Fine Food Kept Fresh

Keep your fresh produce longer.

For anyone who loves food, coming home from the farmers market with bags brimming with fresh produce, artisan cheeses and other local bounty is quite simply—a thrill. Greens are greener and firmer than anything sold at the supermarket. Fruits in season have fragrance and a feel that no long-distance peach could possibly have. And cheese … the smell alone is a different animal.

If you’re like most people, you’ve shopped for more than today. This beautiful food is yours to come home to all week long, a treat for senses, spirit and health after a busy day. But without proper storage, those firm greens go mushy, that fruit starts to wrinkle and the bacteria in the cheese have a holiday. But keeping preservative-free foods for the week—and longer—can be simple.

High-Tech Solutions
The easiest way is with the help of new, high tech, energy-efficient refrigerators that provide and maintain ideal storage conditions for your finds. European appliance stalwart Bosch recently introduced models featuring VitaFresh technology with climate control sensors that maintain ideal levels of temperature, humidity and air circulation in their drawers, helping retain nutrients and texture.

Miele raises the bar with its Master Cool system that puts you in control of individual storage bins depending on what you’re storing. A food-driven menu allows you to select the right climate for specific foods, ensuring you’ll have just the right settings, whether for fresh chevre, local shrimp or just-picked cherries.

Tried and True Storage Tips
With most veggies and fruit preferring storage at just above freezing to avoid cellular deterioration that reduces nutrition levels, as well as crunch, refrigerators like these that manage conditions are ideal. But technology aside, nutritionist Jeanette Bronee, founder of Path for Life self-nourishment center in New York City, recommends a few simple techniques for DIY storage. First, rinse greens (and all of those chill-loving veggies) in cold water when you get home, especially if you’ve done your shopping on a warm day. This not only revives their firmness, but also helps arrest the oxidation process begun by heat exposure.

Remove produce from plastic bags, which can hasten decay by inhibiting air circulation and collecting moisture. Instead, use cloth bags or other containers that allow for air flow and store in appropriate refrigerator bins.

Also, if you’ve trimmed or cut the surface of any produce, be sure to prevent further decay by eliminating its exposure to air. Place the item cut side down on a dish or cover closely with plastic wrap; certain fruits such as apples and avocado also benefit from a dousing in lemon juice, which works as a seal against oxidation. Cheese should be kept cool and as airtight as possible; humid conditions lead to rapid deterioration. 

With these tools at hand, any remaining reasons to not buy fresh and in season have completely lost their bite. Indulge in health.

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