🥬
Leafy Greens
Lettuce, spinach, kale, arugula, and other leafy vegetables
How to Select:
- Look for crisp, vibrant leaves
- Avoid wilted or yellowing leaves
- Check for fresh smell
Storage Tips:
- Wash and dry thoroughly
- Wrap in paper towels
- Store in plastic bag in crisper
- Lasts 3-7 days
🥕
Root Vegetables
Carrots, beets, turnips, radishes
How to Select:
- Firm to the touch
- Smooth skin without cracks
- Vibrant color
Storage Tips:
- Remove green tops
- Store in plastic bag in fridge
- Can also store in water
- Lasts 2-3 weeks
🥦
Broccoli & Cauliflower
Cruciferous vegetables packed with nutrients
How to Select:
- Tight, compact florets
- Firm stalks
- Vibrant green or white color
Storage Tips:
- Store unwashed in plastic bag
- Keep in crisper drawer
- Use within 5-7 days
🍅
Tomatoes
Technically a fruit, treated as a vegetable
How to Select:
- Firm but yields slightly to pressure
- Deep, even color
- Sweet aroma at stem
Storage Tips:
- Store at room temperature
- Never refrigerate
- Stem-side down
- Use within 3-5 days
🫑
Bell Peppers
Available in green, red, yellow, and orange
How to Select:
- Firm and heavy for size
- Glossy, smooth skin
- No soft spots or wrinkles
Storage Tips:
- Store in crisper drawer
- Keep dry
- Lasts 1-2 weeks
🥒
Cucumbers
Crisp, refreshing vegetable
How to Select:
- Firm from end to end
- Dark green color
- No soft spots
Storage Tips:
- Wrap in paper towel
- Store in plastic bag
- Keep in fridge
- Lasts 1 week
🌟 The Dirty Dozen & Clean Fifteen
Dirty Dozen (buy organic if possible): Strawberries, spinach, kale, nectarines, apples, grapes, peaches, cherries, pears, tomatoes, celery, potatoes
Clean Fifteen (lowest in pesticides): Avocados, sweet corn, pineapple, onions, papaya, sweet peas, eggplant, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, kiwi, cauliflower, mushrooms, honeydew, cantaloupe
🍎
Apples
Versatile fruit available year-round
How to Select:
- Firm to the touch
- No bruises or soft spots
- Rich color for variety
Storage Tips:
- Refrigerate for longer storage
- Keep away from other produce
- Lasts 3-4 weeks in fridge
🍌
Bananas
Popular, convenient fruit
How to Select:
- Choose based on when you'll eat
- Green for later, yellow for now
- Brown spots are fine (sweeter)
Storage Tips:
- Store at room temperature
- Hang on banana hook
- Separate from bunch to slow ripening
- Freeze overripe for smoothies
🍓
Berries
Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries
How to Select:
- Plump and firm
- Vibrant color
- No mold or moisture
Storage Tips:
- Don't wash until eating
- Remove moldy berries immediately
- Store in original container
- Use within 3-7 days
🍊
Citrus Fruits
Oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits
How to Select:
- Heavy for their size (juicy)
- Firm with slight give
- Bright, even color
Storage Tips:
- Room temp for 1 week
- Fridge for 2-3 weeks
- Keep in mesh bag
🥑
Avocados
Creamy, nutritious fruit
How to Select:
- Gentle squeeze for ripeness
- Should yield slightly when ripe
- Check under stem - green is good
Storage Tips:
- Ripen at room temperature
- Refrigerate when ripe
- Use lemon juice on cut surface
- Ripe avocados last 3-5 days
🍇
Grapes
Sweet, convenient snack
How to Select:
- Plump and firmly attached to stem
- No wrinkled or brown grapes
- White coating (bloom) is normal
Storage Tips:
- Don't wash until eating
- Store in original bag
- Keep in fridge
- Lasts 1-2 weeks
🍎 Ethylene Gas Producers
Some fruits produce ethylene gas that speeds ripening of other produce. Store these separately:
High producers: Apples, bananas, tomatoes, avocados, peaches, pears, plums
Sensitive to ethylene: Lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, cucumbers, carrots, potatoes
Pro tip: Use this to your advantage! Place a banana with hard avocados to ripen them faster.