Fruits and Vegetables - Pick, Ripen, Store

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dougthecook Home Contact Us Subscribe Veggie Garden Cooking Articles Diabetic Guest Recipes Low Fat Pizza Recipes Under 30 Stores Apparel, Mugs Cookbooks Equipment Reference Dictionary Herbs and Spices Measurements Resources Techniques Temperatures Tips	Fruits and Vegetables - Pick, Ripen, Store Manage your Fruits and Vegetables Tips on how to pick out fresh fruits and vegetables, ripen them, and how to store them. Refrigerator vegetable crispers have high humidity (most can be adjusted) that helps vegetables stay fresh. A fruit drawer has low humidity which fruits like. Apricots Apricots Pick When... Fragrant, not rock-hard, pale-yellow to orange. No green. Ripen... On counter in brown paper bag until soft and fragrant. Store... Once ripe, unwashed for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator. Blueberries Blueberries on a bush. Pick When... Deep blue, dry (no mold or moisture present). Ripen... They are ripe when harvested. Store... Unwashed in container for up to 10 days in the refrigerator. Pineapples Pineapple Pick When... With one hand, gently tug at a leaf in the center of the fruit. If the leaf releases with little effort, the pineapple is ripe. The pineapple should be very firm, never soft or spongy, with no bruises or soft spots. If the pineapple has a good aroma, it's ripe. If you can't smell much of anything, it needs to be ripened. If it has a fermented smell, don't buy it! Peak season is March to July. Ripen... They are ripe when harvested. Store... Peeled pineapple should be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated. If it's not wrapped well, a pineapple will absorb other food odors in you refrigerator. If storing at room temperature, use within two days. You can extend the lifespan to three to five days by refrigerating the whole pineapple in a perforated plastic bag. Raspberries Raspberry on a bush. Pick When... Brightly colored, dry (no mold or moisture present). Ripen... Harvested ripe. Store... Unwashed, covered loosely with paper towels, plastic wrap for 2-3 days in refrigerator. Strawberries Strawberries Pick When... Bright red with fresh green stems attached. Ripen... Harvested ripe. Store... Unwashed, stems attached, in container, for 2-3 days in refrigerator. Nectarines Nectarines Pick When... Reddish to yellowish with no green, not rock-hard. Ripen... On counter in paper bag until fragrant and yields to gentle pressure. Store... Once ripe, unwashed for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator. Zucchini Two freshly picked zucchini. Pick When... 6 to 8 inches long, 1 to 2 inches in diameter. They should be slightly prickly, free of cuts or bruises with one inch of the stem kept on. Ripen... Harvested ripe. Store... Store in plastic bag, unwashed, for 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator crisper drawer.

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