How to Store Fruit

(And keep them from going bad longer)

…Continued from my last post on storing veggies.

Don’t let your family’s bad eating habits, and lack of knowledge about storing fruit be an excuse to not keep fruit in your house! Take these tips, study them and most importantly APPLY THEM IN YOUR HOUSE!

Your fabulous summer body is not going to come from successfully storing lays potato chips on the shelf.  Storing your veggies properly will keep them fresh longer, and save you money in the long run. 

APPLY THESE TIPS!

Apples ‐ store on a cool counter or shelf for up to two weeks. For longer storage in a cardboard box in the fridge.
Apricots ‐ on a cool counter to room temperature or fridge if fully ripe.
Cherries ‐ store in an airtight container. Don’t wash cherries until ready to eat, any  
Bananas - Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster. Keep them on the counter, or in a basket with holes or openings to allow air to circulate.Citrus ‐ store in a cool place, with good airflow, never in an air‐tight container.
added moisture encourages mold.
Berries - Don’t forget, they’re fragile. When storing be careful not to stack too many high, a single layer if possible. A paper bag works well, only wash before you plan on eating them.
Dates ‐ dryer dates (like Deglet Noor) are fine stored out on the counter in a bowl or the paper bag they were bought in. Moist dates (like Medjool) need a bit of refrigeration if they’re going to be stored over a week, either in cloth or a paper bag‐ as long as it’s porous to keeping the moisture away from the skin of the dates.
Figs ‐ Don’t like humidity, so, no closed containers. A paper bag works to absorb excess moisture, but a plate works best in the fridge up to a week un‐stacked.
Grapes - Make sure to select clusters that are free from molds if you plan to keep them in your fridge.  Another mistake people make when storing grapes is washing them before storing. While this may clean them and get rid of dirt on them, the water will have a negative effect on the skins of the grapes; making them mushier and promoting bacterial growth in the process.
Kiwi - Keep at room temperature until ripe, then refrigerate. Do not place in refrigerator longer than 1 -2 weeks.  
Lemons and Limes -  If you are going to use them within a week, keep them on the counter at room temperature. Lemons and limes need air so if you place them in a bowl, you may notice their bottoms may grow mold. Try to keep them separated or in an aerated bowl. If you don’t eat them within a week, you can keep them in the refrigerator and they will last a month. You can keep them in a bowl in the refrigerator. 
Mangoes - Store on the counter until ripe or 2 - 5 days, then move to refrigerator, then keep for 5 - 7 days. If you want to freeze wash peel and slice into pieces. Place pieces on a cookie sheet until frozen then you can transfer to plastic bag. 

Melons ‐ uncut in a cool dry place, out of the sun up to a couple weeks. Cut melons should be in the fridge, an open container is fine.
Nectarines ‐ (similar to apricots) store in the fridge it is okay if it’s ripe, but best taken out a day or two before you plan on eating them so they soften to room temperature.
Peaches -(and most stone fruit) ‐ refrigerate only when fully ripe. More firm fruit will ripen on the counter.
Pears ‐ will keep for a few weeks on a cool counter, but fine in a paper bag. To hasten the ripening put an apple in with them.
Oranges - stay juicier when kept at room temperature. If possible place in a basket. The baskets are preferable to other containers because they permit the air to circulate freely around each piece of fruit.
Persimmon - Fuyu‐ (shorter/pumpkin shaped): store at room temperature.
Hachiya - (longer/pointed end): room temperature until completely mushy. The astringentness of them only subsides when they are completely ripe. To hasten the ripening process place in a paper bag with a few apples for a week, check now and then, but don’t stack‐they get very fragile when really ripe.
Plums - Keep plums at room temperature until they ripen. Once they’re ripe, keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 more days. 
Pomegranates ‐ keep up to a month stored on a cool counter.
Raspberries - Wash your berries in a vinegar solution of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water. Place berries in a refrigerator safe bowl (plastic) with a paper towel on the bottom. Replace paper towel when it gets damp.  
Strawberries ‐ Don’t like to be wet. Do best in a paper bag in the fridge for up to a week. Check the bag for moisture every other day.

Watermelon - Keep watermelon uncut on your counter at room temperature for up to 7 - 10 days. Cut watermelon can keep in the refrigerator for up to two days. 

Xox Brittany,

THE-FITSPIRATIONAL-BLONDE

(Thank you mythirtyspot.com)

GUESS WHAT GUYS!

I have just one and a half weeks left of college before I’m out for summer, so I’ll be back to blogging FULL TIME before you know it!

Get excited for your dashboard to be filled with:

1. My quick and easy healthy meal/snack ideas (with a spin of Brittany creativity)
2. Exercise posts that will motivate you to get your butt off the computer and actually exercise instead of just scrolling through
3. My daily morning smoothie posts (which will be incorporating veggies in them for the first time)
4. How to get fit with your significant other (Yes, incase you were wondering, Bryan and I are still together and happier than ever! We will be getting in shape TOGETHER and inspiring you to do the same) Don’t forget, having a motivational partner, even if it’s your best friend, is a FABULOUS way to stay motivated even on those days where you just want to sit on your bed with a carton of Ben and Jerry’s Ice cream.
5. NEW!!! Since I run my OWN health blog, I’m going to start incorporating some new beauty posts. Keeping your body healthy on the inside is VERY important, but I’m going to start blogging a bit about how to keep your body healthy on the outside too. (Ex- clear skin, longer full hair and healthier nails!
6. REQUESTS- You guys are so great about asking TONS of questions which I ALWAYS encourage! My inbox gets really full, very fast, but don’t worry I’ll get to your question as soon as I can :) If I get enough of the same question (which happens frequently) I’ll made a whole post about it. So please don’t be afraid to ask :)

Have a wonderful afternoon guys! I hope everyone is ready to kick their butts into shape with me, for this beautiful summer.

Check back tonight in a few hours for my newest favorite healthy recipe- Garlic and Herb Stuffed Brussels sprouts.

<3

Xox Brittany,

Today I just discovered the WONDERFUL world of Wraps!!

I had a wrap which was made out of garlic and pesto, and filled it with ALL kinds of veggies. Wraps are SO much healthier for you then eating a sandwich, because some of them are actually made out of vegetables. Less bread, less carbs, more veggies… sounds like a plan to me!

Any way, I was wondering if any of you have ever tried a wrap, and what you put in them? I’m going to try and make one myself, and I’m looking for different brands of the actual wrap to use?

I’ve called around to the various Trader Joes, Sprouts, Whole Foods and other health stores in the area and can’t seem to find them anywhere!

Please share your healthy wrap experiences:

• Do you eat them?
• Where do you buy them?
• Are there different flavors?

…literally!

So Last month, I tried fresh SWEET corn for the first time since I was little. This was a big deal for me, because I used to be SUCH a picky eater less than a year ago, and would never try new things. Not to mention, I had already tried canned corn when I was younger and HATED it.

Any-who, my boyfriend Bryan finally convinced me to give corn another chance. After all those years of avoiding it, I thought it wasn’t that bad!

He prepared the sweet corn by lathering on a bit of butter, and then wrapping it in tin foil and putting it in the oven. 

The only thing I didn’t like, was the sweetness of the corn… so we went back to the grocery store they didn’t have any non-sweetened corn :(

So now I want to hear what you guys do. It will be cool to see all the different ways that we prepare corn. In a few days maybe we can all go back and reread each others answers and maybe learn a few more delicious tricks for our next meal.

My question to you guys is:

1. Where can you buy fresh corn that isn’t sweet (is it seasonal??)
2. What do you think is the best way to eat corn (do you use butter, what do you put on it ?)
3. What is your favorite way to prepare corn (do you wrap it in tin foil too, or do you grill it or just pop it in the microwave?)