Food - Drink
How To Protect Your Fresh Produce In Heat And Humidity
By KAREN GRECO
Summer heat waves create high levels of humidity and force farmers to ship their produce sooner than planned, causing supply chain issues and inconsistent storage practices; all of these factors can lead to fruits and vegetables spoiling sooner than you'd like. Here's how to protect your produce from the summer heat.
In your kitchen, humidity can cause produce with a high water content to form condensation and turn slimy. The way to prevent this is to thoroughly dry your produce before putting it away, whether you've washed it first or just brought it home from the store; any excess water on your fruits and veggies can spell disaster.
Another good habit is to adjust the humidity levels in your crisper according to the specific needs of the produce inside. Also, keep fruits that continue ripening once picked, like cantaloupes, apples, and peaches, away from other fruits and veggies, since these can give off ethylene gas that turns other produce mushy.
Lastly, keep an eye on produce that’s stored outside of the fridge, such as tomatoes and bananas; these will age quicker in the heat. If you can't eat all your fruits and veggies in a good timeframe, either freeze them or cook them using methods that use up a lot at once, such as grilling or making batches of baked goods.