To get your produce to last a long time you first need to know how to harvest them, and how to store them. Once you store your produce correctly, they will last for a long time and retain their color and taste.
This very informative article by Julie Martens over on Bonnie Plants website, gives lots of great tips on how to store your summer vegetables. One of the first things to know is that you can’t just put them all in the fridge or freezer.
[su_quote]Leave the stem attached. With vegetables like cucumbers, peppers, squash, and eggplants, it’s a good idea to leave bit of stem when you harvest them. This helps seal the stem end against bacteria, so the fruit will last longer.
Don’t wash vegetables until you’re ready to use them. If you wash produce before storing it, any lingering moisture in those cracks and crevices can cause it to go bad prematurely. Instead, just brush off all visible dirt (use a soft cloth for this if you need to). If produce is wet and dirty at picking, let it dry, then brush off any dirt and blossom bits (use a soft cloth for this if you need to) before storing, as they can cause decay to set in. For especially stubborn bits, a quick rinse should be your last resort. Let the produce sit out overnight to make sure it dries completely before storing.[/su_quote]
To get all these great tips on how to store your summer harvest, go over to Bonnie Plants website and read the entire article.