At the first signs of good weather, we dream of crunchy salads, juicy fruits and colourful vegetables on our plates, so we fill our fridges with freshness. But after only a few days, the herbs we bought in abundance have already wilted and the fruits have lost their lustre. Here are some practical tips to keep your fresh produce looking good longer and prevent it from ending up in the compost.

Your ally: water

By immersing vegetables in cold water or keeping them in a container filled with water in the refrigerator, most of them will remain crunchy for a very long time. They can be immersed whole or pre-cut, like carrot or celery sticks, for example. Herbs also gain longevity when wrapped in absorbent paper soaked in water. Are your vegetables already soft? A small bath in ice water should give them vigour, like with radishes, broccoli and lettuce—which can be totally revived once plunged into water.

Paper bags

Paper grocery bags or any type of kraft paper bags can boost preservation of certain vegetables, such as potatoes, beets or mushrooms. Paper helps regulate humidity since it “sweats,” that is to say, it allows moisture to escape.

Good neighbours

Some fruits and vegetables produce ethylene, a gas that triggers the ripening of fruit. This is the case for bananas, apples, pears and tomatoes—among others. So make sure not to place lettuce and other fragile products next to these foods to prevent them from ripening or wilting too quickly on contact.

In bulk

Here are some practical tips on how to store some of the fruits and vegetables you often have at home.

Asparagus: Place the asparagus stems in a litre of water.

Cucumbers and zucchini: They hate plastic bags, where they rot very quickly. Avoid suffocating them by putting them in a brown paper bag or covering them with a dry cloth to protect them in the vegetable tray.

Fragile herbs (parsley, mint, cilantro): Put the stems in a glass of water.

Robust herbs (rosemary, tarragon, thyme): them with a paper towel or cloth soaked in water.

Ginger: To keep it for a very long time, put it in the freezer. Grate only the required amount as needed.

Lettuce: Store in a perforated plastic bag or in a non-airtight plastic container that allows it to breathe. Wash romaine and curly lettuce before storing it in the refrigerator, but not more fragile varieties like Boston.

Potatoes and sweet potatoes: Leave them on the counter or in a dry place. The cold of the refrigerator transforms the starch, which can make them granular or make them develop a bitter taste when cooking at high temperatures.

Berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries): It is important to leave them in a cold place, without ventilation. They must therefore be placed in an airtight container large enough to avoid the formation of excessive moisture. Put a dry cloth in the container.