How to Buy and Store Summer Fruits and Vegetables
With the sudden burst of produce hitting farmers' markets and grocery store shelves, food shopping in the summer can feel like a very leafy, juicy Christmas. But it's also overwhelming to remember exactly how to pick out that perfect peach or tomato, and how to store it once you get home. Do melons go in the fridge? Should you wash your basil right away? We're here to help—click through for a guide to buying and storing summer produce.
Jamie Chung1/16Cherries
HOW TO BUY
Cherries should be shiny, plump, and firm. Sour cherries and Bing cherries can range from a bright, vibrant red to an almost black-purple. Rainier cherries (which have a cult following, especially in Japan) range from whitish-yellow to an electric red, and are very sweet. Stems should be fresh and light in color. Avoid sticky or soft cherries.HOW TO STORE
Loosely cover and refrigerate unwashed cherries for no more than one week.
2/16Corn
HOW TO BUY
It’s best to buy corn that’s as fresh as possible and still in the husk. Look for green husks that are not too dry and that have moist golden silk. Peel one side of the husk down just a little to check that the kernels are plump and in tight, evenly spaced rows. Then fold the husk back up to prevent drying.HOW TO STORE
Corn is best eaten the same day it’s purchased. Store unhusked corn loose in the refrigerator. For best flavor, use it within two days. Husked corn should be refrigerated, stored loosely in plastic bags, and used within two days.
Peden + Munk3/16Arugula
HOW TO BUY
Choose bright, dry, fresh-looking arugula with a peppery, clean scent and no signs of wilting. Pre-washed, bagged arugula is also available at supermarkets.HOW TO STORE
Arugula is very perishable. Do not rinse until use. Store tightly wrapped in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Chris Lanier4/16Cucumbers
HOW TO BUY
Although cucumbers are available year-round, summer is when you’ll see the best choice of varieties at the market. Look for cucumbers that are firm, not shriveled, with bright-looking skin. Pass on any with soft spots or cuts in the flesh. Because they lose moisture quickly, cucumbers are often bred with thick skins and sealed with wax to extend their shelf life. Special, thin-skinned varieties are worth seeking out because they’re more slender and flavorful, and have smaller seeds. To protect the skins, these types of cucumbers are often sealed in plastic.HOW TO STORE
Stash cucumbers unwashed in a sealed plastic bag in the warmest part of the fridge. Use them within a few days.
Hirsheimer Hamilton5/16Eggplant
HOW TO BUY
Choose an eggplant that is heavy for its size. It should have a fresh cap of leaves, and the skin should be shiny and free of brown spots or scars. Although we usually see deep-purple eggplants at the market, the fruit takes its name from the white, egg-shaped variety. Eggplants are also available in green, as well as a purple-and-white mix. Supermarkets typically carry globe (the most common kind) and Japanese or Chinese eggplants. Look for other Eastern varieties at Asian markets. Farmers’ markets have an even wider selection.HOW TO STORE
Keep eggplant in the veggie drawer of your refrigerator and use it within a few days. If stored too long, eggplant becomes bitter.
Peden + Munk6/16Carrots
HOW TO BUY
Choose slender carrots that are firm and bright. (Larger ones may be tough and woody.) If the tops are still attached, make sure they’re bright and fresh-looking. If the tops have been removed, inspect the stem end–darkening is a sign of age. Avoid carrots that have begun to soften or those with cracks or lots of little hairy roots–these are signs of age.HOW TO STORE
Wrapped in plastic and refrigerated, carrots with the tops removed will last for about two weeks. If you buy them with the green tops and won’t use them right away, remove the greens–they will pull out the root’s moisture. Avoid storing them near fruit. The ethylene gas emitted by apples and pears, among others, will shorten the vegetables’ storage life.
Ditte Isager7/16Plums
HOW TO BUY
Look for plums that don’t have any obvious blemishes, brown spots, or suspicious soft spots, and that are as ripe as you want them to be–if you’ve got a few days to let them ripen at room temperature, firm is fine, but you want them a little bit squishy if you’re planning on picnicking right in the parking lot. Perfectly ripe plums should be nicely fragrant, too.HOW TO STORE
Once they’re ripe, plums will stay close to perfect for 3-5 days in the fridge (or icebox, if you’re roomies with WCW), but not much longer.
Peden + Munk8/16Figs
HOW TO BUY
Purchase figs fully ripe, as flavor won’t improve after harvest; fruit should give to gentle pressure. Seek out slightly wrinkled skin with no bruising. Small cracks are okay.HOW TO STORE
Keep covered with plastic wrap in a bowl in the refrigerator for two to three days. Serve at room temperature.
9/16Basil
HOW TO BUY
Hothouse-grown can’t compare to sun-drenched summer basil with spicy hints of licorice and mint. Choose fragrant, voluptuous bunches with bright green, unbruised leaves. Besides sweet basil, try some other varieties: pungent, violet-edged Thai; tangy lemon; and bronzy-purple opal.HOW TO STORE
Kept in the refrigerator, basil stays fresh for up to one week. Leave basil in its original plastic container or rinse the leaves, roll them up in paper towels, and place them in a resealable plastic bag. Sometimes basil will keep longer if you trim the stems and put the bunch in a glass of water–like you would with fresh flowers–then put a plastic bag over the basil and refrigerate. Change water every two days.
Ryan Liebe10/16Tomatoes
HOW TO BUY
Cherry and Grape Tomatoes:
Because of the many varieties sold, color isn’t always an indicator of ripeness. Pick firm tomatoes that are free of bruises and cracks. Ideally, they’ll exude a fresh tomato aroma.Beefsteak, Plum, and Heirloom:
Look for intense color (again, they come in many colors) and firm texture that gives a little when pressed. Tomatoes should be free of blemishes, cracks, or sunken spots, and smell intensely of tomato.HOW TO STORE
Cherry and Grape Tomatoes:
Cherry tomatoes will actually continue to ripen after picking if kept at room temperature. They shouldn’t be stored in the fridge unless they’re very ripe–cold mutes their bright flavor and can turn the texture mealy. If you do chill ripe these little tomatoes, make sure it’s for a brief time—no more than a day.Beefsteak, Plum, and Heirloom:
Keep tomatoes at room temperature, either on the counter or–if they require more ripening–in a brown paper bag. Never refrigerate tomatoes! Use ripe tomatoes immediately.
11/16Watermelon
HOW TO BUY
Look for a melon that is heavy for its size and firm, with no soft spots or blemishes. Thump it on the side; the sound should be resonant and hollow, not dull.HOW TO STORE
Store whole watermelons in a cool place for up to 2 weeks; cut watermelon should be tightly wrapped, stored in the refrigerator, and eaten within 2 days.
Christopher Testani12/16Cantaloupe
HOW TO BUY
Choose cantaloupes that are heavy for their size and have a fresh fragrance, with no sloshing sound when shaken. The webbing on their skin should be thick and well raised. Perfectly ripe melons will have light gold color between the webbing. Avoid any with soft spots.HOW TO STORE
Keep unripe cantaloupe at room temperature but refrigerate those that are ripe. You can refrigerate uncut for up to one week.
Christopher Testani13/16Peaches
HOW TO BUY
Don’t be taken in by that come-hither blush–it’s simply the part of the fruit that was facing the sun when it was on the tree. The best way to pick a peach is by aroma–the headier and sweeter-smelling the better. Choose firm but slightly soft fruit that smells sweet; pass on peaches with soft spots. Avoid hard or greenish peaches, which were picked too early and likely won’t ripen well. Store peaches at room temperature until ripe.HOW TO STORE
Keep on the counter in a single layer with breathing space until fully ripe. Refrigerate for up to one week; serve at room temperature. Or refrigerate first to delay ripening.
We Are The Rhoads14/16Celery
HOW TO BUY
Look for crisp, tightly formed bunches with no brown spots or yellow leaves.HOW TO STORE
Keep celery in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Do not separate stalks until just before use, then remove any damaged stalks and wash thoroughly.
Flickr/conskeptical15/16Garlic
HOW TO BUY
If you can, try to get fresh garlic from the farmers’ market. Look for heads with the roots and green stalks still attached. They should be firm to the touch, and if you’re buying fresh, the skin around the cloves should still be moist, rather than papery all the way through.HOW TO STORE
Store whole heads of garlic in a cool, dry place for up to 2 months; removing cloves from a head reduces its shelf life. If cloves develop green spots in their centers, they’re trying to sprout: you can just cut around the green bits, but try to use up whatever you have left once it’s gone this far.
Ryan Liebe16/16Zucchini
HOW TO BUY
Look for small, firm zucchini with blemish-free, vibrant green skin. Zucchini gets bitter as they grow bigger, so avoid any overly large squashes.HOW TO STORE
Zucchini can be stored unwashed in the refrigerator for up to 5 days loosely wrapped in a plastic bag.
