06/12/2026
Last night I was asked about how long and how to properly store produce. My initial reaction was wash it throughly and consume it quickly. However it got me thinking though and so naturally I hit the books
I’ve cut and pasted several of the crops that I personally grow and added a link bottom of the post an article for MU extension Reviewed in 2026 about storage of vegetable produce.
Thank you to everyone for supporting Local last night
Cool, moist storage
(45 to 50 degrees F, 80 to 90 percent relative humidity)
Squash, summer
Harvest when fruit is young and tender. Skin should be easily penetrated with the thumbnail. Store for up to 1 week in a perforated plastic bag in a refrigerator.
Cucumbers.
Harvest cucumbers before seeds become half-size. Timing will vary with variety. Most varieties will be 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 inches in diameter and 5 to 8 inches long. Pickling cucumbers will be a bit more blocky and not as long as slicers. Store slicing cucumbers in the warmest part of a refrigerator (45 to 50 degrees F) in plastic bags. Storage life is about 1 week. Pickling cucumbers should be cooled quickly in ice water and can be kept up to 2 days in a plastic bag in a refrigerator.
Beans, green
Bean pods will be most tender when the small seed inside is one-fourth normal size. The pods become more fibrous as the beans mature. Harvest before pods begin to swell because of the developing bean seeds inside. Store green beans up to 1 week in perforated plastic bags in the warmest part of a refrigerator. Can or freeze surplus.
Okra
Harvest okra pods when they are 2 to 3 inches long. Over-mature pods are woody. Store in plastic bags in the warmest part of a refrigerator for about 1 week. Freeze surplus
Peppers, sweet
Harvest when fruits are firm and full size. If red, yellow or other colored fruits are desired, leave on plant until mature color develops. Mature peppers will be sweeter than green peppers. Sweet peppers can be stored for 2 to 3 weeks in the warmest part of a refrigerator in plastic bags.
Warm, dry storage
(55 to 60 degrees F, 60 to 70 percent relative humidity
Tomato
Ripe tomatoes will keep for 1 week at 55 to 60 degrees F. Green, mature tomatoes, harvested before frost, should be kept at a temperature between 55 and 70 degrees F. For faster ripening, raise temperature to 65 to 70 degrees F. Mature green tomatoes should approach normal size and have a whitish green skin color. Keep mature green tomatoes from 3 to 5 weeks by wrapping each tomato in newspaper and inspecting for ripeness each week. Do not store tomatoes in a refrigerator.
Learn how to properly harvest and store various vegetables to ensure optimal quality and shelf life.
