One of the things I’ve always struggled with was where to store certain foods. Some family members told me apples should be kept on the counter, while others told me it was best to keep in the fridge. Who was right?!? As a rookie cook, I was lost in all the suggestions and tips on how to store fruits, vegetables, meats, etc. So I decided to do some research and found out that, as it is the case in my family, not every source agrees on how certain foods should be stored. In any case, I decided to share with you some of my findings, starting with fruits.
Let’s continue our Rookie Cook lessons with 104 – Storage of fruit.
It’s nearly impossible for me to list how to store every type of fruit available in our groceries nowadays. Therefore, I picked seven for which I’ve found interesting storing information.
Apples – Apples can be kept a few weeks in the fruit section of the refrigerator. To keep apples even longer, you can place them in a cold and moist dark room.
Bananas – Bananas should be kept on the counter and not in the refrigerator. Did you know that you can also put bananas in the freezer? To do so, place them, with peel intact, in a freezer bag (such as Ziploc). These bananas will be ideal for cakes, muffins, purées or shakes.
Kiwis - If you buy kiwis that are still a bit hard to the touch, they can be kept for up to three weeks in the fridge.
Oranges – They can be kept for about a week at room temperature and up to three weeks in the fruit section of your refrigerator.
Pineapples - If the fruit’s skin is hard and green, keep it on the counter at room temperature for a day or two so that the skin goes from green to gold. When diced, pineapple can be kept in the fridge for a few days as long as it is covered by liquid such as pineapple juice and put in an airtight container.
Raspberries – When put in the fridge, raspberries can be kept for two days. They can also be frozen.
Strawberries – It’s better to eat strawberries as soon as possible as they are very fragile. It is best to keep them in the vegetable section of your refrigerator. When placed there, strawberries can be kept for about a week. One source states that if you put sugar on the strawberries before putting them in your fridge, you’ll be able to keep them for longer than a week. Strawberries can be frozen.
As you can see, most fruits can be put in the refrigerator or the freezer. To learn more about storage of fruit, a quick Google search will provide your with hundreds of tips and tricks. You can also check the book suggestions below.
Clacked by Isabelle Carreau 
on Feb 08, 2009 @ 12:00 EST5EDT
