As the summer heat makes the fields overflow (which might have made you overestimate your veggie intake), you’ll want to make the most of your veg. Whether you’re trying to keep them crunchy, juicy, or perfectly ripe, we’ve created a guide to help you store your veg and maximize their freshness.

First off, let’s chat containers. Some veg like airtight situations, while other ones need to breathe. When we talk about airtight containers, we mean rigid containers with lids, plastic seal top bags, or a reusable version. When we mention perforated bags, we mean those plastic bags with little holes in them, but a mesh bag or a reusable bag left open will do the trick too. 

Before you get reading, here’s a general tip! Check on your veg occasionally to remove any signs of spoilage before it spreads to your other greens.

How to keep your rooted veg and herbs thriving.

Our rooted herbs and veg require some special care since they’re grown in our sunny, warm greenhouses’ NFT system (aka with plenty of water and light). Once they’re harvested and shipped to you, their environment changes, so follow the steps below to help them adapt and thrive in your home’s environment if you plan on keeping them alive or planting them. If you’re planning on enjoying them right away, scroll down to check out how to store them in your fridge.

If you’re not planning on regrowing your greens, you can either place them in an airtight container for about seven days or place the roots inside a jar filled with water and create a mini-greenhouse by wrapping the leaves in a reusable bag to preserve their freshness for well over a week.

Herbs (with roots)

Pop their roots into a dark container (to protect their roots from the light), make sure that about ⅔ of their substrate is always covered with water, place them in a sunny spot, and harvest what you need. To keep them growing for longer, after about three days of transitioning, you can repot them in soil. The fun part is the more you cut, the more side shoots you’ll create!

Leafy Greens & Lettuce (with roots)

Bok choy, spinach, rainbow chard, dandelion greens, and all lettuce varieties:

Just like any other plant, they need water and sunlight. Pop their roots into a dark container (to protect them from the light), make sure that about ⅔ of their substrate is always covered with water, and place them in a sunny spot. Harvest outer leaves as needed, giving a chance to new shoots to grow. After three days, they’ll have adjusted to their new irrigation routine, so you can repot them in soil. 

Filling your crisper drawer with fresh veg.

Designed to keep your veggies fresher for longer by controlling humidity levels, the crisper drawer or a specially adapted storage bin (like the intelli-frais) is the perfect spot for the veggies listed below.

Beans & Peas

Place unwashed veg in a perforated bag with a paper towel, and refrigerate for up to a week. Easy peasy.

Beets

Cut the leaves one inch above the stem (they can be sautéed, so don’t toss ‘em), brush off any soil with a dry paper towel, place beets in an airtight container and refrigerate - they’ll easily keep for at least three weeks.

Broccoli & Cauliflower

Cut off any damaged parts, leaves, and stems. Pop the veg in a perforated bag and store them for up to five days.

Corn

To maximize your corn’s freshness when storing, don’t shuck it! Place it (with its husk) in an airtight container and eat it quickly - it’ll last up to five days, but it’ll be at its best in the first 48 hours.

Cucumbers

If they come wrapped, leave them in the plastic since it keeps them firm and expands their freshness. For unwrapped cukes, pat them dry, wrap them in paper towels, place them inside an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to a week.

Herbs (pre-cut)

To keep herbs fragrant, wrap them loosely in a damp paper towel and place them in an airtight container for up to three weeks.

Leafy Greens & Lettuce (without roots)

Wrap in a paper towel, place inside an airtight container, and refrigerate for around seven days.

Microgreens & Sprouts (pre-cut)

Pre-cut microgreens should be wrapped in a paper towel, placed in an airtight container, and stored for up to five days.

Mushrooms

Dozens of mushroom options, all with one easy storage method: place your unwashed mushrooms in a paper bag along with a paper towel and refrigerate them for up to a week.

Peppers

Whether they’re hot or sweet, place them in an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to a week of fresh peppers.

Radishes

Chop off your radishes’ leaves, remove any soil, and wrap them in a damp paper towel before inserting them into an airtight container - enjoy within a week for maximum crispness. Plus, for a rad way to minimize food waste, try out a radish greens recipe (Google it!).

Rhubarb

To extend your rhubarb’s freshness for several weeks, trim off the leaves and their ends (be sure to throw out the leaves - they’re toxic to humans), add to a perforated bag and refrigerate.

Rutabagas & Turnips

Remove the greens and any soil, wrap them in a damp paper towel, and add them to a perforated bag - they’ll stay fresh for several months.

Summer Squash

Zucchini and pattypan squash need a solid airflow - store them, unwashed, in a paper bag or a perforated bag. They’ll keep for about a week.

No need to stuff the crisper - refrigerate these veg elsewhere.

The following veggies won’t take up any valuable crisper drawer space and will stay fresh on your fridge’s door or shelves.

Asparagus

A bunch of asparagus is a little bit like a bouquet of flowers: trim off the ends, place the bunch in a jar, and add enough water to cover the ends (remember to change the water if it gets cloudy). Create a mini-greenhouse by wrapping the tops in a bag (or close the jar if it’s big enough), and store in your fridge. It’ll be at its best within the first four days!

Cabbages

Conical, green, and red cabbage:

Wrap lightly in paper towels or plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to three weeks.

Kale, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, and Asian specialties:

Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Carrots

Cut off the top of the carrots (but hold onto them - the leaves make a great pesto), wrap the unwashed veg in a paper towel and place in an airtight container, then store away from other produce to prevent spoiling for up to four weeks.

Fiddleheads

Fiddlehead season’s short, but storing them in a bowl of water can keep them fresh for about a month.

Fresher in your cupboard or on your counter.

Some veggies thrive at room temperature - stick these in a cool, dark, dry, well-ventilated spot for maximum freshness.

Garlic

This long-lasting veg can be stored for up to six months (if you can resist it for that long), just avoid separating the cloves.

Onions

Cipollini, red, shallot, Spanish, white, yellow:

Onion varieties, including cipollini, red, shallot, Spanish, white, and yellow, will last a couple of months when stored properly. Place them in an open basket or a bowl to keep them at their best.

Potatoes

Add your dry, unwashed potatoes to a paper bag and enjoy for several weeks. Oh, and avoid storing them near onions to keep them fresh even longer.

Winter Squash

Although they’re winter squash, avoid refrigerating them because they’re not a fan of the cold and avoid placing them on wood (it’ll draw out their moisture). When stored properly (and away from fruits), they’ll keep for several months - the cupboard will do just fine.

 

Miscellaneous storing.

In this section, we’ve rounded up the miscellaneous bunch that can be stored in more than one way. 

Celery

For crispy stalks, you can remove any damaged sections, wrap your whole, unwashed celery in aluminum foil, and store it in the fridge’s crisper drawer for up to two weeks. Or chop off the ends, rinse, place the celery sticks into an airtight container or a jar filled with water, and refrigerate.

Eggplants

If you’ll be enjoying them within two days, carefully place these fragile guys in a cool, dark, and dry cupboard, away from sunlight and fruits. If you’ll be cooking your eggplants later in the week, wrap them in a paper towel, place them in an airtight container, and pop them into the crisper drawer for up to four days.

Herbs (potted)

Potted herbs will keep growing, so test out your green thumb - plant them in your garden or keep them on a sunny windowsill and water them regularly.

Microgreens & Sprouts (whole)

If you plan to eat them right away, place your microgreens in a sunny spot and keep the soil damp. They’ll continue growing a little bit but might get less crunchy. If you want them to last longer, place them in the fridge and create a mini-greenhouse by covering them with their compostable bag.

Green Onions & Leeks

Trim any wilted sections, add enough water to a jar to cover the roots, and place them on a sunny windowsill - your onions will keep growing! You can also refrigerate your onions after wrapping them in a damp paper towel and placing them in an airtight container.

Tomatoes

If you’ll be eating your tomatoes quickly or they’re not quite ripe yet, keep them at room temperature and away from direct sunlight. If you need them to last, remove any remaining vine and store ripe tomatoes upside down on your fridge’s top shelf (aka a warmer part of your fridge).

Bon appétit!