How to Keep Vegetables Fresh for Longer

Buying fresh is only half the job. How you store vegetables at home decides whether they last two days or a week. These habits work well in a warm climate like Salem's.

Keep these out of the fridge

• Onions and small onions: keep in a cool, dry, airy basket. Not in plastic bags.
• Potatoes: store in a dark, dry place so they do not turn green or sprout.
• Keep onions and potatoes apart. Stored together, both tend to spoil or sprout faster.
• Tomatoes: ripen at room temperature and refrigerate only when fully ripe and you need a few more days.

Refrigerate these

• Greens and keerai: remove any damaged leaves, wrap loosely in a dry cloth or paper, and use within a day or two.
• Beans, carrots, ladies finger and gourds: store in the vegetable drawer in a cloth bag or a bag with a few holes.
• Coriander: stand the stems in a glass of water like flowers, or wrap dry leaves in paper in a closed box.
• Curry leaves: pat completely dry, remove from the stem and keep in an airtight container.

General rules that help

• Do not wash vegetables before storing. Moisture speeds up rotting. Wash just before cooking.
• Keep bananas, tomatoes and apples away from leafy greens; the gas they release makes greens yellow faster.
• Check your vegetable drawer every couple of days and remove anything going soft before it spreads.
• Buy greens in small amounts, more often. They are the most delicate item in the basket.

Shop little and often

The freshest way to eat vegetables is to buy what you need for the next few days. With stores across Salem, there is usually a Salem Pazhamuthir Nilaiyam close by.