Buying local and eating good, fresh vegetables is great, but with most markets taking place on a weekly basis – not to mention seasonally – it’s important to know how to keep the vegetables that you’ve bought as fresh as possible for as long as possible. There are a few basic considerations when storing vegetables, categories into which most vegetables fall. Most vegetables like a combination of either moist or dry storage, and cool or cold storage.
Below you can find a chart that outlines how to best store the most common market vegetables. If there’s anything missing from this list that you’d like more information on how to store, feel free to contact me.
| Vegetable | How to Store | Expected Shelf-Life | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asparagus | Cold and moist | 2 weeks | Keep upright |
| Basil | At room temperature | 5 days | Keep stems in water; will discolour if kept in refrigerator for 10 days |
| Beans, Snap | Cold and moist | 1 week | Develop pitting if stored below 4.5°C (40°F) |
| Beets | Cold and moist | 5 months | Store without tops |
| Broccoli | Cold and moist | 2 weeks | - |
| Brussels Sprouts | Cold and moist | 1 month | - |
| Cabbage | Cold and moist | 5 months | - |
| Carrots | Cold and moist | 8 months | Store without tops |
| Cauliflower | Cold and moist | 3 weeks | - |
| Corn, Sweet | Cold and moist | 5 days | - |
| Cucumbers | Cool spot, 13°C (55°F) in perforated plastic bags; in refrigerator for a few days okay | 1 week | Develops pitting & water-soaked areas if chilled below 4.5°C (40°F); do not store with apples or tomatoes |
| Eggplant | Like cucumbers | 1 week | Develops pitting, bronzing, pulp browning if stored for long period below 10°C (50°F) |
| Kohlrabi | Cold and moist | 2 months | Store without tops |
| Lettuce | Cold and moist | 1 week | - |
| Muskmelon (Cantaloupe) | Cold and moist | 1 week | Develops pitting surface decay with slight freezing |
| Onions | Cold and dry | 4 months | Cure at room temperature 2-4 weeks before storage, do not freeze |
| Parsnips | Cold and moist | 4 months | Do not wax or allow roots to freeze; sweetens after 2 weeks storage at 0°C (32°F) |
| Peas | Cold and moist | 1 week | - |
| Peppers | Like cucumbers | 2 weeks | Develops pitting below 7°C (45°F) |
| Potatoes | Cold and moist; keep away from light | 6 months | Cure at 10-16°C (50-60°F) or 14 days before storage, will sweeten below 3°C (38°F) |
| Pumpkins | Cool and dry | 2 months | Very sensitive to temperatures below 7°C (45°F) |
| Radishes | Cold and moist | 1 month | Store without tops |
| Rutabagas | Cold and moist | 4 months | Do not wax |
| Spinach | Cold and moist | 10 days | - |
| Squash, Summer | Like cucumbers | 1 week | Do not store in refrigerator for more than 4 days |
| Squash, Winter | Cool and dry | 2-6 months, depending on variety | Curing necessary; do not cure Table Queen |
| Swiss Chard | Cool and dry | 5 days | Do not wash until ready to use |
| Tomatoes, Red | Like cucumbers | 5 days | Loses colour, firmness and flavour if stored below 4.5°C (40°F); do not refrigerate! |
| Turnips | Cold and moist | 4 months | Can be waxed |
| Watermelons | Like cucumbers | 2 weeks | Will decay if stored below 10°C (50°F) for more than a few days |
- Cool and dry: 10-16°C (50-60°F) and 60% relative humidity
- Cold and dry: 0-4.5°C (32-40°F) and 65% relative humidity
- Cold and moist: 0-4.5°C (32-40°F) and 95% relative humidity