How Long Can I Keep This?

Between citrus season, a meatless Lent, and the coming of spring, a lot of fresh produce has come and gone through my fridge. Living in the suburbs and having a toddler in tow means I don't get to shop as often as I'd like, so I have to be savvy about what will keep for a few weeks and what to use up quickly. Lately, I've been referring quite a bit to this blog post on how to store various types of produce. Some of the less well-known tips include storing asparagus in a jar of water (above), wrapping celery in foil, and not washing grapes and berries until just before you eat them.

For a more comprehensive listing (read: way more information than you'll ever need), StillTasty contains a database of almost any food you can think of. What I love is that they give you storage times for peak eating, but also differentiate between "highest quality" and "still safe to eat" (because we all fudge things from time to time). They also have an iPhone app, if you're so inclined.

One thing that's helped immensely with cutting down waste is keeping a container in the freezer for making stock. Along with some of the better scraps from chopping vegetables (celery and leek tops, those onion layers that aren't quite skin), I'll throw in anything that starts to look like it's going downhill. I'm not tempted to hang onto it, because it's not waste, and cleaning out my crisper is a much less arduous task.

Related:

• Making Bananas Last (Cook's Illustrated)