Is your fridge a vegetable graveyard? How to store veg to make them last longer
Your fridge’s crisper drawer is the first kitchen skill worth cracking
Your fridge’s crisper drawer is the first kitchen skill worth cracking. Even if you’ve grown to refer to yours as “the rotter” where that hopeful haul of herbage snapped up at the shops in a spontaneous “health kick” goes to die. Especially so!
The first thing to note is that fruit and vegetables are like families – some members get along better than others. Soft herbs, leaves and cruciferous vegetables are tetchy. Leave them near ethylene-emitting produce (ie most fruits) and they’ll turn yellow and shrivel and curl in on themselves. As a rule of thumb, cold-weather veg get priority in the crisper, because the crisper is closest to their natural habitat.
Kale, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage and brussels sprouts prefer to breathe, so anything airtight will do more harm than good. Wrap them in damp kitchen towel, then bag loosely.
Larger cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage and wombok have their own natural wrapping in the form of their outer leaves. If you’re not using it all at once, remember to rewrap in damp towel or the cut side will discolour and dry out.
If you’ve scored rootier veg such as radishes and turnips with their tops still attached, it’s best to divide and conquer. Cut off the leafy tops as they have a propensity to suck the life out of the main bulb of the vegetable. The bulb goes in the crisper, but don’t throw out the tops – they’re delicious. Place in a bag, store on the fridge shelf and treat them like rocket. Just make sure you give them an extremely judicious wash, as they tend to be gritty.
Hardier root vegetables such as carrots and beetroot do best in the crisper too. If you’re running low on space, bag and pop on the shelf above though.
Tomatoes, capsicums and eggplants are warmer-weather veg and fare best away from the crisper. Potatoes are particularly fridge-phobic, as this exposes them to too much light, dries them out and changes their starch structure (a good thing only if you’re making gnocchi). Keep them in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
While we’re on spuds, remember those feuding family members I mentioned? It’s a terrible idea to store onions and potatoes in the same place – they will tear each other down. If your potatoes are in the pantry, paper-bag your onions and place in the crisper; if your spuds are in the fridge, store onions in the pantry.
To store soft herbs and lettuce leaves, wash and spin-dry, then wrap in damp paper towel, pop in an airtight container or calico bag and place on the shelf above the crisper.
It’s best to store fruit (except perhaps berries) outside of the fridge entirely. Not only is it better for ripening, but fruit tastes better at room temperature and there’s less risk of fridge odours or dehydration ruining softer fruits. There may be circumstances when refrigeration is necessary, like if you live in the tropics or the fruit is on the turn. In this case, try storing fruit on the shelf above the crisper, or place in reusable bags.
Ultimately, the best way to prevent your crisper from becoming a vegetable graveyard is to keep things moving. Whenever you bring home a haul from the shops or markets, remove your older produce from the crisper. Wipe the bottom with a little white vinegar, pop in the new vegetables first, then put older produce on top. This will also encourage you to use up everything you’ve got, no matter how wilty.
- The Guardian
