How to Pick and Store Produce

Produce is one of the top items that consumers waste their money on. We buy stuff at the beginning of the week, but come Sunday, you find yourself throwing away an unidentifiable plastic bag of something moldy. You either picked something that was overripe or you waited too long to consume it.

So, how do you know what's good to get and how do you know what's best to store it in?

To start off with, buying the more expensive "green bags" from TV does not give you anything over traditional Ziplocks or any other plastic, sealable storage bag. So, think twice before spending the additional money on this product. It doesn't do much to preserve your food any longer than the traditional plastic bag.

Second, pay attention to labels. Beginning in October of last year, produce was required to have the country of origin printed on their labels. Also, labels that say "Ripe 'N Ready" or "ripe sense" mean that the fruit or vegetable you are about to buy is ready to eat. So, if you don't plan on consuming it right away, you may want to pick something up that isn't so ripe.

Below are a few tips on picking out fruits and vegetables as well as some suggestions on how to store them.

Avocados: These fruits' skin should be dark green or nearly black if they are ripe. When squeezed they will have some give, but they should not be mushy or overly soft. If they are rock hard, that means they are definitely not ready to eat. So, if you know you don't need to eat them right away, pick the ones with a little more resistance. If you want to speed up the ripening process at home, just put the avocados in a brown paper bag overnight. The next day, you should have something that's edible.

Berries (any type): Berries, whether a blueberry or a strawberry, should always be dry when you pick them up from the grocery store. If they are wet, oozing or soft, that means they are overripe. Common sense will also tell you that if they are heavily bruised, you'll want to pass them up. The light dusting of white that you sometimes see on a blueberry or raspberry means that they are ready to eat. So, that means within a couple of days, they will have gone bad. If you buy a container of berries and, let's say one of the berries is bruised, remove it and throw it away. If you leave it in there, it's the fastest way to spread mold to the other berries in the container. In terms of storage, always keep them in a dry container and do not wash them until they are ready to be eaten.

Pears: Should be a little soft. Unless you like to work for your food, a pear with extreme resistance means that it's not ready to be consumed. If you want to speed up the ripening process, leave them out on your counter in a dry, dark place until they are soft. Do not put them directly in sunlight.

Grapes: Grapes, if in season and ripe, should be large and plump. They should also be securely attached to the vine. If grapes are falling off, that means they should be consumed immediately and will not last beyond a couple more days. Always keep grapes in the fridge and do not wash until you are ready to consume them. As with the berries, throw out the bad grapes. For a treat on a hot day, put your grapes in the freezer for just under an hour.

Peaches: Should not be overly red. They should be a combination of gold and red with some give when you squeeze them. If you want to keep peaches for baking purposes, they can be frozen. Just peel and chop them and store with juice in the freezer.

Tomatoes: These should be slightly soft. The skin should not be wrinkled or have dimples when you buy them at the store. Keep tomatoes stored at room temperature.

Broccoli: In terms of color, broccoli should be dark green. Light green and borderline yellow means that the broccoli is old and beyond the point of being ripe. The vegetable should not be wilting and should be firm to the touch. Keep broccoli stored in the fridge in a plastic bag.

Onions: Should always be firm and should never have bruises. Keep onions stored in a dry area outside of the fridge. Also, keep them stored away from potatoes as potatoes can speed up the deterioration process for onions.

Bell Peppers: Bell peppers' color should always be bright and vibrant. Dull means that they are not as fresh. Keep them stored uncut and unwashed in a plastic bag in the fridge until they are ready to be used.

Potatoes: Keep potatoes stored in a cool, dry place - like the shady area of your counter. Sunlight leads to rotting. Also keep potatoes away from onions. When you are selecting potatoes to buy at the store, pick ones that have relatively smooth skin and few dimples.

This isn't meant to be a comprehensive list by any means, but it hopefully has given you a few tips and pointers that can be used for other fruits and veggies not mentioned here. Also, always keep in mind the seasons when buying produce. Spring is good for berries, peas, herbs and spinach. Meanwhile, fall is good for pumpkins, carrots, sweet potatoes and sprouts.