The Tip You Need To Store Root Vegetables Correctly

One of my favorite weekend activities is perusing the local farmer's market in my neighborhood. I love looking through the different tents to see what unique and fun fruits and vegetables are available based on the season at hand. It's a fun way to try out fresh new foods you may not have tried otherwise. Even if I bring home a new fun thing to try, I typically leave with some classic root vegetables: namely onions, a potato, and perhaps some carrots because they really go with almost every meal (carrots are actually a lot more versatile than you'd think). Every once in awhile I'll also buy some fennel, radishes, or even some beets. Once I haul everything back to my apartment, it's sometimes a bit daunting to figure out the best way to store everything to achieve maximum freshness for as long as possible.

There's one tip I always adhere to with root vegetables though: Cut the leafy tops off the carrots, turnips, beets, etc. before wrapping them in a damp cloth and putting them in the fridge. That's because the leaves will draw moisture away from the veggies, causing them to dry out. Just don't store them in airtight containers or in plastic bags in the fridge if you want to maximize their shelf life. If you store root veggies properly in the fridge, they should last a week or two (some last longer, it depends on the vegetable). If they start to soften, it means they're starting to go bad; making them prime candidates for home composting.

Another important thing to know is that not all root vegetables need to be stored in the fridge. You can put most of them in a dry, cool space in your house, whether that be a garage, a cellar, or your pantry. Potatoes, in particular, thrive in a paper bag in a cool, dark space for up to three months. Onions and garlic also have a very long shelf life, as long as they're in a breathable bag or basket, somewhere out of direct sunlight. 

Just be sure to keep the potatoes and the onions separate no matter where you're storing them because they actually have a negative impact on each other if they're stored together (it's one of the many common food storage mistakes). Long story short, root vegetables are good to have on-hand at all times because they're fairly shelf stable and rich in fiber and micronutrients.