Transcript: Ways to keep produce fresh
By Bankrate.com

Anchor Intro: You've just come home from the grocery store where you carefully handpicked the freshest fruits and veggies you could find. Now that you've got the good-for-you green goods you want, how do you keep them fresh for as long as possible? Bankrate.com has some tips to strengthen the staying power of your produce.

Voice over 1: Having the best produce for your money starts with selection. Grocery stores like this one stock the freshest product possible, then serious shoppers poke, prod and oh-so-carefully pick produce to take home. But selection is only half the battle.

SOT: "The other half is getting your produce home and storing it properly. If you don't store is properly, it can really affect the taste, and the bang for your buck."

Voice over 2: That's right. Handled properly, produce can stay fresh two to three times longer.

Voice over 3: Most produce is "fridge friendly" and lasts longest stored there. Experts say some vegetables, like eggplants, peppers and cucumbers, only last up to three days in the fridge. And use them soon after you take them out.

Voice over 4: And peaches and nectarines should go in the fridge only after they've ripened.

Voice over 5: In fact, that low fridge temperature can cause potatoes' starch to convert to sugar. They can actually turn sweet.

Voice over 6: And did you know that apples and bananas give off a gas that promotes ripening? Best to store them away from other fruits. Whole garlic and onions also give off a gas, and it can affect potatoes. Best to keep those three separated, unless you like tater sprouts.

Standup: Store that produce properly, and the fruits of your labor could be food that tastes better, lasts longer, and lowers that food budget. For Bankrate.com, I'm Kristin Arnold.