Dear Chef Kathleen,

I don't know how to store all of the produce I buy. But I can't stop buying it! Is there a way to make it last? How do I keep things from rotting so fast?

Mitch


Dear Mitch,

You're not the only who can't resist the call of the farmer's bounty these days. Roadside stands, markets and grocery stores carrying local produce are stocked stem to stern with gorgeous, end-of-summer harvests. Everything looks fantastic. Local melons and cantaloupe are ready now. Beans of all sorts, including green beans, bush beans, haricots vert and yellow wax beans, are ready for eating and canning. Red, yellow and swirled watermelons of all shapes and sizes are sweet and delicious and coming in fresh daily. Some of the sweetest corn you've ever tasted is available now from local growers. Lettuces continue to be harvested, and even more greens are a few weeks away. We're still a ways from winter squash and pumpkins, but who has room!

There's a big difference from the food you buy at the grocery store and the food you pick up at a farm stand or market. Commercially raised food, including organic, is usually picked green and unripe so it can travel hundreds of miles and remain unbruised, unblemished and beautiful. The downside is that the unripe food does not have the incredible flavor or full nutrition that farm-fresh fruits and vegetables offer. For this reason, buying locally beats trucked-in food any day.

Whether you buy your produce from the grocery store, a farmers market or a roadside stand, you'll want to keep it as good looking and good tasting as possible until you're ready to consume it. To keep fresh fruits and vegetables looking their best and to lengthen their shelf life, there are a few things you need to know.

Root vegetables
Carrots, radishes, beets and turnips often arrive with lively greens attached. Before washing, remove the greens. Beet and turnip greens are edible. If they're in good condition, wash them by plunging into a clean sink full of cold water. Remove and spin dry using a salad spinner or lay out on a kitchen towel, turning after five minutes or so. Gently roll the greens in the towel to absorb more of the liquid. When greens are mostly dry, wrap in a damp paper towel and place in an unsealed plastic bag and refrigerate. Place unwashed carrots, radishes and beets each in their own zipper-top bag and refrigerate.

Greens
To prolong the shelf life of collard greens, mustard greens and large leaf kale, trim off root ends. Wash and dry as you would lettuce, beet or turnip greens and store similarly wrapped in a damp paper towel. Place in a loose plastic bag (as opposed to a zipper top bag) and store in the vegetable crisper drawer of your refrigerator. If greens arrive wilted, be sure the water you wash them in is icy cold.
Handle tender garden greens and baby lettuces, also called mesclun mix, with great care. Heads of lettuce require the same attention. Trim, remove and discard the base of each head and remove any overly blemished or bad outer leaves. Next, submerge the leaves in a sink full of cool water. Use a salad spinner to remove excess water, wrap in dry paper towels and store in a sealed plastic container in the refrigerator. Any time you have wilted leaves, these can be brought back to life. Follow the same directions for cleaning above and leave the wilted leaves in the refrigerator for a good 12 hours, and they'll look perky once again.

Corn
Corn needs to have the silk trimmed from the tops and then can be left in the husk for storage. Keep the ears in plastic bags in the refrigerator. When corn is left in the husk, it doesn't need to be in the crisper.

Peppers, eggplant and squash
Store bell peppers, eggplant and summer squashes such as zucchini, yellow squash and patty pans unwashed in the vegetable crisper or a storage bin placed directly in the refrigerator if space is at a premium. But remember, the vegetable crisper got its name for a reason. Vegetables stay firmer longer and don't start to soften as quickly when they're kept in the drawer.

Hot peppers
They should be stored in zipper-top plastic bags in the crisper drawer. Wash before using and remember to use gloves when handling.

Green and yellow beans
All varieties of beans should be washed and thoroughly dried by laying them out on kitchen towels until dry. Wrap in paper towels and store in clean zipper top bag. Too much moisture will cause these delicate beans to decay and mold faster, so be sure the paper towel is dry.

Melons
Keep unripe melons on the counter until they smell so good you have to cut them. All ripe melons should really be eaten as soon as you get them home, but properly prepared and stored, they will keep 5-7 days. To store super ripe melon, slice in half and using a spoon, and scoop out and discard seeds. Using a knife, peel the outer skin and all traces of the melon's rind. Cut into bite-size cubes. Store in a covered dish and refrigerate.
Okra, onions and leeks
Okra fares well when placed, unwashed, in a zipper top bag for about 4-5 days. Onions and leeks should have the greens removed and then be placed in a loose plastic bag and kept in crisper drawer. There is no need to wash these, as water can cause deterioration.

Potatoes
Potatoes need to be left unwashed and stored immediately in a cool, dark place, preferably in a basement. Sun will cause them to turn green and go bad more quickly. One bad potato can spoil the whole batch, so remember to inspect potatoes for soft spots first. Trim "iffy" potatoes of bad or soft spots and store in cold water in the refrigerator. Work them into the next meal.

Tomatoes
Tomatoes should never be stored in the refrigerator. It will cause the texture of the tomatoes to become mealy. They are best when left unrefrigerated. Serve tomatoes immediately, or wash, quarter and freeze for future use.

kd@chefkathleen.com