24
Food safety … food quality
The food storage charts on pages
21-25 give you specific informa-
tion to help you keep food safe
and keep it at its best quality. The
recommended storage tempera-
tures will help you provide
optimal storage conditions, to
help you keep food at it best
quality longer. As a general rule,
food that requires refrigeration
that is handled properly and kept
at temperatures below 45° F will
be safe to eat. Storing food at
temperatures below 45° F keeps it
out of the Danger Zone.
The storage times for refrigeration
will help keep food from spoiling
or becoming dangerous to eat.
The time limits for frozen foods
are to maintain flavor and texture
…if food is kept longer than the
recommended time in the freezer,
it will still be safe to eat, but the
quality won’t be as good.
Ethylene
Some fruits and vegetables will
produce ethylene, a gas that
initiates the ripening process.
Ethylene can cause premature
ripening in some foods, while in
others, it can actually cause
damage. To reduce unnecessary
spoilage of your produce, do not
store ethylene producing fruits
and vegetables with those that are
sensitive to it.
Don’t store
ethylene
producers…
apples
apricots
avocados
ripening bananas
cantaloupe
cherimoyas
figs
guavas
honeydew
kiwifruit
mamey sapote
mangoes
mangosteen
nectarines
papayas
passion fruit
peaches
pears
persimmons
plantains
plums
prunes
quince
tomatoes
with foods that
are sensitive to
ethylene
unripe bananas
green beans
belgian endive
broccoli
brussels sprouts
cabbage
carrots
cauliflower
chard
cucumbers
eggplant
unripe kiwifruit
leafy greens
lettuce
okra
parsley
peas
peppers
spinach
squash
sweet potatoes
watercress
watermelon
Suggested Food Storage
Form
✔pumpkins
radicchio
radishes
romaine
rutabagas
salsify
shallots
snow peas
spinach
✔squash, summer
squash, winter
✔sweet potatoes
✔tamarillos
✔tomatoes (ripe)
turnips
water chestnuts
watercress
Recommended
storage
temperature in
degrees F
38-55
34
34
34
34
34
34
34
34
40-50
50-55
55-60
37-40
34-40
34
34-36
34
Approximate
storage life at
refrigerator
temperatures
3-4 months
2-3 weeks
3-4 weeks
2-3 weeks
4-6 months
2-4 months
6 months
1-2 weeks
1-2 weeks
1-2 weeks
3-5 months
4-7 months
2 months
3-4 weeks
4-5 months
1-2 months
2-3 weeks
Recommended
storage time in
freezer at 0°F
See food
preservation
books/guides
for complete
instructions
on freezing
vegetables.
Comments
✔indicates vegetables
that are sensitive to
chill injury, a cause of
spoilage. Damage
may not be apparent
until the vegetables
are returned to a
warmer temperature.
More FreshVegetables
eeping food at its best
K
eeping
food at its best
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