for about three days. Cut melons should be wrapped tightly in plastic. Leave the seeds inside a cut melon until you're ready to eat it to help keep the melon moist.

Ripen pears at room temperature in a sealed plastic bag with a couple of ripe bananas. When the pear is ripe, refrigerate until you are ready to eat it. Product that is extremely hard will ripen best at room temperature.

ORANGES

Store oranges in a cool place outside the refrigerator and try to eat them within a few days. If you need to keep them longer, refrigerate in a plastic bag or in the vegetable crisper section of the refrigerator.

STRAWBERRIES

Strawberries are extremely perishable and should be refrigerated immediately. Store unwashed strawberries in the refrigerator by stacking them on paper towels (between the layers as well), in a moisture-proof container. Eat them within 48-72 hours, or freeze them.

Store broccoli in the high-humidity vegetable crisper of your refrigerator for up to three days. Refresh broccoli in ice water to maintain its bright green color if you're not using it right away or are making a cold presentation.

Head cabbage stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator's humid vegetable bin will last at least a week. Savoy and Napa cabbages should be consumed within three or four days.

Before storing carrots, remove their green tops, rinse, drain, and put the carrots in plastic bags and store them in the coldest part of the refrigerator with the highest humidity. They'll last several months this way.

Cauliflower should be placed in a plastic bag and stored in your refrigerator crisper. When stored properly, cauliflower will last up to five days; however, it is best when eaten within three days.

CELERY

To store celery, trim the base and remove any leaves or ribs that are damaged or bruised. Rinse, place in a plastic bag, and keep in the refrigerator's humid vegetable bin, and it will last about two weeks.

CHARD

Refrigerate in plastic wrap up to 2 days. Rainbow Chard is pretty colorful Chard with yellow, pink, orange, white, and red veins.

Wrap unwashed greens in damp paper towels. Refrigerate in a plastic bag, in the crisper, up to 5 days.

Corn is best eaten immediately. However, it can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days in plastic bags with the husk still on.

Place green beans in a perforated plastic bag or paper bag and store them in the refrigerator crisper for up to five days.

Refrigerate unwashed leaves in a plastic bag in the vegetable drawer. A plastic bag from the grocery store is sufficient. Lettuce will keep for up to 5 days. Do not store lettuce with melons, apples, pears, or other ethylene gas-emitting fruits as they will cause the lettuce to turn brown.

Store onions in a dry, dark, well-ventilated place; not in the refrigerator.

They can be stored for at least a week if placed in a plastic bag and kept in the refrigerator. The riper the pepper is when harvested, the less time it will maintain its freshness.

POTATOES

Potatoes like cool (45°F to 50°F) humid (but not wet) surroundings, but refrigeration can turn the starch in the potatoes to sugar and may tend to darken them when cooked.

 SPINACH

When you get bunched spinach home, untie it, remove any blemished leaves, trim off the stems, and wash it thoroughly in cold water. Repeat if necessary until you're sure all the grit is gone. Spin dry in a salad spinner or drain well, then put into clean plastic bags very loosely wrapped with paper towels. It will last only two to three days, so plan on eating your rinsed spinach right away. Cold, moist surroundings, as low as 32°F and about 95% humidity are the best for storing spinach.

Place in a plastic bag and refrigerate for 3-5 days.

Butternut, Acorn, Spaghetti Store squash in a cool, preferably dark, well-ventilated area for up to one month. Wrap cut pieces in plastic and refrigerate up to five days.

Keep tomatoes at room temperature until ripened. Once ripened, tomatoes will last for two to three days. If necessary, tomatoes can be refrigerated in vegetable bin for approximately one week. Try to avoid refrigerating tomatoes whenever possible. Tomatoes will lose their flavor once stored below 55°.