Here is what you’ll need to know about storing your produce.
If you’re either a restaurant owner or a chef, you know how awful it is to have food spoil. In many instances, food can spoil because it wasn’t stored the right way. Proper food storage can help lower how much food waste your facility generates. In turn, you will bring in more revenue, and your flavor quality will improve overall. Here is what you’ll need to know about storing your produce.
Universal Practices to Follow
Different types of produce require different storage techniques, which we will review shortly, however, there are some best practices that should be used for pretty much all types of produce.
- Produce shouldn’t be cut until it is ready to be used
- Avoid stacking vegetables because it limits airflow and applies pressure, causing items to have a shorter lifespan
- Don’t wash produce before storing it. Wait until you’re about to use your produce before you wash it
- Extend shelf life by storing everything at lower temperatures
- Have your produce stored somewhere that gets sufficient airflow because it stops suffocating and slows down the spoiling process
- Don’t purchase fresh vegetables until shortly before you’ll use them because they will lose flavor if they remain in cold areas for too long
Storage for Tomatoes
Tomatoes are vegetables that need to be kept away from sunlight when they are being stored. They also won’t ripen how they should if they are stored in refrigerators. Have their stem sides facing downwards until they have become ripe. It’s best to keep them stored in single layers because they keep best whenever they don’t make contact with each other.
Storage for Potatoes
Potatoes should not be stored in refrigerators; instead, keep them in an area that is dark, cool, and dry. Refrigerators are too cold, and they make the starch in potatoes convert into sugar. Potatoes should be stored using big bowls, baskets, or paper bags. Don’t store them inside of any containers that would seal moisture inside because moisture accelerates the spoiling process.
Storage for Carrots
Trimming the leaf tops of carrots is the first step you should take. Carrots will draw moisture from the roots, which will speed up the wilting process. Because of this, carrots should be stored in containers that have a shallow pool of water in them. If you’re tight on space, use open plastic bags as storage containers.
Baywater Farms Has The Right Produce For You
Baywater Farms is a family-owned and operated farm servicing Baltimore, Washington D.C., Maryland, Delaware beaches, and the Eastern Shore. We are capable of meeting the demands of your produce distributor, restaurant produce supplier, CSA produce supplier, or wholesale produce supplier while maintaining the integrity and character of a small farm. When you work with Baywater Farms, you work with an experienced, ethical, and local farm dedicated to providing the highest-quality heirloom produce.