Produce That Lasts Longer? Yes, Please!

Contributed by Marty Sinclair, The Hive Overland Park

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Fact #1: Produce is expensive.

Fact #2: Much of it goes bad in my fridge.

I don't know if anyone else has this issue but I find, as a recent empty nester, I tend to

buy too much produce! The problem is that we just don't eat it as quickly as we did when we had a "full house" and I often end up tossing half of it in the trash. How maddening and wasteful!

So, I decided to do a little research on the subject. Turns out that storing produce in mason jars works really well and it may even DOUBLE the length of time that you can store these pricey gems in the fridge before they get moldy. Worth a try in my book!

Here is what you will need:

• A colander

• A drying mat or towels

• Cooling racks (not required but helpful!) Tip: easier to use grids with smaller spacing.

• Mason jars with lids - varying sizes are a good idea

  • 4 oz jars or 8 oz jars - great for lunch bags or light snacks

  • 16 oz jars - standard and what is shown in pics

  • 32 oz jars - larger quantities or "bulkier" items such as strawberries or watermelon

The Prep

Step 1: Rinse Thoroughly

Grab a colander, dump the produce in and give it a good rinse in cold water!

Step 2: Cut and Select

This is the time to slice peppers/cucumbers/celery, take grapes off their stems, and remove any mushy, moldy or bruised berries.

Step 3: Let 'Em Dry Real Good

I rinsed all of the produce, laid it out on the cooling racks and let them sit for several HOURS in a single layer. You can use mats or towels but using cooling racks saves a lot counter space.

Step 4: Toss In A Jar

Add all the berries & veggies to various sized mason jars. I would recommend the 16 oz or 32 oz – jars to use most of the time. I did use a few 4 oz jars for lunch/snack size portions so I could take them with me more easily. If it still looks like there’s some condensation in the jar, you can add a paper towel to absorb some of the moisture (see the cucumbers).

Step 5: Refrigerate

They are ready to enjoy and will last TWICE as long as they would if you kept them in their plastic packaging. And since they are ready to eat, hopefully that encourages you to grab a healthy treat from the fridge. A win-win!

Step 6: Enjoy!

Nothing beats the taste of fresh fruit or veggies, and, oh so good for your body!

A Few Additional Notes

True confession, I do not enjoy food prep AT ALL. However, I have found that this does actually prolong the shelf life of produce and putting in few minutes of work right after coming home from the grocery store is totally worth it.

• the berries don’t get mushy or moldy nearly as quickly as they do in plastic packaging

• a true timesaver in the end and much more convenient to use in salads or as a side

• great on the go, you can just toss the entire jar with the lid into your bag

• the jars are so much more visually appealing in the fridge, your eye is drawn to them

• you save money by wasting less produce - YAY!!!

Produce Suggestions Using Jar Storage:

• blueberries

• blackberries

• strawberries – I started to cut & slice - works!

• raspberries

• grapes

• pineapple

• watermelon

• bell peppers

• baby carrots

• cucumbers

• celery - do add water to the jar to keep crisp!

Note: It is impossible to get some of the produce completely dry. You just want them as dry as possible and you can always add a small square of paper towel to absorb some of the moisture as needed.

Have you used the mason jar storage idea? Other ideas for storing your produce to last longer? Please share in the comments.