Awash in Plastic

At any given moment, my refrigerator shelves are a flurry of plastic. Trying to distinguish the green onions from the parsley or the romaine from the chard takes time, effort and tenacity.

I routinely use canvas bags for shopping, but, at the produce department, I tend to put my fruit and produce in plastic bags. I try to cut down on the plastic; for instance, if I buy something like a head of cabbage or a couple of onions or even just one apple, I won’t put it in a plastic bag. I’ve often wished supermarkets would provide something else for the other stuff—paper bags for things like green beans, for example, or at the least, compostable or biodegradable plastic bags. But then I get it all back home and wonder what I would store it all in if I didn’t take the plastic bags.

So I was more than a little interested when I came across a news item about the Berkeley, Calif., Farmers’ Markets becoming the first in the nation to eliminate the use of all plastic bags and packaging. The three weekly markets, a project of the Berkeley Ecology Center, are “Zero Waste Zones,” in which customers and vendors are expected to make every effort to eliminate waste to landfills. This is all quite admirable, of course, but what caught my eye was a helpful guide to storing fresh fruits and vegetables without plastic and, surprisingly, in some cases, without refrigeration.

Thanks to Andrea Willems, manager of Berkeley Farmers Markets, and Ben Feldman, Markets program manager, we can share some of the tips here:

Apples, citrus fruits, apricots, melons, nectarines, peaches, and pears can be stored in a cool place on the kitchen counter for up to two weeks. Apricots and nectarines should be stored in the refrigerator if they’re fully ripe. Cut melons should be stored in the fridge; an open container is fine. Peaches should be refrigerated only when fully ripe. Pears will keep for a few weeks on the counter or in a paper bag.

Berries, including strawberries, are fragile and should be lightly packed into a paper bag, in a single layer if possible, and stored in the fridge. Moisture is their enemy, so wash them only just before eating.

Asparagus should be placed upright in a bowl or glass of water and stored at room temperature. (It should keep about a week.)

Avocados can be stored in a paper bag at room temperature.

Leafy greens, such as lettuces, should be stored in an airtight container with a damp cloth to keep them from drying out. Some greens, such as kale, collards and chard, keep well in a cup of water on the counter or in the refrigerator. Spinach and green onions like to stay loose in an open container in the crisper.

Broccoli, carrots, green beans, radishes and cucumbers can be simply wrapped in a damp towel and placed in the refrigerator.

For plastic-free storage ideas for other fruits and vegetables, see “How to Store Fruits and Vegetables.” —Carol Wiley Lorente