Keep your Fruit and Veggies fresher, longer

Just in time for all those Yummy Summer Fruits and Veggies! How to Keep Veggies Fresh Longer

1. As soon as you get home from the market, take pre-washed leafy greens out of their containers and throw away any bruised or spoiled pieces. Like a rotten apple, those leaves will spoil the rest.

2. For unwashed greens, separate leaves and bathe them in several changes of icy cold water with a bit of vinegar or lemon juice to add crispness. Let the dirt and grit sink to the bottom. Spin the leaves dry and if you’re not using the leaves immediately, air dry them on a paper towel. Then, wrap and store the leaves in a clean, perforated plastic bag in the crisper section of your refrigerator.

3. If your salad vegetables come home from the market wet, be sure to pat dry with paper towels before layering in plastic bags and placing in the crisper section of your refrigerator.

4. Store root veggies unwashed. Potatoes and onions should be inspected for spoiled or moldy pieces and kept in a cool, dark, well-ventilated spot. Other root veggies can be stored loose in the crisper or in plastic bags.

5. Tomatoes -- technically fruits -- should remain on the counter to maintain flavor. Refrigeration can make them mushy. If you need to ripen them, place in a paper bag at room temperature.

6. Remove mushrooms from the container and clean them individually with a damp paper towel. Dry them carefully, and store inside a paper bag -- but don’t put them in the crisper; it’s too cold. A regular shelf in the fridge will do.

7. Certain veggies, like corn, will taste best if you cook and eat them the same day you buy them.