E6 EZ EE THE WASHINGTON POST.WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7 , 2019
Salad greens
You guessed it: Salad greens are also
sensitive to ethylene! Stash them in the
crisper drawer. If you’re buying loose,
fresh greens from the farmers market,
put them in a bag or storage container.
Sprinkle them with water or include a
wet paper towel. This will keep the
greens crisp and prevent them from
wilting due to moisture loss. For bagged
salads you buy from the store, it’s best to
use them all at once or, at the latest, the
next day. “They go downhill really fast,”
Brecht says, once they lose the sealed
atmosphere of the specially formulated
packaging. If you do have leftovers, leave
them in the bag they came in. Roll it up
tightly and close with a clip.
[email protected]Peppers and summer squash
Because they originate in warmer
climates, peppers and summer squash
are sensitive to the cold. That’s why it’s
best to keep them in the main compart-
ment of the refrigerator, which is a bit
warmer than the drawers. To prevent
water loss and shriveling (refrigerator air
is dry, says Brecht), store peppers and
squash in a bag or container. Separate
them from ethylene producers.Stone fruit
Let your peaches, plums and apricots
ripen on the counter. Once they’re ripe,
refrigerate them for up to a few days.
Keep them in the fruit drawer, as they’re
ethylene producers, too. If you have one,
a grocery store plastic produce bag is
useful here, as it’s designed to let in air
but not moisture.Berries
“Berries are inherently very perish-
able,” Brecht says. They don’t ripen after
you bring them home, either. “There’s
nothing left for them to do but die.” (He’s
great at parties, guys!) To stave off decay,
keep your berries in the crisper drawer,
where it’s cold and they’re less likely to
lose moisture. That being said, wait to
wash your berries until just before you
want to eat them, because water can
cause them to get moldy. Transferring
your berries to an airtight container once
you get home helps, too.
Corn
Think you’re protecting your corn by
leaving it in the husk, as I did? Wrong!
Corn loses water through the husk,
which draws moisture from the cob,
Brecht says. So when you don’t remove
the leaves, the kernels can dry out and get
dented. Brecht suggests sprinkling the
corn with some ice and storing it in a
plastic bag, removing the water from the
melted ice and replenishing it every so
often.
PRODUCE FROM E1
Keep
summer
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feeling
fresh
RANDI ZAFMAN FOR THE WASHINGTON POSTMelons
“Melons are a bit of a problem,”
according to Brecht. They t aste better the
longer they’re left o n the vine, and they’re
usually not ripe when you buy them.
Look for melons that smell good, and let
them ripen on the counter, if needed.
Then store in the refrigerator, covered, in
the fruit drawer if you can. Like apples
and bananas, they give off ethylene,
which can hasten ripening and spoilage
in other produce. Tr y to keep the melon
as intact as possible, cutting only what
you need at the time. “The more cutting
you do, the faster the deterioration,”
Brecht says.FREE Estimates g^ Financing Available
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