National Produce Misting Day: how to store produce so it lasts

Today is National Produce Misting Day, which recognizes the misters that keep lettuce and herbs looking fresh in grocery stores. At home, there are no misters, but a few simple habits from food safety experts can keep fruits and vegetables from going soft before you get to them.

Start with the refrigerator. The University of Maine Cooperative Extension recommends keeping it at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below. A cheap fridge thermometer is the easiest way to know for sure.

Next, hold off on washing. The extension's advice for nearly every fruit and vegetable is to wash it just before eating or cooking, not when you put it away. Use clean running water with no soap. A vegetable brush helps with firm skins like potatoes and carrots, and delicate berries do better with a gentle spray in a colander than a long soak.

Some produce does better out of the fridge. Fresh ripe tomatoes should stay at room temperature, and melons ripen best on the counter until they are ready. The extension also suggests keeping cucumbers away from apples and tomatoes.

Once you cut or peel something, the clock speeds up. Put cut, peeled or cooked produce in a clean covered container in the refrigerator within two hours and eat it within three to four days.

A small step for lunch today: move the produce you bought first to the front of the fridge, so it gets eaten before the newer things.