A top question in the produce department is how to store each of the fruits and veggies we eat so they stay fresher longer. Here in TupperLand, we use the quip "dry, naked and dirty" as a mantra for long lasting produce storage.

 Cheri Semple, menu planning strategist, says this in her recent ezine:

·    Wash your vegetables before you use them, not before you store them - they need to be stored nice and dry.

·    Freeze certain fresh vegetables, but remember to blanch them first. Cut them up, drop them in boiling water for a minute or so, then plunge them into an ice bath. Dry them and [then freeze].

·    Dice and freeze onions, celery and bell peppers. Veggies like these that will be cooked thoroughly in the course of meal preparation don't need to be blanched first.

·    Root crops, such as potatos and yams, should be stored in a cool, dark, dry place.

It is recommended to use FridgeSmart to keep your produce fresher for longer. Make sure to keep seeded and non-seeded veggies away from each other.

Wondering what to do with the crispers now that you don't use them for produce anymore. Well, you can take them out of the firdge completely, if you'd like. Make more room for other things. Or you can use the crispers for something else - like storing pop cans, or bottles of water or bags of milk. You'll find something. I'm sure of it.