Produce Storage Guide

SNAP BEANS
Store fresh snap beans unwashed in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator. They will keep 3–5 days. Freezing: Blanch beans in boiling water for 3 minutes per pound of beans. Chill in ice water (very cold will do) for 3 minutes. Store in freezer bags. Beans will keep for 6–12 months at 0 degrees.

BEETS | Recipes
Remove tops and see “Greens” for keeping the beet greens. Rinse the beets. They will stay in good condition in the refrigerator storage bin for 2–3 weeks. Canning is a good way to preserve beets. To can, cook beets, remove skin, and pack immediately (sliced or whole) in hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/2 inch headroom. Cover with boiling water and 1 tablespoon vinegar to preserve color. Adjust lids and process in a pressure canner at 10 lbs. pressure for 30–35 minutes. Frozen beets lose texture.

BROCCOLI | Recipes
Keep unwashed, trimming only the large leaves. Store in perforated plastic bags in the refrigerator, where it will keep for 2–3 days. Freezing: Wash, trim, peel, and cut lengthwise into 3/4 inch thick pieces. Blanch for 3 minutes and plunge into cold water for 3 minutes. Drain and pack into freezer bags. It will keep 6–12 months at 0 degrees.

CABBAGE | Recipes
Unwashed, firm, compact cabbage keeps up to two weeks in the refrigerator: looser-leaf (Chinese or Savoy), up to a week. Sliced cabbage stored in a perforated bag will keep 5–6 days in the refrigerator.

CARROTS | Recipes
Remove tops; wash and place in a perforated bag or refrigerator compartment for up to two weeks. Cooked carrots will keep for 2–3 days refrigerated. Carrots freeze poorly unless juiced. For longer storage, remove tops and layer in moist sand in a well ventilated cellar with temperatures between 35–40 degrees.

CUCUMBERS | Recipes
Use as soon as possible. Pickling is the best way to store cucumbers for a long time.

GREENS (Kale, Collards, Mustard, Mizuna, Spinach, Beet Tops) 
Do not store greens in paper bags. Store unwashed with a dampened paper towel in a perforated plastic bag and refrigerate. By changing the towel occasionally and keeping it damp, you’ll be able to store the greens for up to a week. Freezing: Greens freeze well. Wash, then blanch for 3 minutes, drain and plunge into ice water. Chill for two minutes; drain. Pack in freezer containers or bags. Use within 6 months.

HERBS
All herbs can be dried and stored in glass jars. Herbs such as parsley, basil and cilantro freeze beautifully. Simply wash, blot dry, chop and put into ziplock bags. Take out what you need as you cook making sure that you don’t thaw the entire contents.

ONIONS | Recipes
Put them in a mesh bag and hang in a well ventilated, cool, dry place, ideally between 40–50 degrees. To store chives and scallions, put them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator where they will hold 3–4 days before becoming limp. For long term storage of onions and scallions, consider chopping and freezing in pre-measured portions.

PEPPERS | Recipes
Whole, unwashed peppers will keep in the refrigerator for 3–4 days. Freezing: So easy! Clean, seed, and cut into pieces. Do not blanch. Freeze in bags or boxes. The frozen peppers will be soft, but are fine for soups or casseroles where the flavor is the prime consideration.

POTATOES | Recipes
Potatoes properly stored keep all winter. Keep cool (ideal storage temperature is 45–50 degrees) and dry, out of direct sunlight.

PUMPKINS & WINTER SQUASH | Recipes
Store in a dry, well ventilated space in the 50–55 degree range. Lower temperatures can cause chilling injuries. Don’t put squash in your basement. It is probably too moist and they will be more likely to rot. Freezing: Wash, pare and cut into small pieces. Steam until soft and completely cooked and pack for freezing. Or, bake whole squash at 375° until soft. When cool, cut in half, and scoop out seeds. Scoop out flesh, run through a food mill and pack for freezing.

RADISHES
Before refrigerating remove the tops. Keep roots refrigerated, they will keep for about one week.

SUMMER SQUASH | Recipes
Refrigerated in a perforated plastic bag, it will keep in good condition for about a week. Freezing: You can freeze pureed cooked squash.

SWISS CHARD | Recipes
Refrigerated, unwashed, in a perforated bag, chard will hold for 3–5days. Freezing: Do not freeze the chard stem. It will be soggy. Blanch leaves for 2 minutes in boiling water, then immediately plunge into ice water for 2 minutes, drain and place into freezer bags.  HINT: Substitute chard leaves in most spinach recipes.

TOMATOES | Recipes
For daily use, hold tomatoes between 55–80 degrees. Do not refrigerate unless necessary. Temperatures below 55 degrees prevent ripening. Refrigerate only extra ripe tomatoes that you want to keep from ripening further. Freezing: Tomatoes may be frozen whole or peeled in plastic freezer bags but the taste and texture does not compare with home canned tomatoes. On the other hand, tomato sauce freezes beautifully.