Keep It Fresh

Lesson Overview
Goals
- Describe ways to store a variety of fruits and vegetables
- Describe why produce goes bad when stored improperly
Outcomes
Teaching Primer
Is there anything more frustrating than opening the vegetable drawer in the refrigerator only to find that the celery is limp, the cilantro wilted, or the baby greens a spoiled mess?
The NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) estimates that the average American household throws away 25% of the food and drinks they purchase. That represents a loss of as much as $2275 a year!
With a little education on the proper ways to store the most common fruits and vegetables, anyone can reduce spoilage, save money, and enjoy the best flavor from the ingredients that the garden has to offer.
Tools & Materials
- Resealable plastic bags
- Paper towels
- Mason jars
- Kitchen shears
Vocabulary
- Ethylene
- Humidity
- Dehydration
- Spoilage
Method
Introduction (5 minutes)
Begin the lesson with the question, “What causes fruits and vegetables to spoil.” Then review each of the methods for properly storing the 10 most common fruits and vegetables used in the kitchen.
Activity (20 minutes)
After each fresh harvest in the Lab, have the Students properly store the produce according to the method outlined for each.
Discussion (10 minutes)
What are the biggest threats to storing fruits and vegetables? Any other methods we could try?
Assessment (10 minutes)
Use the following questions to assess the Students before and after the lesson. Tally the responses of the group in the Assessment Tracking Log for comparison:
- By a show of hands, how many of you know how to properly store fresh produce at home?
- Now that you know how to store a variety of produce, how many of you will teach your parents the proper ways to store fruits and vegetables at home?
Related Lessons
Give the Intermediate or Advanced lessons a try now that you’ve completed the Beginner Lesson!
This lesson, and all other lessons on this website, are intended for use by teachers in the classroom. These lessons are protected by US and International copyright laws. Reproduction or distribution of lesson content, supporting materials, or digital creative is prohibited with written permission from Modern Steader LLC.