Selecting and Storing Fresh Produce: Tips & Tricks


Food is expensive. Yet, if you are like most Americans, you waste approximately 14 percent of all the food brought into your home.

A study at the University of Arizona tracked the food use habits of families for a year. Researchers worked with the United States Department of Agriculture. They interviewed families about their eating habits, collected their grocery receipts, watched them prepare meals, and documented everything that was discarded.

The results, reported in 2002, were pretty shocking. The families tossed out an average of 470 pounds of food per year. That’s about 14 percent of all food brought into the home which came at a cost of about $600.

When it comes to fresh produce, the statistics were even worse. The University of Arizona study found that Americans waste about 25 percent of the produce brought into their home, mostly because it spoiled.

Which is why I have been compiling tips and tricks for storing fresh produce. 

By selecting the best produce and then storing it properly, your produce will stay fresh longer. If the food stays fresh longer, it is less likely to go to waste.

And less waste is money saved.

What tips do you have for keeping produce fresh?

Drop me a note at ThePrudentPantry (at) gmail (dot) com.


Here is a list of posts I have compiled so far:


Keep Strawberries Fresh Longer
Keep Asparagus Fresh Longer
How to Store Mushrooms
How to Keep Tomatoes Fresh
Keeping Sweet Corn Sweet
How to Store Avocados
Refrigerate It Right: No More Frozen Produce in the Fridge
The Best Way to Store Fresh Herbs 
Keep Lemons Fresh  Longer
Controlled Ripening of Bananas
Storing Peppers
Storing Nuts
Caring for Blueberries 
Choosing and Storing Cantaloupes
Keep Cucumbers Fresh
Tips and Tricks for Storing Celery
Selecting and Storing Grapes
Selecting and Storing Onions

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