Fruits and Vegetables

You’ve bought a bunch of pomegranates on a sale, and now you’re wondering: how long do pomegranates last, and how should I store them?

Fortunately for you, pomegranates last quite a long time, and don’t have any special requirements for storage. And if that, arguably quite long, storage time isn’t enough for you, you can always freeze pomegranate seeds.

If you’d like to learn a bit more about any of these topics, read on.

How Long Do Pomegranates Last?

As I mentioned, pomegranates keep for quite a long time, so you should easily go through your supplies before the fruits spoil.

At 41°F (or 5°C), which is the standard temperature in a fridge, pomegranates can last for up to two months ([UOC]).

If you leave the fruits at around room temperature, that period shrinks to about a week and a half to two weeks.

How long your pomegranates will keep quality depends on how many days they sat in the supermarket before you’ve bought them. For best results, try not to leave them in storage until the very last moment.

When it comes to pomegranate seeds, they last for about 5 to 7 days.

Now that you know all about the storage periods, let’s talk about how to take care of pomegranates so that they last the longest.

How To Store Pomegranates

Once again, let’s start with whole pomegranates.

If you leave them on the counter, make sure they don’t sit in sunlight. If that’s possible, move pomegranates to a place where it’s a bit colder, like the pantry. And make sure they can breathe, so there’s no moisture buildup that often leads to mold.

Remember that you can store pomegranates at room temp for only a week or two.

If you go with the best option, that is the fridge, there’s nothing special you need to do. Just put the unwrapped fruits in the refrigerator. That’s it.

When it comes to pomegranate seeds, you need a storage container or a freezer bag. It’s best if you can seal that container, so the seeds don’t pick up any smells. Again, all you need to do is to put that container on a shelf in the fridge.

The last storage option that’s worth discussing is freezing.

Can You Freeze Pomegranate Seeds?

While freezing a whole pomegranate isn’t a good idea, freezing the seeds is definitely an option. The seeds freeze well, and if you pre-freeze them (like I mention in the instructions below), you can easily grab a spoon or two whenever you need some.

Here’s how to freeze pomegranate seeds:

1. Pat the seeds dry. If you’ve just removed the seeds from the pith, especially if you used the water bowl method that I use, there will be drops of water here and there. We don’t want them, so the first step is to pat the arils dry.
2. Pre-freeze. Grab a cookie sheet and line it with a silicone mat (if you have one). Lay all the seeds on it in a single layer so that they hardy touch one another. Put the tray in the freezer until the seeds freeze.
3. Transfer for long-term freezing. Move the frozen seeds into a container or a freezer bag, and seal it tightly. Label it if you like, and put it into the freezer for long-term storage.

The whole process shouldn’t take more than 10 to 15 minutes. Also, it allows you to grab as many seeds as you need, whenever you need them.

How To Tell If a Pomegranate Has Gone Bad?

Before we talk about pomegranates spoiling, let’s briefly mention ripeness.

First, you should know that pomegranates don’t ripen after being harvested ([UOC]). It’s not like with mangos or avocados, which you sometimes need to ripen first. Because of that, if your pomegranates aren’t ripe, they never will be.

You tell ripe from unripe pomegranates by shape. Unripe ones are round, like an apple, while ripe ones have their sides flattened (look at the photo from above that I did). Fortunately, 99 out of 100 cases the pomegranate you’ve bought in the supermarket will be ripe.

When it comes to signs that your pomegranate is bad, here are the most common ones:

• Brown or black arils. If most of the seeds are black or brown, discard the fruit. If there’s only a section of those, and the rest seems to be okay, feel free to throw out only the bad ones. You should know that the changed color of the arils might happen without any external symptoms ([UOC]).
• Soft or sunken spots, mushiness. These are caused either by losing water content or external damage. Either way, if the injured surface is small, the rest should be okay. If, on the other hand, the whole fruit is mushy, get rid of it.
• Light weight. If the pomegranate seems to be light for its size, or even feels hollow, throw it out.
• Mold. That’s a sure sign things have gone bad. Of course, if there’s only a small area covered with white fur, you can cut it out (and then some), and eat the rest if you wish. If your pomegranate seeds go moldy, discard the whole container.
• Something else is off. If anything about the pomegranate is not quite right, throw it out. Better safe than sorry.

Summary

• Pomegranates last up to two months in the fridge and between a week and two weeks at room temperature
• Pomegranate seeds keep for 5 to 7 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator
• You can freeze pomegranate seeds if that week isn’t long enough
• Discard the fruit if it’s something wrong with the seeds, the whole thing is mushy or there’s mold

References

• [UOC] – UC Postharvest Center: Pomegranate

You’ve got a couple of rhubarb stalks left after baking rhubarb pie, and no plans for them. That makes you wonder: how long does rhubarb last until it goes bad?

If you don’t exactly know how much rhubarb you need for a recipe, it’s easy to buy too much. And when you see the leftover stalks or cut pieces, you immediately start thinking how much time you have until the veggie spoils. Or how to best store the leftovers so they last until you can use them.

If that sounds familiar, you’re in the right place. Keep reading.

How Long Does Rhubarb Last?

Before we get to storage options and periods, I want you to know that you should trim and discard any leaves before storing ([ILL]). You know, just in case your rhubarb came with leaves and you didn’t cut them off yet.

If you need your stalks to last only a couple of days (say 2 to 4 days), letting them sit on the counter or in the pantry is okay.

They will start to dry out, but the changes won’t be that big of a deal. Especially if you’re going to use the veggie in a pie. If you want to eat it raw, consider putting the rhubarb in the fridge once you get home.

To keep rhubarb around for longer, you need to refrigerate it.

One way of doing that is putting it in there in a plastic bag ([PSU]). This way, the veggie should retain quality for about two weeks. Poke some holes in the bag to let the ethylene gas (responsible for ripening of fruits and vegetables) escape and not make your rhubarb go overripe too quickly.

If you need a bit more than that, you can keep the rhubarb for even up to three weeks if you wrap the stalks somewhat loosely (without crimping the ends) in aluminum foil ([CI]). That helps keep the stalks moist and, at the same time, lets the mentioned gas escape.

It’s like with mangos, papayas, and many other fruits and vegetables: you need ethylene for the product to ripen, and then you let it escape, so the product doesn’t go overripe prematurely.

One other way of extending rhubarb’s life is by wrapping the stalks in a damp cloth. This way, they don’t dry out as fast. The only downside is that you need to dampen the cloth every couple of days to keep everything moist.

Can You Freeze Rhubarb?

If those two to three weeks aren’t enough for you, freezing might be the way to go. The veggie freezes quite well, both fresh and in a recipe (rhubarb pie!).

Frozen and thawed rhubarb works best in cooked (soups, stews) and baked (pies) recipes.

If you’re freezing the pie, all you need to do is put it in an airtight container or freezer bag, seal tight, and put it into the freezer.

If you want to freeze fresh rhubarb, it takes a bit more than that. Here’s how you can go about it ([PSU]):

1. Wash, cut, and trim. Basically, prepare the rhubarb as if you were preparing it for the recipe you’re going to use it in later on. Make sure the rhubarb is dry before you continue.
2. Pack. Transfer the cut rhubarb into freezer-safe containers or bags. Each one should have enough to use in a future recipe. The pieces will stick together when frozen, so packing them this way avoids dealing with that later. You defrost the whole container, and you’re ready to go.
3. Freeze. Put the container or bags in the freezer, and you’re done.

As you can tell, the whole procedure is quite simple and takes maybe 10 minutes, depending on the number of stalks you have.

Rhubarb frozen this way should keep quality for at least a couple of months.

How To Tell If Rhubarb Is Bad?

Telling if your rhubarb is bad or not is not exactly rocket science. Chances are you’ll know right away if yours is off when you see it. But if you’re not quite sure what to look for, here’s a handy list:

• Texture. Fresh rhubarb is firm. If yours is soft or limp and doesn’t quite hold its shape when you hold it by one of the ends, discard it.
• Color. Rhubarb is ruby-red, often with some light green patches here and there. If the skin starts to darken and turns brown or black, it’s quite obvious that the stalk is done for.
• Mold. Some small signs of mold might show up on both ends of the stalk, especially if you leave it at room temperature. As long as they’re small, you can cut them off and enjoy the rest. But if the mold starts to spread, get rid of the rhubarb.
• Smell. I’ve never had a rhubarb that smelled bad, but if yours does, something’s not right. If that’s the case, throw it out.

Summary

• Rhubarb lasts only a couple of days at room temperature.
• Keep rhubarb wrapped and in the fridge when it can last about two weeks.
• To lenghten the storage time to up to three weeks, wrap it with aluminum foil without crimping the ends.
• If that’s not long enough, you can freeze your leftover rhubarb.

References

• [CI] The Best Way to Store Rhubarb – Cooks Illustrated
• [PSU] Rhubarb: Be Patient and You Will Be Rewarded – Penn State University
• [ILL] Rhubarb – Vegetable Directory | University of Illinois Extension

Are you a first-time mango buyer with no idea how to store mangoes? Or maybe you’re not sure how to tell if your mango is already ripe or not? If either is true, you’re in the right place.

Mangoes may seem a bit tricky at first, but they’re not. If you think about it, the way you store them is quite similar to how you keep bananas or avocados. And that’s not that difficult, isn’t it?

But before we get to the storage part, you need to know if your mangoes are ripe or not. And that’s an excellent place to start.

When is a Mango Ripe?

The most important factor to consider is how the fruit feels in hand. The flesh should give a little under gentle pressure, but not a lot (mushy is overripe) ([MAR]). If it’s still firm, it’s unripe.

Color is the next thing to look at. When mango ripens, it turns from green to orange or red, depending on the variety ([MAR]). What’s important is that you shouldn’t wait for the whole fruit to turn red or orange. Even a fully ripe mango usually has some greenish areas (see my mango above).

The last possible sign of ripeness is a sweet fragrance ([MAR]). In my experience, not all ripe mangoes smell sweet. The ones that I buy usually don’t have any noticeable smell. Or maybe my sense of smell is all messed up, who knows.

As I mentioned, the feel is what you should focus on. If the mango feels somewhat soft, but much of the skin is still green, it is most likely ripe and ready for you to eat.

Now that you know if your fruit is ripe or not, we can talk about where to put it.

How To Store Unipe Mangoes

If your mangoes aren’t ripe, keep them at room temperature (between 64-71°F or 18-22°C) and out of the sun ([MAS]).

Putting them into the fridge so that they mature more slowly isn’t a good idea – you shouldn’t refrigerate unripe mangoes ([MAS]).

When it comes to how long it takes for a mango to ripen, it all depends on the fruit. If it’s evenly green and very firm, expect it to be ready for consumption within five days to a week. If it’s already starting to turn red, it should be ready within two to three days.

Like with other fruits that are still maturing, give your mangos a quick check every day.

How To Store Ripe Mangoes

The best place to store ripe mangoes is the fridge. A whole mango should keep for up to five days in the refrigerator ([SFR, MAS]). If you’re lucky, you might get an extra day or two.

Of course, you can leave the ripe fruit on the counter or in a fruit basket. The issue with that is the mango will continue maturing quickly and will be overripe within a couple of days. If you know you’ll eat it the next day, leaving it at room temperature overnight is no big deal.

How To Store Cut Mangoes

If you have some mango leftovers you need to store, there’s no magic to it. Put them in an airtight container and into the refrigerator. The leftovers should keep pretty good quality for 2 to 3 days.

I keep the leftover mango peeled and sliced or diced. This way, it’s easy to grab some here and there, and the container always gets emptied way before the fruit loses quality. If you struggle with finishing leftovers before they spoil, try doing the same.

How To Tell If Mango Is Bad?

First off, many mangoes have some skin blemishes and marks. As you can tell yourself, the one that I photographed for this article surely does. The color, in most cases, isn’t uniform either. Both things are perfectly okay, and the fruit is just fine ([MAR]).

Of course, if the marks and blemishes get out of hand and start to cover large areas of the skin, things aren’t that good. You can still peel that mango, but expect the flesh to be darkened and possibly spoiled.

Like with any fruit, watch out for any mold and mushiness of the flesh. The first is an obvious sign of spoilage, while the latter indicates that the fruit is overripe and you probably should get rid of it.

If there are some small sunken spots or bruises on the skin, you can cut them out (and some extra). If the rest of the flesh seems okay, usually there’s no need to discard the fruit. Like with all fruit and veggies, common sense is key here.

Last but not least, if anything about your mango feels off, discard it. Maybe it’s an odd smell, or it tastes weird. Or something isn’t quite right, and you can’t even pinpoint what. If that’s the case, get rid of it and grab another one.

FAQs about Mangoes

How To Ripen Mangoes Faster?

Mango is an ethylene-producing fruit, and it also reacts to the gas. Because of that, you can immediately speed up the ripening process by placing the fruit(s) in a sealed paper bag ([SFR]). This way, the gas is trapped and the fruit exposed to more of it.

If you’re in a real hurry, add another ethylene-producing fruit, like an avocado ([SFR]), an apple, or a banana.

In a Nutshell

• Ripe mangoes give a little under gentle pressure. Usually, they turn from green to red but don’t expect the whole fruit to be uniform in color.
• Keep unripe mangoes at room temperature and out of direct sunlight. Ripening takes between a day and a week, depending on the fruit.
• Store mature mangoes in the refrigerator, where they retain quality for around five days.
• Keep cut mango in an airtight container in the fridge.

References

• SFR – Savanifarms – Mango Ripening & Storing
• MAS – Mangoes Australia How to store a Mango
• MAR – Mangoes Australia When are mangoes ready to eat?

Asparagus is one of the more expensive veggies and is in season for only a couple of months every year. So it’s no wonder that you want to make the most out of it every time you buy it. But it’s easy for asparagus to get lost in the crisper drawer the day you’ve bought it only to find it a couple of days later. Can asparagus go bad?

Or maybe asparagus is on sale, and you always try to take advantage of a good deal. The spears are still green and firm, so you’re thinking about buying a few bunches. But before you stock up on the veggie, you want to know how long you can keep it in storage before it spoils. Or what’s the best way to store it, so that it lasts the longest.

If any of those questions sound familiar, you’re in the right place. Below we go through signs of spoilage, storage practices, and how long asparagus stays fresh. Let’s get into the nitty-gritty.

Can Asparagus Go Bad? How To Tell If Asparagus Went Bad?

Like all veggies, asparagus goes bad; there’s no doubt about it. When it comes to signs of spoiled asparagus, look for the usual suspects:

• mold (white fuzzy layer, most often on the buds)
• rot (spears or buds turned black)
• unpleasant odor
• slimy or super limp spears

If either one is present, it’s time for the veggie to go.

Besides those, some symptoms inform that the veggie is not that fresh anymore:

• spears and buds lightening in color, going from vibrant green to pale green
• the bottom of the spear losing firmness (a fresh spear has an almost wood-like base)
• spears becoming somewhat limp and mushy

While those don’t mean the veggie is unsafe to eat, they tell you clearly that its time is running out. And if you still want to eat it, it’s now or never. Such asparagus isn’t at the peak of its quality, but at least in my opinion, it’s still good enough for eating. Especially if you’re going to cook or steam it, which is most likely the case. Cooked asparagus is quite soft either way, so there won’t be that much of a difference if you start with somewhat limp stalks. In short, it’s up to you if you use it or discard it.

How Long Does Asparagus Last?

Coked asparagus lasts about five days in the fridge in an airtight container.

When it comes to fresh asparagus, its shelf life depends entirely on how you store it.

If you leave it on the counter or in the pantry, it starts deteriorating in quality within two days and becomes useless after about five days.

When it comes to storing it in the fridge, it can retain freshness there for between 5 and 14 days. Once again, it all depends on the way you store it, and if you can be bothered with extra steps to make it last as long as possible. Let’s talk about those storage practices, then.

How To Store Fresh Asparagus?

You already know that the optimal place for storing asparagus is the fridge. You should leave the bunch wrapped with rubber bands it came with. The bands keep the bunch together and make it easy to move the veggies around.

When it comes to ways in which you can refrigerate asparagus, there are at least three of them:

• The usual way. Just throw it in the vegetable drawer and call it a day. Good enough for the veggie to last about five days in good quality.
• Wrapped in wet paper towels ([ETS]). Wrap the bottom of the stalks in wet paper towels so that they will stay fresh for a few days longer. This way the asparagus should be good for 5 to 7 days, sometimes even longer.
• Stalks in water ([KT]). Paper towels eventually dry out, and this method avoids this issue altogether. Instead, you submerge the bottom of the stalks in cold water and cover the top with a freezer bag. This method allows you to store the asparagus for 10 to even 14 days without much change in quality. It’s a bit time consuming, though, because besides the initial prep, you need to change the water every couple of days or when it gets cloudy.

As you can see, the more work you’re willing to do, the longer you can store the asparagus. If you plan on finishing the whole bunch in a couple of days, I don’t think it makes sense to bother with submerging in water or using paper towels, though. But if even the longest mentioned storage period is too short for your needs, it’s time to think about freezing.

Can You Freeze Asparagus?

Asparagus freezes quite well. Of course, it sure won’t stay firm after freezing and thawing, but neither it does after cooking, so that’s not that big a deal. The whole freezing process involves blanching and is super similar to freezing broccoli. Here’s how to go about it:

1. Prep the asparagus. Wash the stalks and cut them up so that you will easily use them for cooking when the time comes. If you do that now, you won’t need to take care of that later.
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil.
3. Prepare a cold bath for the veggie. A bowl or sink with cold water should do the job. Add ice cubes for bonus points.
4. Drop the cut asparagus into boiling water and let it cook for between 90 seconds (for thin pieces) and 3 minutes (for very thick ones).
5. Transfer the spears into the cold bath, and leave them there for a few minutes, so the cooking process stops.
6. Drain the veggies thoroughly. I usually lay them on a kitchen towel for about 15 minutes, then remove any remaining water drops with a towel.
7. Portion the pieces into freezer bags. Each bag should have as much as you need for a single dish, to ensure easy freezing. Label the bags if you want to.
8. Freeze the prepared bags.

If you freeze a couple of bunches of asparagus, you can do it in batches. Just make sure the water is boiling before you drop in another batch, and that you keep the cold bath cold.

When it comes to defrosting, you can do it overnight in the fridge, or add the veggies frozen if it works for the dish you’re prepping.

In a Nutshell

• Mold, rot, slimy spears, or an off smell are sure signs the asparagus is bad. If the spears are bland in color, or not as rigid as they used to, it’s up to you if you use the veggie or discard it.
• Cooked asparagus lasts about five days in the fridge closed tightly.
• Store fresh asparagus in the crisper drawer for about five days. Wrap the bottom of the stalks in wet paper towels to get a few more days of good quality, or submerge the bottoms in water to get up to 14 days of storage.
• If you need to store asparagus for the long term, freeze it.

References

• [ETS] Eat The Seasons: Asparagus
• [KT] Kitchn: The Best Way to Store Asparagus

Including veggies in your diet is important, and broccoli is one of the better options out there. But let’s face it, a typical broccoli head is quite bulky, so unless you cook for a family of 4, you probably will use only a half of it at a time. How long will the leftover broccoli last?

Or there was this great sale on the farmer’s market, and you wanted to get as much value as you could. It was an impulse buy, and you didn’t think this through. You usually eat a single broccoli per week, and now somehow you have four broccoli heads in storage. Can broccoli go bad? How to store it, so it keeps fresh for the longest?

If you have these, or any other questions about storage, shelf life, and going bad of broccoli, you’re in the right place. This short article covers that and more.

Can Broccoli Go Bad? How To Tell If Broccoli Went Bad?

Like all veggies, broccoli goes bad; there’s no doubt about it. Let’s talk about possible signs of bad raw broccoli.

Mold is the first thing that comes to mind. Every now and then, if I store broccoli for too long, fuzzy white spots of mold appear on the florets. If there are only a couple of these, and they are small, I tend to cut them off (with some excess) and use the rest of the head. If they are all over the place, the veggie ends up in the garbage can. Do the same with any black or brown spots.

The second thing is color change. If that fresh deep green starts to turn yellowish, you’re running out of time. Yellow broccoli florets are perfectly safe to eat, but (in my opinion) they taste bitter and overall quite bad. Again, if only some of the florets are yellow, I cut them out. If the whole head has changed its color, I discard it.

The third thing is texture. Fresh broccoli is firm, so if it turns mushy or limp, you know something is wrong with it. In my experience, broccoli becomes yellow faster than it loses its firmness, therefore in most cases, you won’t get to this point. But if your broccoli is still green but not that firm, it’s up to you to decide what to do with it. I wouldn’t add it raw to a salad because of the texture, but it should be fine when cooked or steamed as a side dish.

When it comes to cooked broccoli, look for signs of mold. Sometimes, especially if you’re a bit careless, the broccoli can get contaminated before you get it to the fridge and it turns moldy within a few days.

How Long Does Broccoli Last?

Raw broccoli typically lasts for a week or two in the fridge. That’s not that long, and if you’re looking for a longer-lasting alternative, go with cauliflower.

I know that the 7 to 14 days period is quite vague, but it’s also the best I can come up with. Sometimes a broccoli head starts to grow mold or turn yellowish after a week, other times it’s still green and firm after two weeks. And even though I eat broccoli quite often, I still can’t tell which head will last those two weeks, and which won’t. In other words, do your best to use the broccoli within a week, and don’t count on it lasting those full two weeks.

When it comes to raw broccoli leftovers, try to finish them within 3 to 5 days. I usually plan two meals that include the broccoli within three days, so that I use the whole thing before it goes bad.

Last but not least, cooked broccoli. You can keep it in the fridge for 5 to 7 days. If you need it to last longer, freeze it.

How To Store Broccoli?

First thing you need to know is that you shouldn’t wash the broccoli head before you put it into storage. Leave it as is.

Broccoli likes to be chilled in the fridge. If you leave it at room temperature, it will turn yellow in a matter of days (been there, done that).

When it comes to how you should refrigerate it, there are a lot of conflicting opinions. Some say a plastic bag is the way to go, while others strongly disagree. Where I buy broccoli, they usually come wrapped in plastic, and I leave them this way. It works just fine.

If yours don’t come wrapped, place them in the vegetable drawer and see how things go. If they go moldy faster than expected, try putting them in a large resealable freezer bag. Don’t seal the bag completely, to allow for some (but not that much) air circulation.

For cooked broccoli, storage is super easy. Put the veggie or the dish in an airtight container, seal it tightly, and into the fridge it goes.

If the storage periods mentioned earlier are too short for your needs, you can always freeze your broccolis.

Can You Freeze Broccoli?

You sure do. If it’s cooked broccoli or a cooked dish that broccoli is a part of, you can toss it into the freezer, and that’s it. If, however, the broccoli is raw, the freezing process is a bit more complicated and requires some hands-on work for best effects. And by hands-on work I mean you need to blanch the broccoli before you freeze it.

I find myself too lazy to blanch veggies before freezing, so in most cases, I cook them in bulk and freeze the leftovers. This saves me time, plus I don’t have to fiddle with cooking the veggies, cooling them down and removing excess water. If you have too much broccoli on hand, and can’t be bothered with blanching, consider doing the same.

Here’s how to freeze broccoli:

1. Wash the veggie and cut it into florets and stalks (yes, those are edible too, just get rid of the firm outer layer). Prep the same way you would do for a meal, so when it’s thawed, it’s ready to go.
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil and submerge the florets and stalks in it. Larger ones need about 5 minutes of boiling; smaller ones should be ready after 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Prepare a pot of cold water, possibly with some ice cubes.
4. Once the mentioned period passes, transfer the cooked veggies into the ice bath to cool them down quickly.
5. Cooled down vegetables are ready to be drained. Spread them on a kitchen towel and leave them to dry for like 10 to 15 minutes. Remove excess water with paper towels (you can let them dry and reuse later).
6. Package the blanched veggies into freezer bags. Each bag should have as much broccoli as you need for a single dish. This allows for easy defrosting.
7. Seal the bags tightly. Label the bags with name and date if you like.
8. Put the bags in the freezer.

Thaw the broccoli in the fridge (overnight), in cold water, or throw it in frozen if it’s a soup or you’re making a stir-fry.

In a Nutshell

• If moldy, or black spots are small, cut them off. If they are all over the broccoli head, discard it.
• Yellow broccoli is okay to eat, but usually tastes bitter, and in most cases, you’d want to throw it out. If only some florets started to turn yellow, cut them out, and use the rest.
• Raw broccoli lasts 7 to 14 days in the fridge. Cooked broccoli is good for about a week if you refrigerate it in an airtight container.
• If the given storage periods are too short, you can always freeze the veggie.

Lemons are great to have around, but it’s not like when you buy a bunch of them you have a specific plan for each one. You use them as you go.

Sometimes that means going through 3 or 4 lemons in a week, other times barely using a single one. As days go by and you find yourself with a bunch of fruits still in storage, you’re wondering how long do they last and whether or not lemons go off easily. Or what’s the best way to store them, so you can use every single one before they spoil.

If that sounds like you, this article is what you’re looking for. In it, we go through signs of spoiled lemons, storage methods, and how they affect the shelf life of these citrus fruits.

Can Lemons Go Bad? How To Tell If Lemons Went Bad?

Maybe you’ve already seen a spoiled lemon, maybe not, but I’m pretty sure you know they don’t last forever.

In most cases, you can tell if the lemon is okay or not without even cutting it through. If the rind has started to rot or develop mold (often in the form of green fuzzy coating), discard the fruit. The same applies to cut lemons. Lemon flesh consists mostly of water, and any microorganisms can move in there quite freely. In other words, even if the body isn’t discolored, it might be infected too. Thus it’s safer to get rid of such a fruit.

If there’s no rot or mold, the lemon should be safe to use. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you’d want to use it. Over time lemons lose some of their water and thus lose their firmness. If your specimen yields only slightly to pressure, it’s perfectly fine. But if it’s already shriveled, the rind wrinkly, or the whole fruit squishy, it’s probably best to throw it out for quality reasons. If it’s in between those two states, it’s up to you if you use it or throw it away. When in doubt, juice it. Get whatever juice it still offers, and discard the rest.

How Long Do Lemons Last?

Whole lemons last between a week up to even six weeks ([UN]). It all depends on how you store them.

Many people keep them on the kitchen countertop simply because they work great as a decoration. Unfortunately, lemons at room temperature last only between a week or two, depending on the temperature. If it’s a hot summer, the citrus will start to lose some moisture only after a couple of days unless you have AC. In a fairly cool pantry, the lemons can last about two weeks, but that’s about it.

In the fridge, lemons can last between 3 to 6 weeks. Read the next section for how to get this month and a half out of them.

For cut lemons, they last only 3 to maybe 5 days in the fridge. They grow mold easily and quickly, so if you won’t use the leftovers within a couple of days, it’s probably better to make lemon juice.

How To Store Lemons?

If you’re okay with the shortened shelf life, feel free to keep lemons in a fruit basket or on the countertop. To get a couple of days more of peak quality, move them to the pantry, where it’s slightly colder.

When it comes to refrigerating lemons, there are two options. The lazy one is to place the fruits in the vegetable drawer. That’s good enough for them to last around three weeks, maybe even a month.

To get the maximum mentioned shelf life of 6 weeks, you need to perform an extra step. That step is putting the lemons in an airtight bag (like a freezer bag), squeezing the air out of it, and sealing it tightly ([UN]). This way the fruit doesn’t dehydrate that quickly and therefore retains top quality for longer. The whole thing takes an extra 30 seconds, so if you’re after the longest possible shelf life, there’s no excuse for not doing it.

For cut lemons, it’s best if you store them in an airtight container or a freezer bag. Since the latter is a pain to wash, I always opt for the former. Place the fruit in a way the exposed flesh is against the bottom or side of the container, to slow down the dehydration a bit.

In a Nutshell

• Throw out moldy or rotten lemons. If the fruit is shriveled or squishy, it’s probably best to squeeze its juice and discard the rest.
• Whole lemons last 1 to 2 week at room temperature, and up to 6 weeks in the fridge.
• The best way to store them in the fridge is to put them in a resealable freezer bag, which helps the citrus fruit retain moisture for longer.
• Store cut lemons in an airtight container in the fridge. It should maintain quality for 3 to 5 days.

References

• [UN] University of Nebraska Lincoln Extension: Lemon

You went to the farmer’s market and found a great deal on carrots. You’re eating carrots regularly, so you didn’t hesitate and bought a whole bunch. Happy about saving money, you went home. When you got there, you opened the bag and realized you’ve bought way too many. Can carrots go bad?

You sure know that carrots do go bad. What you’re really asking is how to store them, so that they last as long as possible. And how long is that exactly?

This guide covers precisely that: signs of spoilage, shelf life, and ways to store carrots. In case you’re interested, we cover freezing those root veggies too. After going through this piece you will know what to do with the bunch you’ve purchased, so not a single carrot will go to waste.

For starters, let’s talk about signs of spoilage.

Can Carrots Go Bad? How To Tell If a Carrot Is Bad?

We all know carrots go bad. They can go bad in the traditional way (rot, mold), but they can also deteriorate in terms of quality to the point they’re not usable.

When it comes to the former, the sign of a spoiled carrot can be rot setting in (the skin and flesh going black) or the presence of mold (white fuzz). If only a part of a carrot is affected, you can just cut it off and use the rest, just like you do with potatoes and other veggies.

For the latter, carrots tend to dehydrate over time. They become limp, rubbery, and easy to bend. Such carrots aren’t unsafe to eat by any means, but peeling them is a huge pain, and they don’t taste that good. You can either discard them or use in a cooked dish, where the lack of firmness won’t be that noticeable. If the carrot is only slightly soft, it’s still good enough for salads and eating it raw.

How Long Do Carrots Last?

When it comes to the shelf life of carrots, it all depends on where and how do you store them.

In the pantry or anywhere else that’s near room temperature or slightly below, the carrots usually last between 4 to 7 days. If they are fresh, they maybe can last up to 10 days ([CM]). Temperature affects the shelf life significantly, so if it’s the middle of a hot summer, expect that period to be shorter, like 3 to 5 days (if you don’t have air conditioning).

When it comes to the fridge, carrots last between a month ([SOF]) and 2 months ([CM]), depending on how you store them.

For cut or cooked carrots, they usually last up to a week in the fridge.

How To Store Carrots?

First, if your carrots came with the greens intact, cut them off ([SOF][CM]). The greens pull moisture from the root (the carrot), so cutting them off is a must if you don’t want the carrots to dry out quickly. If you want to use the greens, pul them in the fridge wrapped in a damp paper towel ([SOF]).

Second, no matter if the carrots end up in the pantry or the fridge, keep them away from fruits and veggies that produce ethylene, such as apples or bananas. That gas speeds up ripening, so you don’t want it anywhere near the carrots.

Third, postpone washing the veggies until you’re ready to use it.

Now it’s time to talk about moisture. If you keep the carrots at room temp, they should be in a well-ventilated place, so the moisture doesn’t build-up, and cause the carrots to rot. A veggie basket on a shelf (not in sunlight) or in a cabinet that you open every day should work just fine.

When it comes to storing carrots in the refrigerator, there are two options. Either you make sure they stay dry or submerge them in water.

The former means you put them loose in the veggie drawer (these are shaped to draw moisture to a single place), or at the very least you make some holes in the plastic bag so that the water can get out. For bonus points, you can wrap the carrots in paper towels that will absorb the moisture ([SOF][CM]). If you go with that, check on the carrots every couple of days, and switch the paper towels if the current ones are wet. You can dry out the damp paper towels and reuse them later.

For the latter, you pick an airtight container, place all carrots in it, and add water, so that it covers the produce completely ([SOF][CM]). Seal the container and keep it in the fridge. Change water every 3 to 4 days, or whenever it gets cloudy.

Both storage methods should help you make the carrots last for between a month and two months in the fridge. If that’s too little for your needs, think about freezing the carrots.

If you have cut or cooked carrots, throw them in an airtight container and keep refrigerated. That’s all they need.

Can You Freeze Carrots?

Freezing carrots is definitely an option, although it takes some time to do it properly. That’s because they, like most veggies, need blanching before you put them in the freezer ([CM]). Blanching helps the carrots retain texture, flavor, and color. The whole process of freezing looks like this ([CM]):

1. Peel the carrots and cut into pieces in needed. If you already know how you’re going to use the frozen carrots, you can cut them up now, so they are ready to go without any further prep.
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil.
3. Submerge the carrots in the water, and bring it to a boil if it stopped. Whole carrots need about 5 minutes in boiling water, cut ones or baby carrots require about 2 to 3 minutes, depending on size. You can use a blanching basket if you have one on hand, a strainer, or anything else that can get the job done.
4. Once that time passes, transfer the carrots in a pot of cold water to stop the cooking process. Use ice cubes to speed things up.
5. Now it’s time to dry the cooled carrots. Lay them out on kitchen towel for a couple of minutes, then get rid of any remaining moisture with more towels.
6. Portion the carrots and package in freezer bags. If you already know how much carrots you need for a dish, pack as much in a single bag. This way, thawing is as simple as taking the bag from the freezer. If you find them helpful, label the bags with name and date. Remember to remove air before you seal them tightly.
7. Put the bags in the freezer.

Please note that there’s no need to blanch all carrots at once. You can do that in batches. Just make sure each time the water is boiling and the cooling water is actually cold.

Frozen carrots can last months in the freezer. When you decide to defrost them, do it overnight in the fridge. If you’re in a hurry, you can thaw them in a bowl of cold water, too. Last but not least, in many cases, you can throw in your frozen carrots into the dish you’re cooking, the same way you do with frozen veggies you buy in the supermarket.

In a Nutshell

• If mold or rot sets in, discard the carrot or cut off the infected part if it’s a small one.
• Carrots dehydrate over time and become limp and rubbery. They are safe to eat but definitely won’t work in salads and raw dishes. If you don’t want to throw them out, use them in cooked dishes.
• Carrots usually last up to a week in the pantry, and between a month and two in the fridge.
• Cooked or cut carrots last about a week in the fridge.
• Before you put the carrots in storage, make sure you cut off the greens (if present), and omit washing the produce. You can do that right before peeling.
• If you keep the carrots in the pantry, make sure they’re well ventilated. If they’re in the fridge, either make sure there’s no moisture build-up or keep them submerged in water.
• If that month (or even more) in the refrigerator is not enough, freeze the carrots.

References

• [SOF] Sweetwater Organic Farm: Carrots
• [CM] Carrot Museum: How To Store Carrots

Do you have an open jam sitting in the fridge for the last couple of months, and you’re not sure if it’s still safe to eat it?

Or maybe there’s a lone jar in the pantry that you “lost” a couple of years ago and you “found” it during spring cleaning?

You know that preserves like jam or jelly last quite some time, but how long is that exactly?

In this short guide, we will talk about storage, shelf life, and spoilage of jam. After reading this piece, you will know what you should do with this jar, and any other one in the future. Sounds interesting? Read on.

Can Jam Go Bad? How To Tell If Jam Is Bad?

Jam is fruit heated with water and sugar. As we all know, fruits don’t last forever, and neither does jam, especially after opening the jar. Let’s talk about signs of spoilage you should look for.

For an unopened container, make sure the lid isn’t popped. If it is, and you don’t know when that happened, throw it out. If you know when it (roughly) happened, and it wasn’t longer than a couple of days ago, check the jam to make sure it’s alright. Second, make sure the jar is a decent state, meaning the lid isn’t rusting or bulging. Given that everything seems to be okay, time to take a closer look at the jam.

Look for typical signs of spoilage such as mold or yeast growths, or an off smell ([LG]). If either is there, discard the jam.

When it comes to smell, it might remind you of alcohol, fermentation, or be repulsive. I once had a homemade jam that sat in the basement for several years. Once I opened it, I nearly threw up due to the smell. That’s a pretty sure sign that the jam was done for.

An important thing to note here is that light-colored jams tend to darken over time, and that’s not a sign of spoilage. They stay safe, even though the color is slightly off ([LG]).

If the preserve looks okay, smells just fine, and tastes good, chances are it’s perfectly safe to eat.

Now it’s time to cover its shelf life, and how time affects jam.

How Long Does Jam Last?

Let’s start with the store-bought variety, as that’s what most of us use regularly. Jam always comes with a best-by date on the label. Its shelf life is usually between a year ([LG]) and two ([AN]), depending on the fruit used, sugar content, and the presence or lack of other preservatives. That period is included in the mentioned date.

As I already mentioned, the jam is a preserve, and a sealed jar keeps really well over time (not as well as honey, though). That means that it will most likely be safe to eat a couple of months or even years past the date on the label. That is, of course, if it stays sealed.

But being safe to eat doesn’t necessarily mean peak quality. The taste degrades gradually, and you will likely find that 5-year-old jam is lacking in flavor. In other words, even though jam lasts a long time, it’s best when fresh ([AN]).

Once you unseal the jar, deterioration speeds up. The jam will no longer last years, but closer to between 6 and 12 months. And the quality stays best for only 1 ([LG]) to 3 months, depending on the fruit and sugar content. That’s plenty of time to polish off that jar.

For homemade jams, the recommended periods are a bit shorter. An unopened jam should retain quality for at least a year, and an opened one for about a month ([NCHFP]). That is, of course, if you didn’t mess up canning the jars. Again, those periods are only estimates, and chances are your jams will stay good enough to use for longer.

If the jam has lost some of its flavor, and you don’t find it taste anymore, get rid of it.

How To Store Jam?

Storage of jam is no rocket science. An unopened jar should sit in a cool, dry, and dark place, away from sources of heat ([LG]). It’s up to you if it’s the basement, pantry, or a kitchen cabinet. If you live in the tropics, or it’s a hot summer, and you don’t have air conditioning, it makes sense to transfer the jams to the fridge to retain quality for longer. An opened jam belongs to the fridge, sealed tightly.

Last but not least, let’s cover some good storage practices.

First, when you need some jam, take the jar out of the fridge, spoon out how much you need, and put it back in storage. Don’t keep it on the table for the entire meal. Second, always use clean spoons for scooping, so you don’t contaminate the jam with any bacteria.

In a Nutshell

• If there’s mold, yeast growths, or the jam smells of, discard it.
• Lighter-colored jam turning darker is perfectly normal, and it doesn’t indicate spoilage.
• Store-bought jam keeps quality for at least a year. Once you open it, it stays best for a couple of months.
• Homemade jam lasts about a year unopened, and for a month or two after opening.

References

• [AN] – Anarchy in a Jar: FAQ
• [LG] – LunaGrown Jam: Frequently Asked Questions
• [NCHFP] – National Center for Home Food Preservation: How Do I? Jam and Jelly