Tomato storage advice

I am often asked how to store a certain variety of produce for maximum storage life.  There are a number of great sources for this information scattered around the net.  But, the advice is often incomplete or conflicting.  In many cases the answer is “well, it depends”.  I thought it might be a good idea to make a page for each variety with a distillation of the advice that it out there and our experience.  I would love to include your experience in this compilation, too.  I would like to have your comments on the format and the advice itself.

Because it is my favorite, I started with tomatoes.  I hope to add about a variety a week until there is a page for every commonly available variety of produce.  Click on the link below to open the .pdf file.

tomato storage

Peaches as good as they get.

We have been getting luscious peaches and loving it!  They are messy, but, oh the taste.  Last week I got into some that were mealy and pretty disappointing.  When you bite into one like that, you know what has happened.  They have been stored too cool, before they were ripe.

Peaches and nectarines are climacteric and do need ethylene in order to ripen properly.  But, they are a little more sensitive to temperature treatment than most fruits.  They should be fully ripe before they are refrigerated.  When you have peaches that need a little time, do NOT refrigerate them.  They should be stored together, perhaps in a closed space, at room temperature until they are ready to eat.  If they are stored together in a closed space, where the ethylene they are giving off can accumulate, the ripening will be a little more even.  Be sure not to restrict oxygen, though.  Only when they are perfectly ripe should they be put in the refrigerator, in which there is an E.G.G.

Peaches are one of the surest sign of summer.  Don’t miss out.

Quick guide to produce storage

A few months ago, First for Women, a magazine generally available at the grocery check out counter, did an article that summarizes their best produce storage advice. The article was well research and very succinct. Take a look.